A number of times during our travels we had wondered about the religious identification of the young.
From Córdoba people usually go on to Sevilla (or, actually the reverse: Sevilla to Córdoba), but we wanted to visit Gibraltar and Cádiz which made passing through Málaga a requirement.
Not much of Jewish interest remains in Málaga. Our Jewish Spain; A Guide only mentions the “site” of the “last Jewry” (Judería), and that was pretty small. Other than that, and recollections of very sweet Málaga wine, Mark sought out a statue of the great Hebrew poet and philosopher Solomon ibn Gabirol.
We descended to the seashore late in the afternoon after a long day of explorations. Though with parking by the edge of the marina we were able to get a bit of refreshment from the sea air, we were frustrated by the inadequate instructions.
As he deciphered the various partial clues, Mark came upon an impressive religious procession directly in front of the park where the statue supposedly stood.
A number of times during our travels we had wondered about the religious identification of the young.
Behind the procession, to the left in the first photo, sits a little park in the shadow of the Alcazaba and the park’s trees. At the corner of Zegri and Alcazabille streets, Gabirol stands. In his book A Concise Companion to the Jewish Religion Louis Jacobs writes:
Ibn Gabirol, Solomon Poet and philosopher (1020–57). Few details of Ibn Gabirol's life are known. He was born in Malaga, Spain, where a modern statue of him is to be found near the sea-shore. But the statue depicts him as a tall, venerable old sage, whereas, in fact, he died before reaching the age of 40. It is known that while Malaga was his native city--he signs some of his poems as Malki, meaning ‘from Malaga’-- he was taken as a child to Zaragossa where he received a sound education and acquired a reputation as a scholar.Mark was able to get up close.
The most excellent
city hall
erected this plaque
for the 900th anniversary of
Aben Gabirol, poet and philosopher
from Málaga
A nice essay about Gabirol by Henry Rasof appears on the Web
Though the name Solomon ibn Gabirol may not be well known, a poem attributed to him is among the most well known pieces of Jewish liturgy: Adon Olam.
Our family has yet another poetic association to him.
