The
UBC University Singers under the direction of Dr. Graeme Langager, will present the first concert of their 2013 Incantato Performance Tour to Spain at the magnificent Sinagogue del Transito in Toledo on Tuesday, February 19, at
7:30 P.M.
The
concert will take place in the Main Praying Room, the most exquisite
construction in this unique temple, built in the 14th century and is decorated
all over ceilings and walls with Mudejar elements and beautiful geometric
motifs, flowers and inscriptions in Arabic and Hebrew. Sinagoga del Tránsito is
the popular name given to the Synagogue of Samuel ha-Leví, is one of the
most important examples of Hispano-Jewish art.
The building was part of a sumptuous palace built
in the 15th century and it was erected in the days when the Jewish community
had an enviable position in the society of the era, with privileged posts in
the Administration and Tax Collection Authorities.King Don Pedro even openly
protected the Jews, and synagogues saw their heyday under his reign
(1350-1369), as they were protected even when a Papal Bulla had banned the
erection of new Hebrew temples, and only allowed the refurbishment of those
already constructed.
When King Don Pedro built it, he defied all the laws
about synagogues being smaller and lower than churches.It features Nasris-style
polychrome stucco-work, Hebrew inscriptions of the names of God, multifoil
arches and Mudéjar panelled ceiling.In the 16th century it became a
church of Saint Benito. Later at the 17th century the name changed into Church
of the Nuestra Senora del Transito. The name derives from the painting: Transit
of Virgin. The synagogue was also used as military headquarters during the Napoleonic
Wars. In 1877 the building became a national monument. The transformation of
the building into the Sephardi Museum, as it is now officially called, started
around 1910.
Nowadays the Sinagoga del Tránsito hosts many
important musical events, as the very famous concerts of Sephardic music and
many famous classical artists.
