The Denver Jewish news., 1919-08-20
How the Spain Of Today
Treats the Jews
PROF. DIR. A. S. YAHIlDA DES-
CRIBES CONDITIONS IN THE
LAND THAT EXPELLED THEM.

One of the most romantic ilrureS oi
the Jewish world today must surely
he Prof. DIR. \. $. Yahuii, who by
his occupancy of Il Chair at Madrid
University that of History and Lit
orature of the Jews in Spain sym
bolizes in his person Spain's breach
with an unhappy attempt TO blot out the
,nholy memories of the Holy hhluisi-
ton and fhe horrors of the wholesale
Expulsion In 1892" The last Jewish
professor of Spanish university =
that of Salamanca was .\brahnin
Zacuto, the great astronomer ara naval
scientist of the Fifteenth century. the
friend and adviser of Christopher Cox
umbus and vasco de CANA. \ :na'
tcrnal ancestor of Prof. iahnd"'S faith
cr held high office ut the Cont of
Alfonso VIII, OF CASTLE (llGi'1214D-
and it is curious coincidence that
his distinguished descendant should
once more serve an Alfonso on the
throne of Spain. His presence in Lon
don OH u scientific mission has given
me an opportunity to obtain from l'r.
Yahuda some first-hand impressions
of his new = surroundings ana
Of his activities, says the reporter III
the Jewish Chronicle. DIR. iahuda Is
tall and massivcly built, and tho his
complexion betrays his Oriental hi:th
the was born in Jerusalern). lie has
typically British features. He is ra'h-
ar proud of being u British subject.
his fa ther and grandfather having been
born on British soil. Our converse
tion, writes the reporter, took place
ar the Imperial Hotel, Russell Square,
London, while heavy snOwstorin was
raging, and DIR. Yahuda remarked tfit,
having spent some years In aun"htnc.
rc could stand brief srell Of Eng
Iish weather at Its worst 3
DIR. Yahuda was asked at the out
set to recount the circumstances which
led up to his appointment. For some
years." he replied. "a movement had
bcen carried on by the well.knOwn
senator, DIR. Angel Pulido, by means
Of books, articles and speeches. TO IN
terest Spain in the descendants OF
those Jews who had been exilcd in
1892, and who still speak old Spanish.
He has been supported in his campaign
by the distinguished publicist, Rafuei
Cuuinos, in La Correspondence DIS
tpln
Spain. Thus the Spaniards had be-
come familiarizcd with the idenl OF
Sepha rtlim in the Orient, and the way
was paved for a reapproachment with
the Jews of Spanish extraction all over
the world. This movement was sup
ported by almost all parties without
distinction of political orientation. but
it did not go beyond sentimental and
idealistic conception. When. however
Spain was entrusted by the powcrs
with the administration of part OF
Morocco, it became the suzerain OF
some 10000 Jews. The question thns
assumed a much more practical aspect.
1t was desired to secure the confluence
of these Jews and destroy their inherit
cd preiudice against ancestral Spain.
The Liberals and intellectuals were
anxious to mark their emancipation
from the bad traditions of the past
and to demonstrate their disapprovai
of the acts of the Inquisition and the
expulsion of the Jews. They, there
fore, thought 1t would be very usei"i
If they were to invite Jewish scholar
of Sephnrdic extraction TO deliver
series of lectures on Jewish histor!
and literature in Spain. \ two-foid
object was to be served by this step.
They wished to gain the sympathies OF
the Jews on the one hand, and, on
the other, scientific circles were anxi-
ous to be enlightened on an important
branch Of Spanish history and culture.
l was invited to Spain at the end OF
1913. about year before the outbreak
of the war.
"My course of lectures aroused very
yreat interest and were discussed for
weeks in the general press. They were
attended by the best elements OF Mao
rid society. When the course was COM
rleted, the King received me and asked
how it would be possible to retain
my services for Spain. replied that
If n Chair was created for me wouid
he pleased to accept 1t. There were
two difficulties in the way. In the
first place mine was new subject
and the second wss that ] was not