Otherness, coexistence and religiosity: the Jewish presence in Spanish and Egyptian literature in modern times

Abstract

In the present work we intend to shed light on the religious aspect in the life of the Jews through some Spanish and other Egyptian works published between 1876 and 2001. That is, from the publication of the first part of Gloria, by Galdós until Sefarad, by Antonio Muñoz Molina There are several criteria that can influence the degree of religiosity, which are closely related related to the prevailing social circumstances in the country or countries where they live. Religion is part of Jewish identity, therefore, it is noted that other elements often emerge that seem more powerful and more useful. However, the Jew never changes; He remains a Jew even if he embraces another religion, because the Jewish nature is the essential component of his personality. This work also demonstrates that the conflicts between the Egyptian Jews and the Muslim majority were political, while the conflicts of their Spanish coreligionists were purely religious. Furthermore, the Egyptian Jew had the ability to adapt to any situation, unlike the Spanish Jew who clung to his religious beliefs, given that he did not have a geographical homeland that welcomed him, so he believed that if he did not cling to his religion his personality would melt and lose its strength.