Chapter 9: Palma de Mallorca, Spain; Old Jewish Quarter
How about a Jewish History Lesson?
24.09.2023 - 24.09.2023 80 °F
View Fjords & From Barcelona on Cunard on paulej4's travel map.
"Palma de Mallorca"
Sunday, September 24, 2023
We are in the Balearic Islands, dating back to the ancient Phonecians from 902, the region was under Islamic control. The Medina Mayorca, Arab for "City of Majorca", expanded both commerce and manufacturing. In 1229, Christians led by James I of Aragon, the longest reigning Iberian monarch, retook it.
We arrive only a few minutes away from Magaluf, what I learned from a recent New York Times article is now a mecca for young Brits on holiday. "Every summer, Magaluf crawls with young British people in search of a bacchanalia, and they find one in what is essentially a slab of the United Kingdom set in the Mediterranean, except seedier than anything in the dingiest corners of London. But places like Magaluf are hotbeds of what is known here as the 'tourism of excess'. There have been fights and plenty of what is known as “balconying,” the practice of leaping from a balcony onto another balcony or into a swimming pool. (It’s popular enough that the U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office published a warning against it.) Public nudity is so prevalent on this strip that signs here state, 'Wear no clothes on the street, penalty 400 euros'.” One doubts that many Queen Elizabeth passengers will make the trip to Magaluf. We won't.
B4 and I are the anthesis of excess, at least of the kind yearned for by young Brits.
Our travel agent emailed this tour option and I bit. "Journey to the heart of the Old Jewish Quarter where your private guide will take you to the must-see sites of the neighborhood. Start at the small Interpretation Center where you will learn how the island of Mallorca was home for hundreds of years to a thriving Jewish community that played a pivotal role in cartography. With the rise of the Spanish Inquisition in the 14th and 15th-centuries, these Jews faced forced conversions, becoming Crypto-Jews or Chuetas, who displayed their Catholic face outwardly, while adhering to their Jewish faith through secret signs and hidden synagogues in their homes." Paul knows i have an interest in the history of the Jews. He surprised me with this tour as he thought i would appreciate it, he was correct. I read too much about WWII, how Hitler came to power, and the camps. We have visited Dachu, a sobering experience. When i am in Germany, which i try to avoid, i can't be comfortable. I look at people and wonder what their families were doing during the war. Of course people of our age were not even born yet, but their parents certainly were alive and well.
I am not in the least bit religious, i never have been. Sometimes i'm embarrassed at how little i know about my religion. But i identify strongly as a Jew in the cultural sense. I grew up in a non-religious home, but no German products were allowed under any circumstance. My parents would roll over in their graves if they knew i drive a German car. But they were right in their mantra, and i am right there with them, that no one can ever forget what happened to the Jews and others in WWII. If we allow the world to forget, it will happen again. Sadly it is and has happened again in some countries. Today's world is a scary one. Authoritarian leadership is on the rise and with it bigotry. If it doesn't scare you, it should. We can never take for granted the liberties and freedoms we enjoy in the US. Is our democracy perfect, no, but then again neither are any of us.
After our poor experience with a Cunard corporate sponsored tour a few days ago, this private excursion is appealing. We take a Cunard shuttle bus to the center city, beneath the 13th-century La Sea Cathedral and through a tented market to make our way a bit further to a Starbucks where we are to meet Christina, our private guide. Along the way, we find a lovely sidewalk cafe where paella is on offer and we enjoy that for lunch. Full of information, Christina, not Jewish by the way, has made it her mission to be learned about all things Jewish here, including the garb forced upon Jews in medieval times sentenced for "crimes," in degrees from incarceration to being burned alive at the stake. Their clothing communicated the severity of their sentences.
It was just B4 and I discovering plaques marking the names of Jews deported during World War II by Franco even as Spain remained technically neutral. Some were released, I take exception the word 'released' used by our guide,I don't believe any Jew was ever RELEASED from one of the camps, some, those lucky enough to still be alive, were liberated by the Russians and the Americans, some (likely most) were killed. The tranquil spot where they are remembered in just behind the beautiful Hotel Cappuccino. We were told, but did not see, that these plaques can also be found as memorials, in front of the homes the deported people were taken from.
