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The Roadmap to the Jewish Golden Age of Spain
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| Mishneh Torah of Maimonides, MS Kaufmann A 77 Vol. I, fol. 46v.: Frontispiece of Book II. (Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences) |
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Learning Activity 2:
Understanding Judaism within the Context
of Islamic Rule
In order to begin a discussion about the Jewish Golden Age of Spain, it is necessary to understand the relationship between Judaism and Islam.
Note to teachers: For more information on the rise of Islam and its view of Judaism, refer to Learning Activity 2 of Islam and Judaism: From Muhammad to the Ottoman Empire.
1. Distribute copies of the handout Judaism within the Context of Islamic Rule (PDF). The handout contains questions for your students to think about and discuss as they view the videos in this activity.
2. Play the video segment  The Arab Age and ask students to jot down notes on the handout as they watch the video.
- What was the goal of Muhammad's successors?
- How did Islam differ from Judaism?
- Muslims accept the revelations handed down to Jews and Christians by their prophets. How do you imagine this would affect Islam's view and treatment of Jews and Christians?
3. Play the video segment Jews in Muslim Lands. The segment ends when the narrator says, "A chapter to be written on the continent of Europe." Once again, ask students to take notes on the questions on the handout as they watch the video:
- What factors led to the "new age" for the Jews in Arab lands?
- How did the international culture of the time affect Jewish life?
- What were the effects of the Jews' newfound prosperity?
Ask students to share what they've written in response to the questions, and try to synthesize different responses from the group.
4. Show students the video segment Jewish Partnership in its entirety (the segment ends when the narrator says, "… sharing in the first great florescence of culture since the days of the Roman Empire"). Have students share their responses to the questions and ask them if this picture of the Golden Age jibes with their original ideas about what a "golden age" might be.
- How is the Golden Age of Spain described?
- What are some of the words and images used to paint a picture of life during this era?
5. Distribute the Golden Age of Spain Homework Questions (PDF). Ask students to record their responses in their journals and bring the journals to the next class session. Explain to students that by answering these questions, they can begin to understand the changing relationship between Jews and Muslims during the Golden Age of Spain.
- What do you think were the factors that led to the emergence of the Golden Age of Spain for the Jews?
- Consider the relationship between the Jews and Muslims of Spain during the Golden Age. How did this relationship impact life in Spain during this time for the Jews?
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 Continue to Learning Activity 3: Muslim and Jewish Partnership
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