Spanish Town Celebrates Name Change from ‘Kill Jews Town’
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
A town in northern Spain held an official ceremony to celebrate its name change from “kill Jews town.”
In June, the town formerly known as Castrillo Matajudíos published its new name — Castrillo Mota de Judios, or Castrillo Jews’ Hill — in the official state gazette. The name change was approved by the regional government of Castilla y Leon.
On Friday, Israel’s ambassador to Madrid, Daniel Kutner, joined representatives from Spain’s Jewish and Sephardic communities for a ceremony during which the town’s new name signs were installed, The Local – Spain, reported.
Last year, some 50 residents of the town voted to change its name at the suggestion of Mayor Lorenzo Rodriguez, who submitted the proposal to change the name back to the original Castrillo Mota de Judios. He said the name was changed during the Spanish Inquisition.
A massacre of Jewish people is believed to have taken place near the town in 1035 and another massacre happened inside the village in 1109, according to The Local.
In parts of Spain, especially in the north, locals use the Spanish term for “killing Jews” to describe the traditional drinking of lemonade spiked with alcohol at festivals held in city squares at Easter, or drinking in general.
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