The data varies on how many Jews are left in the world today, somewhere between 12 and 16 million, about 0.2% of the world population. The vast majority of them, about 81%, live in the US and Israel. The next largest Jewish population is found in France with approximately 450.0k Jews. The data on the Jewish population in Mallorca also varies between 100 and 950 people.
Not far away, at several spots, other plaques mark significant spots in the medieval history of Jews here. Some where forced conversions took place and some where observant Jews masqueraded as Christians to stay alive. The Nazis seemed to have borrowed some of their horrors and persecution from what went on here centuries ago. Jews had to wear a 'badge' of sorts, a circle that was half red and half yellow. The yellow signified being a Jew. The red signified being in the forced employee of the royalty. If a jew was a favorite of the royalty, no badge needed to be worn, they were the privileged. Jews lived in the Jewish Quarter, with a gate. Around 1391, there was any uprising in the Jewish quarter (in WWII times it would have been referred to as the Jewish ghetto), not unsimilar to Krystallnact. As in WWII times, there were Jews and non-Jews turning in those Jews who practiced their religion in secret.
What was happening in what century got a bit confusing. Let it suffice to be said, that the Jews were persecuted in varying ways and in varying degrees through the centuries. It is sad to know that not much has changed through all of this time. Maybe it is not as overt, maybe post WWII it is more humane, but antisemitism is sadly alive and well in the world. As said by one of my son's good friends - We were persecuted, we escaped, and then we eat.
Famous Jewish cartographer Jafuda Cresques is remembered in a small square. The "Mallorcan Wailing Wall" is on Carrer Del Vent--the Street of Wind--tucked away in the wall of a church built on the former site of a synagog. Subtle signage lets you know that the Sinagoga Nova was once there.
Catholic Churches where Jews were given the opportunity to convert were similarly remembered.
It was not all history. Christina further guided us to "the best ice cream in the city."
Always a trooper, B4 is suffering from leg issues resulting from, well, I let her tell it if she chooses to. Let it be said that walking is painful for her. She toughed it out and made me proud. So, about my leg. Four weeks ago i got a cortisone shot seemingly gone wrong. I have gone from literally not being able to walk to a painful left leg when i walk and a limited amount of time walking before i need to sit down. I'm optimistic that i will eventually be back to normal but for now, i'm somewhat limited. though determined not to let my leg put a damper on our vacation or miss what we want to see and experience. It is all that is saving Paul from dance lessons on the ship. It This excursion day would have been impossible for her and unpleasant for us both had it been a part of a large group. But, with just the two of us, it was quite nice indeed.
But, then, many things are quite nice when it is just the two of us.
We are back at Queen Elizabeth by 4:00 well ahead of the last shuttle bus back to the ship at 5:00. All aboard time is 5:30. Three couples have not made it back to the ship on time--or so says the shipboard announcement. Ten minutes later, only one couple is missing. They arrive, respectfully admonished by ship's officers. We cast off on time at 6:00 to make our way overnight to Barcelona. We are scheduled to arrive there at 2:00am. I've never been on a cruise that arrives at a home port at such an hour. However, let it be known, nary a passenger is ever aware of docking (in good weather). It is achieved stealthily with no fuss, no muss. You just open the curtain upon awakening and you are there.
Dinner? Sublime with our excellent-luck-of-the-draw-adjacent-tablemates. After dinner, at the Queen's Room, to the stylings of rock band Revolver, the younger set took to the floor. Don't be fooled by her appearance; this bird can fly on the dance floor.
At Barcelona the majority of our shipmates will depart. Luggage will be placed in hallways and whisked away.
However, much as we are doing, several people with whom we have spoken will spend the day in Barcelona and then continue on with us for one more week in the Mediterranean. We are told that over 700 of us are going to be aboard for this, our second week.
We are bound for different ports and will report on them here, day by day, as has been our custom.
