The Spanish Expulsion of 1492 transformed the Jewish cultures of the world, and those of the Islamic world in particular. But what were those communities like before the Expulsion?

In this talk, Raphael Dascalu will explore the cultural, intellectual and spiritual life of the Jews of Islamic lands on the eve of the Spanish Expulsion.

This will in turn enable us to appreciate the profound impact of the Expulsion on those communities.

In the course of this talk, Raphael will introduce the participants to areas of scholarship that are in quite preliminary – and exciting – stages of development.