European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 13, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                A Cronin s Cathedral towers above the apartments lining the Konyar River. Much of the old jewish District is clustered around the Cathedral. Spanish tourist offic Gerona recalls where jews once flourished by Stanley Meisler los Angeles times Spain is marking the 500th anniversary this year of three epochal events in 1492, Columbus under Spanish sponsorship discovered at least for the european world the americas Catholic forces captured Granada thus heralding the final defeat of the moors who had first entered Spain nearly 800 years before and an edict issued by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella ordered tire expulsion i rum the t country of All jews who refused to be baptized into christianity the medieval town of Corona Between Barcelona and the Freni h Border in the northeastern Spanish Region of Catalonia is surely one of the Best Sites to feel and understand the meaning of that last cruel act. I he edict issued by the King and Queen of Spain against the lews destroyed a prosperous educated Community. It also emboldened the terrible inquisition Whit h Isabella had inaugurated 14 years earlier to Hunt Down Christian converts who might be backsliding into Judaic ways and infused modern Spain with a sense of anguish and contusion about the jews. In anticipation of the anniversary of the edict Spain has already bestowed its highest Honor a the Prince of Asturias award a collectively on the world s sephardic jews those descended irom the jews who once lived in Spain. And a Host of seminars and museum exhibits relating to the expulsion have been planned throughout the country for 1992. Despite Llu expulsion and he inquisition the Era in which Judaism thrived in Spain has always occupied a romantic place in jewish history and Many jewish visitors Are expected to visit Spain during the anniversary year. Toledo just South of Madrid where two dormant synagogues still exist is an obvious destination Tor the traveler interested in the remains of jewish life in Spain a As is Cordoba in Andalusia which maintains a tiny Active synagogue and a statue of Maimonides the jewish philosopher. But the lesser known  May not be on most itineraries. Yet Cerona sold jewish Quarter a known As the Call a name derived from the catalan word Tor narrow passageway Quot a May give a better sense than Toledo or Cordoba of the atmosphere of medieval jewish life Gerona a called Girona on catalan language maps a is an ancient town whose Hills crowded with medieval Stone houses turn into a wondrous Vista when viewed from the footbridges on the Konyar River. In the Middle Ages the jews of Gerona lived in the heart of the town on the slope leading to the Cathedral of Santa Maria the Cali was a Maze of narrow walkways arched passageways alleys and Steep staircase streets that twisted past houses with Stone Walls and wrought Iron windows. As persecutions mounted from the late i 3th Century Onward the jews a who numbered a Little More than 400 a withdrew into the Maze of these close streets. Although not every Street and building in the area now kites from that Era much of the Call s medieval atmosphere has been preserved and deep feelings stir As you make your Way through a neighbourhood infused by centuries of troubled history. The Carrer de la Forca the main Street of the Call takes most tourists to Gerona spacious Cathedral of Santa Maria with its tapestry of the creation. Tourists can Detour before reaching the Cathedral and i limb about Halfway up  to an unnumbered door that opens into the Isaac Al Sec catalan for Isaac the Blind Center. The building that houses the Center has been restored to show How the old medieval Walls of the Call hid a web of interlocking rooms and Lovely lowered patios. The Center distributes pamphlets about the jews of Gerona and of Catalonia displays several artefacts and stones with hebrew inscriptions there also is a collection of hebrew tombstones in the archaeological museum in the monastery of Sant Pere de Galli Gants near the Cath Draland exhibits a set of Well illustrated placards that describe the history of Catalonia s lews in Spanish catalan and English. Isaac the Blind a 1 4di-i entry Kabbalah Mystic May have lived on or near the site of the Center but he was not the most famous jew produced by Gerona. That Honor belongs to Moses Ben Nahman the philosopher known in hebrew As Nahm Anides and by catalans As Bon Astruc Daporta. Nahm Anides a medical doctor and the Foremost rabbi of his Day was forced to take part in a historic religious disputation convened in Barcelona in 1263 by King Jaime i of Aragon. A the Catholic clergy had pressed for the contest because they believed they could convert the jews by persuading them that passages of the talmud verified the teachings of christianity. Nahm Anides debated the Issue for four Days with a convert known As Pablo Christiani. Quot i have never seen a Man defend a wrong cause so Well a the King told the 65-year-old Nahm Anides when the debate had drawn to a close. The debate had a tragic footnote although the King had guaranteed Nahm Anides Complete Freedom of speech in depending his beliefs Pope Clement in demanded that the rabbi be punished for composing Quot a tract full of falsehood concerning his disputation Quot and circulating Quot copies of the Book in order to disseminate i a bring  banished from Catalonia in i 267, Nahm Anides left Gerona for Jerusalem where he died three years later. Bowing to the pressures of militant proselytization pogroms and the edict of expulsion a Large number of jews in Gerona As in the rest of Spain converted to christianity. But these new christians accused of insincerity in their conversion or of having relapsed secretly into Judaism became the main target of the inquisition. Between 1491 and 1505 alone 84 converted Gerona jews were put on trial by the inquisition and Many of them were executed. The Spanish inquisition also tortured and executed moorish converts suspected of backsliding into islam when spaniards talk about jews these Days they usually mean descendants of Quot new christians Quot rather than the dispersed sephardic jews or the few thousand jews who have emigrated to Spain in the 20th Century. As a result Gerona is still thought of As a Quot jewish Quot town even though almost everyone living there has been baptized a Catholic. A Spanish israeli commission created for the 500th anniversary has announced plans to open a new jewish museum in Gerona this year. While located in the Call it will ire separate from the Isaac Al Sec building which will serve As a jewish cultural Center. 24 stripes Magazine february 13, 1992 a