01/9/2022 The Mayor of Monforte, José Tomé Roca, is the new president of the Network of Jewish Quarters of Spain, thus making the city the first in all of Galicia to take charge of this entity. During the development of the 61st Joint General Assembly of the Network of Spanish Jewish Quarters-Caminos de Sefarad, which was held in Toledo in December, the councilor from Monforte picked up the baton from the city of Lucena (Córdoba).
José Tomé stressed that "the fact that Monforte de Lemos is the capital of the Red de Juderías is a huge challenge for us, but one that we face with great enthusiasm". Tomé pointed out the importance of networking at a time when interest in the Sephardic past has a mark on cultural tourism. “There is a growing demand. More and more people come to the tourist offices asking about the Jewish quarters. In Monforte we have had to expand the routes. People want to know the past and the culture of those other peoples who lived among us and have left us their legacy”.
The presidency of José Tomé during the year 2023 will serve to publicize and disseminate the tourist potential of both Monforte and the Ribeira Sacra. Tomé stressed that “Monforte de Lemos and the Ribeira Sacra are in fashion; We are one of the main tourist destinations in Galicia, because we offer a quality, sustainable, not crowded and cultural offer and experiences. For this reason, I invite and encourage the members of the Red de Juderías to attend the next general assembly to be held in Monforte, because they will not feel disappointed”.
During the Assembly, which was held in the Great Prayer Room of the former Synagogue of Samuel Levi, located in the Sephardic Museum of Toledo, new challenges were addressed for the period 2023-2025, through common strategies for the future, with the objective of achieving a greater promotion of the cities of the Network in the tourist and cultural markets, both national and international.
Currently, the Network includes the cities of Ávila, Barcelona, Béjar, Cáceres, Calahorra, Córdoba, Estella-Lizarra, Hervás, Jaén, León, Lorca, Lucena, Monforte de Lemos, Plasencia, Ribadavia, Sagunto, Segovia, Tarazona, Toledo Tui and Tudela.
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