Shevirat Ha-Kelim: Jewish Mysticism and the Catalan Matrix for Dialogue and Conflic

Late Medieval anti-Jewish violence is a well-known phenomenon, but its origins and especially its in-stitutionalization are still blurred and enigmatic. In 13thand 14thc.Catalonia, the denouement of the increasing popular hostility against the Jewry was particularly dramatic. The seeds of violence were the result of a long and complex process of social, theological,and political interactions. In this con-tribution, we will discuss the intellectual matrix of medieval anti-Semitism in Catalonia and its rela-tionship with the rising of scholastics and with the theoretical foundations of Catalan politics. Wewill also approach its counterpart: the Jewish response to collective suffering.