In the Middle Ages, Barcelona was one of the most important centers of Jewish life in Catalonia and the Mediterranean, and a major center of Jewish learning, philosophy, law, science, and culture. Among the leading scholars associated with the city were Nahmanides (Ramban), Rashba, Hasdai Crescas, and many others.

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One of the most significant traces of this history is the medieval Jewish cemetery on Montjuïc, the “Mountain of the Jews.” Used by Barcelona’s Jewish community for centuries, the cemetery lies today within a fenced and largely inaccessible area at the heart of Montjuïc’s green public landscape.

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As part of the EJB Montjuïc Project, the Institute for Jewish Studies Barcelona (EJB), together with local activists and European partners, is working to advance the commemoration of the cemetery and reconnect it with the story of Barcelona.

 

The initiative seeks to integrate the site into the cultural and ecological fabric of Montjuïc, make its history accessible to the public, and develop it as a place of Jewish heritage, learning, and gathering, while respecting the sanctity of the cemetery and Jewish law.