Our Mission
The Institute for Jewish Studies Barcelona is dedicated to the revival of Jewish culture in Catalonia and Spain, through the study and research of Jewish intellectual and cultural heritage.
The Institute for Jewish Studies Barcelona offers rigorous interdisciplinary programs in Jewish Studies that explore classical sources and textual masterpieces, investigate philosophical and spiritual traditions, and engage with critical interpretation to address contemporary challenges.
Situated in Casa Adret, at the heart of the historical Jewish quarter in Barcelona, the Institute for Jewish Studies Barcelona specializes in the comprehensive study and research of the Sephardic branch of Jewish
civilization: its legacies, challenges, and futures.
Casa Adret
Photo: Antonio Navarro Wijkmark
Casa Adret
We are located at Casa Adret, a historic building at n.6 Solomo ben Adret Street (known in Hebrew as the Rashba). The building, owned by the Adret family during the Middle Ages, is one of the oldest habitable buildings in Barcelona. It is situated in the heart of el Call, the city's old Jewish quarter. The first floor was likely used as a craft or clothing workshop, while the upper parts were inhabited by two Jewish families, evidenced by the mezuzah holes found on two of the doors of the house.
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In 2001, the prestigious architects, Elias Torres and José Antonio Martinez Lapeña, were comissioned to renovate the building.
Since 2018, it has been serving as a cultural hub, contributing to the revival of Jewish cultural life in Barcelona.