Spain: The Golden Age and Beyond - Adult Summer Limmud

Thursdays, July 6, 13, 20, 27 and August 3 from 7:00 - 8:30 PM

July 6 - Echoes of Sepharad

Through video and musical performance, vocalist, guitarist and entertainer Ramón Tasat will kick off our series teaching about the rich legacy of Sephardic folksong. Through its music and text, he’ll demonstrate the connection between folksong communities Sephardic Jews. Ramon will also recount his experiences with Flory Jagoda, the legendary and acclaimed Sephardic folksinger (pictured here).

Hazzan Dr. Ramón Tasat is the cantor of Shirat HaNefesh (Song of the Soul), an emerging Jewish congregation in southern Montgomery County, MD. He is also the president of Shalshelet: The Foundation for New Jewish Liturgical Music. In addition, he is the musical Director of Kolot HaLev, a Jewish Community choir in the Greater Washington area.

July 13 - Maimonides: Rabbi, Scholar, Physician, Philosopher, Mathematician

Rabbi Moses ben Maimon (Maimonides) also referred to by the acronym Rambam, was a medieval Sephardic Jewish philosopher who became one of the most prolific and influential Torah scholars of the Middle Ages. During his lifetime and to the present day, most Jews highly regard Maimonides’ writings on Jewish law and ethics. He was a prominent physician, philosopher and polymath in both the Jewish and Islamic worlds and was the revered head of the Jewish community in Egypt. Join Rabbi Amy Schwartzman to learn more about this amazing scholar and influential leader in the Sephardic world.

July 20 and 27 - The History and Art of Sephardic Jewry

Dr. Ori Soltes will offer two lectures - the first will survey the history and culture of Jews in the Iberian Peninsula before the Expulsion from Spain. The second lecture will explore the Sephardic diaspora and its culture, including the Jewish community in the Caribbean.

Dr. Ori Z. Soltes is Goldman Professorial Lecturer in Theology and Fine Arts at Georgetown University. He is the former director and curator of the B’nai B’rith Klutznick National Jewish Museum in Washington, DC.

August 3 - Wine, Women, Love, and Prayer: Medieval Sephardic Poetry

Rabbi Steve Glazer will lead an exploration of Sephardic secular poems as well as Piyyutim, Hebrew liturgical poetry composed by some of the best known medieval poets.

Steven M. Glazer, Rabbi, DHL, DD directs Glazer Consulting, providing strategies and counseling for individuals with dementia, as well their family and caregivers. He is a graduate of Hebrew Union College, Jewish Theological Seminary and Columbia University.

Cost: Free

Contact: Cantor Allen Leider, Director of Lifelong Learning, email

Please email us if you need any accommodations to participate in this event.

We are grateful for our partnership with the Jewish Study Center in putting together this series.