Beit RaMBam – Jewish Congregation of Andalusia

History

The history of Beit Rambam began many years ago, when various groups formed by Jews of different nationalities but all residents of Andalusia, spread out among different places in the region – Seville, Cordoba and Cadiz, among others – started to take concrete steps to reach a goal that they had been dreaming of for some time: the creation of a Jewish congregation that would embrace and integrate the diverse reality of Andalusian Judaism in the 21st century.

Initially, an association was created to promote progressive Jewish values in Andalusia. This association became a reference point for the small groups of Jews previously mentioned that, little by little, started coming into contact and happily saw for themselves that they shared the same hopes and dreams.

The interest for this project gained strength in a brief space of time, most of all in Seville; so it was in this city where we decided to centralize the base of the congregation, and from there, tend to the members residing in other parts of the Andalusian territories.

Finally, in the year 2012, the community’s primitive dream came to fruition, because that was the year that the Statutes of Constitution, Organization and Operation of the Jewish congregation that decided to take the name of Beit Rambam, paying homage to the Cordoban Jewish sage Rabbi Moshe Ben Maimon, Rambam, were made.

The Congregation today

Beit Rambam is a plural Kehilah, with a commitment for reflecting faithfully the complex reality of the Jewish identity, as it is currently being expressed, in all its richness and diversity. The associated members wish to keep that identity alive, according to the principles of equality, tradition and modernity.

The congregation is open to all Jews, both residents and those temporary visitors in Andalusia. All of them have a place and a space of encounter and participation: men and women, Sephardic and Ashkenazy, religious and secular, with no distinction.

The Jews that form Beit Rambam are aware that what they intend to achieve is not an easy task, but are convinced that time has come to start working for the future of the Jewish congregation in Andalusia with professionalism, excitement and dedication.

Ongoing and future projects

A place for Beit Rambam : Thanks to the generosity of the City Hall of Sevilla, members of the Congregation are meeting in a place given to us by the City Council for Citizen Participation. However, they still need our own meeting spot that favors gatherings and allows them to multiply their activities in the long term.
There is already a Sefer Torah
Library : Various congregants and freends have donated books. However, The furniture necessary to use Beit Rambam’s library is missing. If you want to help, your donation will be welcome.