Considering that Jewish life in Spain was prohibited for almost 500 years, it's amazing how much evidence exits today. And ironically, the modern tragedies that befell Jews in other lands have led to a rebirth of Judaism in Spain, which had earlier tried to destroy it.

My grandchildren Andrew, 13, Anna, 12, and I toured three Spanish cities on an Adventures by Disney trip, my B'nai Mitzvah gift to them. I thought it would provide a unique peek at a side of Judaism's history they might not have learned about in religious school, along with glorious art and other aspects. We unearthed ancient and current Jewish connections along the way. Adventures by Disney, or ABD, provided a comfortable escorted trip, along with fun for all.

Most of our tour participants were surprised to learn that the Spanish Inquisition officially ended only in 1808, and the prohibition against establishing synagogues wasn't overturned until 1909. During Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand's Catholic Inquisition, scholars estimate that 32,000 to 40,000 Jews were burned at the stake, 200,000 converted and 200,000 fled without their possessions. But the pogroms against Jews and Muslims actually started about 100 years earlier.

In Madrid, Andrew, Anna and I started our visit with lunch at the huge Plaza Mayor, the charming arcaded Renaissance square dating from 1619. Today tourists dine at outdoor cafes and concerts are held. Once, though, this was the site of many autos-de-fe, public burnings of heretics, including Protestants. Anna, never having been to Europe, loved the ancient architecture here and throughout the city.

Then the ABD group visited the splendid Royal Palace. Andrew called the frescoes "amazing," and was greatly impressed by the armor collections here and again in Segovia's Alcazar, down to the flexible finger coverings. Of course, we later privately discussed how these armored warriors weren't just jousting heroically, but went out in battle against the "infidels" in their religious wars against the Muslims and the Jews.

Although our ABD guide, Rafael Navarro, repeatedly said Spain is 99.9 percent Catholic, these numbers were disputed when the three of us visited the Communidad Judea de Madrid during our free time. We met Sir Jacobo Israel Garzon, president of the Federation of the Jewish Communities of Spain, the umbrella organization of all 15 Jewish congregations of Spain. He said that since the 1980 bill granting freedom of religion, Spain today is comprised of 2 million Protestants, about 2 million Muslims and about 48,000 Jews.

Spain's modern Jewish community mainly derives from three sources, Garzon said. "The first was escaping from Eastern Europe, such as Germany and Hungary, during or after World War II during the days of Franco. They were in transit to somewhere else, such as the United States, South America and South Africa, but some remained.

"The second group arrived after 1948, Sephardim from Northern Morocco, a few thousand Jews living in a Muslim country that gained independence, of which my family were members." He said, "In Tangier, we foresaw the future, but in Algiers Jews were compelled to give up their property or were told they'd be killed."

An interesting footnote: During the 20th century, the dictator General Francisco Franco allied himself with Arab causes. However, as a European country not conquered by Germany during World War II, he gave asylum to some Eastern European refugees. Then in 1967 he gave passports to Jews fleeing Egypt.

The third wave, Garzon said, resulted during the '60s, when political turmoil in South America drew a large contingent. "They're mostly from Argentina, but also from Columbia, Brazil, Peru and Chile," he said. Unlike in much of Europe, "Chabad is not very successful here," he said.

This synagogue's main sanctuary holds 700 (and includes a sefer Torah more than 500 years old, from before the Expulsion). It includes another sanctuary, a museum of Madrid's Jewish history and a mikveh. Anyone wishing to visit a synagogue, like elsewhere in the world today because of security, should call first to make an appointment and bring a passport.

Today Madrid boasts seven synagogues, and 8,000 to10,000 Jews (not all are affiliated), mostly Sephardic and mostly Orthodox. About 21 Jewish organizations exist, including WIZO, Hadassah, B'nai B'rith and a Jewish day school in Madrid.

Later, we visited The Prada Museum. Among the myriad Christian religious subjects, we noted the following Old Testament themes: "Adam and Eve" by Titian; "Adam, Eve" by Durero; "David Victorious over Goliath" by Caravaggio; "Rebecca and Eleazar" by Murillo; "The Queen of Sheba's Visit to Solomon" by Tintoretto; "Jacob's Dream by Ribera"; and "Isaac and Jacob" by Ribera. And those familiar with Jewish history can't help wondering about the name Diego Da Silva Velazquez, since Da Silva is a common Converso (converted) name.

