singing in 1492

[Judith R Cohen <judithc...>]

Bronia';s question:
>>I
> recall that in a previous KI thread, someone wrote that Rabbis
> encouraged Jewish women to sing loudly to drown out shouts from
> Christians urging conversion during the Jewish departure from Spain in
> 1492. Could anyone on the list provide more information or suggest
> reference materials about this phenomenon?
> Many thanks,
> Bronia

I can't find the exact quote right now, and may not have time before
leaving on a three-week trip to Spain next week, but that was indeed the
essence of the quote from a chronicle about the Jews' forced departure
from SPain. I believe tambourines (or at any rate frame drums of one
kind or another) were also mentioned, in connection, as was usual at the
time (and at many other times, including our own) with women. Also, I
don't believe the rabbis in question exhorted the women to sing loudly
where the men couldn't hear them or exhorted the men to go to another
boat or down in the hold so they couldn't hear the women. I guess they
were scared and miserable enough not to worry about being aroused.

If I find the quote, I'll translate it and send it on, Judith

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