Sinagoga del Tránsito

Resulta que los sábados después de las 14 se puede ingresar gratis, oh coincidencia, sábado por la tarde llegamos nosotros. Así que entramos sin pensarlo.
La verdad jamás había entrado en la vida a una sinagoga así que no sabía muy bien qué esperar. En este caso la sinagoga fue convertida en museo así que no creo que se aprecia tanto lo que era la función principal del edificio. Apenas entras llegas a la sala principal con un muro súper decorado y unas bellas ventanas en contra. Algo que sentí fue mucha calma y paz en este lugar.
Luego sigues el recorrido por pasillos anexos que cuentan bastante la historia del pueblo judío desde sus comienzos con una buena selección de objetos y sobretodo de su vida en España, tienen con piedras grabadas que recuerdan a los antepasados. En la parte superior del museo hay un poco de historia más contemporánea de los judíos, sus rituales y festividades.
Es un bonito museo para recorrer y adentrarse un poco más en esto de la convivencia de tres culturas en España. Yo ya un poco sabía el tema de la expulsión y las prohibiciones de realizar sus rituales en la época de los reyes católicos y antes pero da un buen pantallazo a lo qué era la vida por esos días.
Estaba un poco cansado y no creo haberlo aprovechado al 100% pero lo recomiendo visitar.

Pretty good place to visit. This Spanish synagogue dating back to the 14^th century built for Samuel ha-​Levi. It’s only € 3 to get in and it’s nicely decorated. It’s pretty good to check out.

Pretty good place to visit in Toledo. This Spanish synagogue dating back to the 14^th century built for Samuel ha-​Levi. It’s only € 3 to get in and it’s nicely decorated. It’s not that large and shouldn’t take more than an hour to see it all.

Nada más entrar tuve la sensación de que es nuestra versión patria de la Sinagoga de Budapest, lo cual corroboré al ver el homenaje a los fallecidos que tienen en el pequeño jardín y que bebe directamente del otro.
Por lo demás, poca sensación queda del templo que debió ser hace unos siglos porque ahora mismo es un edificio completamente dedicado a ser un museo del judaísmo y alguna otra cosa relativa a la ciudad de Toledo. Tienen una exposición permanente de objetos tradicionales y rituales de los judíos, y arriba otra en la que tienen fotos de sus rituales propios y en la que puedo destacar la impresión que produce la silla para circuncidar bebés: algo se encogió en mi interior y no estoy hablando metafóricamente.

Well, as with the Jewish museum in Cordoba, I found this one kind of depressing as well.
Although the building itself is more impressive here — larger, more ornamented, etc.
I also enjoyed the peaceful garden cemetery in the courtyard behind the building. The tourist crowds — especially tour groups — generally seemed to stay inside the building, which left the courtyard feeling peaceful and contemplative.
I think it’s great that people visiting Toledo can get an idea of the Jews who used to live here, but of course the story itself had a sad ending (persecution and expulsion).
My favorite exhibit in the museum was the last one before the exit that shows the traditional clothing that Sephardic Jews wore hundreds of years ago. One might say that the outfits were very Moorish in appearance.
When you leave the synagogue and museum, head across the street for a scenic viewpoint of a gorge, a river, and some very Spanish-​looking countryside.

The Sinagoga del Tránsito (or Synagogue of Samuel ha-​Levi) was once an important house of worship for Toledo’s large Jewish population. A 14^th-​century building, it is an excellent example of Spanish Jewish art especially noted for its superb stucco Hebrew inscriptions.
Founded and financed by Samuel Levi, the Sinagoga del Tránsito was built in 1357. Samuel ha-​Leví Abufalia was treasurer and adviser to King Pedro I of Castile, and it is said that Levi imported cedars from Lebanon for the building’s construction — à la Solomon when he built the First Temple in Jerusalem.
The bell tower was added by the Christian religious order of Alcántara, who took over the building after the Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492. In the 18^th century, it was a hermitage dedicated to the Tránsito de Nuestra Señora (Our Lady’s Transit, meaning Mary’s assumption into heaven), which accounts for its present name. During the war against Napoleon, the synagogue became a military barracks. In 1977, it was declared a national monument and it is now a museum.
The exterior of the rectangular synagogue is relatively austere and shares the block with the El Greco’s House Complex. Gayle and I also noticed several nearby shops selling a variety of Judaica.
Inside, the main prayer hall is covered with intricate Mudéjar decoration and Hebrew inscriptions glorifying God, Peter the Cruel, and Levi himself. The inscriptions include psalms inscribed along the top of the walls and a poetic description of the Temple on the east wall. Gayle and I also found the «Women’s Balcony» to be interesting both in terms of its exhibits, but the view of the main hall and the overall architecture.
Adjoining the main hall is the Museo Sefardí (Sephardic Museum), a small but excellent museum of Jewish culture in Spain. The museum opened in 1971 and contains a variety of Jewish art, ritual objects and ancient tombstones with Hebrew epitaphs. Gayle and I very much enjoyed our visit and it was certainly an interesting Ying compared to the Yang of our earlier Toledo Cathedral Visit. Also don’t miss a visit to the nearby Sinagoga de Santa Maria la Blanca.