We then took the bullet train to sunny Seville. There the widely acknowledged charming El Barrio de Santo Cruz was the old aljama or Juderia, but its history is a sad one. Jews were present in Seville since the fifth century BC. Under the 700-year Moorish reign, they flourished. But under Christianity, pogroms were first initiated

here in 1391. Archdeacon Ferrant Martinez closed the 23 synagogues, converting them to churches and acquiring the Jewish quarter's land and shops. Thousands were killed, while others "voluntarily" converted. The Plaza de San Francisco was the site of the autos-de-fe, burnings at the stake. The first Auto da Fe is recorded as Feb. 12, 1481; the last as late as 1790. From Seville, pogroms soon spread throughout Spain.

The garden at the Plaza de Santa Cruz where we entered the quarter was the site of a former church, built over a demolished synagogue, our guide Alfonso Muriel said. A wall sign denotes "Juderia." The ABD group wandered streets so winding and narrow, it's said lovers could kiss across the way in whitewashed houses, banded in golden yellow. Names on passageways recall the past, such as Pimienta for the spices once sold there by Jews and Los Levies for families who once lived there. We all lunched outdoors at Restaurant Carmela. Across the street stands the ancient church Santa Maria la Blanca, once the quarter's best-known synagogue, with the rabbi's house next to it. Today only one synagogue, with 90 members, exists in Seville.

We visited the Real Alcazar, the Moorish-style palace, from where Isabel sent the navigators to explore the New World. We also visited the magnificent Cathedral of Seville, begun in1431, Europe's third largest church. Here the crypt of Christopher Columbus — yes, his bones are here — is held aloft by sculptures of four Spanish kings of medieval kingdoms, our guide Mercedes Miguez said. She pointed to the form of a pomegranate at one, which she said symbolizes a Jewish heritage.

We then flew to Barcelona, a city recalling Paris, with broad tree-lined boulevards. Authorities believe Jews moved into the city after the destruction of the Second Temple in A.D. 70. Jewish academics flourished for centuries, notably Moses ben Nahman or the Ramban in the 13th century, and Jews comprised 15 percent of the city's population in the 14th century.

In 1391, however, they were attacked, with at least 200 Jews murdered and the king receiving Jewish properties. About 4,000 of the city's Jews converted. Despite Moroccan and Turkish Jews arriving in the 1800s, in 1918 only 100 Jews lived in Barcelona. When Franco rose to power in 1936, with the Spanish Civil War, about 5,000 Jews lived in the Catalonia area. and Franco provided refuge for Jews during World War II.

The popular Gothic Quarter is Barcelona's old section; its heart is El Call, the Jewish Quarter (the name probably stems from an old Catalan word from the Hebrew word kahal, community). The ancient synagogue is hard to find; the first day we were lost within the Call. The next day we asked at our hotel; they located it via Google Maps, and we found our way to Carrer Marlet 5.

Sinagoga Mayor has been excavated and is open; it's believed to be Europe's oldest synagogue. We were given a description in English, telling how it was discovered in 1987, and excavated in 1996 with 60 tons of debris removed. The synagogue dates back to the third century, with parts from the 13th century. Evidence shows the congregation was active until 1391.

A Holocaust Memorial rests on Montjuic, meaning Mountain of the Jews, where a Jewish cemetery with about 500 graves was located dating to about 1034. According to Dominique Tomasov Blinder, who works for the preservation of Jewish sites, Jews buried their dead outside the city for sacred and health issues. But many graves were dug up in the 1940s when railroads were constructed and stones have been used for other constructions. Fragments have been relocated to several museums including the Military Museum at the Castell on Montjuic. Tomasov Blinder, who formerly lived in New York, conducts Jewish tours of Barcelona.

And it was in Barcelona that Spain's first Jewish institution since the Expulsion was built in1954. Barcelona today claims about 9,000 Jews and four synagogues besides the Sinagoga Mayor, plus a Jewish day school.

IF YOU GO

For information about family tours, call Adventures by Disney at 877-728-7282 or online at www.abd.disney.go.com.

Communidad Judea de Madrid, Calle Balmes, 3, Madrid, call 34 91 4463086 Dominique Tomasov Blinder for Jewish tours of Barcelona online at www.urbancultours.com.

Sinagoga Mayor, Calle Marlet, 5, Barcelona, call 34 93 317 07 90,

www.callebarcelona.org.

Molly Arost Staub is a freelance travel writer. To find out more about Molly Arost Staub and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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