FLIGHTS:

The event will start at around 12:00pm in Madrid on the Thursday and finish on Sunday at approximately 3:00pm. The nearest airport is Madrid Airport (MAD) which is approximately 15-20 minutes from the hotel by taxi or 1 hour 15 minutes by public transport. Uber from the airport costs around 15-20 Euros.

THE HOTEL:

The hotel is a luxurious 5 star hotel with an outdoor terrace, wellness space and relaxing outdoor pool. It is located approximately 30 minutes from the city center. All rooms are a minimum 60m2  including a relaxing lounge area, modern en-suite bathrooms, kitchenette and full air conditioning.

MADRID:

Madrid has excellent art museums, phenomenal food, enormous parks and Europe’s largest palace, but its inclusive atmosphere is what really makes the city soar.

In many ways, Madrid is similar to many other international metropolises – it’s Spain’s largest city, has the largest population, is the capital and is the center for international business. But, before you jump to conclusions, hush … if you listen carefully, you can hear the gentle melodies of the Spanish guitar, the swish of a flamenco dancer’s skirt, and the happy laughter from a midday meal infused with too many glasses of sangria. Yes, Madrid is for travelers interested in famous paintings and stunning architecture, but it’s also, and maybe more so, for those looking for an unhurried good time.

JEWISH MADRID:

The Jewish community of Madrid is as old as is the city. The first Jews settled in Madrid in the ninth century, but the earliest historical records date back to the mid-eleventh century only, specifically, to the year 1053. The community had begun to grow and prosper a couple of centuries before, and in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, the Jewish population increased considerably. Nevertheless, the Fuero de Madrid statute of 1202 refers to a small Jewish community that wasn’t held in high esteem, which forced them to dwell in the Jewish quarter, known as the judería.

In 1085, Madrid saw the birth of the old judería, which lay near the present-day Teatro Real opera house and Calle del Arenal. It comprised around twenty homes distributed across four irregularly shaped blocks. Adjoining this quarter was the cemetery, located where today is Plaza de Oriente.

Three centuries later, after the Black Death outbreak, the local Jews were forced to move to the new judería, adjacent to Campo del Rey (Plaza de la Armería), on the site where La Almudena Cathedral currently stands. The new Jewish quarter was made of some twenty homes and a synagogue, scattered across six blocks.

In 2007, the Jews of Madrid commemorated the 90^th anniversary of the first synagogue opened in the city after the Spanish Inquisition by establishing the History Museum of the Jewish Community of Madrid. The museum has pictures, documents and publications with information on Jews in Madrid and in Spain, including records of their return to the Iberian Peninsula 400 years after being expelled. Visitors are required to make bookings in advance at the Office of the Secretary of the Community.

Within walking distance from Plaza de Oriente stands the Cañete Palace (Calle Mayor 69), whose construction commenced in the late sixteenth century. The palace, whose designer drew on Juan de Herrera’s style, is home to the Sephardic-Israeli Centre, created in 2006 with the aim of disseminating the rich Sephardic heritage and becoming a link between Spain, Israel and the Jewish culture. A monument of Jewish Queen Esther sits in the garden.

A Holocaust Memorial was inaugurated in 2007 after an agreement signed by the Madrid authorities and the Jewish Community of Madrid. Designed by artist Samuel Nahon in cooperation with architect Alberto Stisin, it’s located in the Garden of the Three Cultures in Juan Carlos I Park, aimed at preserving the memory of the Jews killed under the Nazi regime.

On the parterre in El Retiro Park there’s a monument that pays tribute to Doctor Pulido, in remembrance of his indefatigable efforts to strengthen ties between the Sephardic community and Spain.

CELIA OBM SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION:

In loving memory of our dear friend and former ECJS staff member, Celia Sasporte (Tzila Chaya Bat Moises) OBM, a scholarship fund will be established to help less fortunate ECJS participants up to 30 years old.

Celia was a naturally inclusive and caring person. She would not want anyone left out just because of their financial situation. On the contrary, they most need the opportunity to make Jewish friends and celebrate their Jewish identity. Through this scholarship, Celia can continue extending the gift of friendship and bring joy to those who need it most. Celia’s memory will live on, bringing happiness to others just as she did in life.

For this event, there will be a maximum of 4 Celia OBM Scholarships awarded, depending on suitable candidates with extremely limited financial capability who cannot normally participate in our events. 

HOW TO APPLY:

To apply for this special limited scholarship you should select the twin ticket for the event and select the check box asking if you wish to apply for this scholarship. You should also select the option to pay with bank transfer as this will not force you to make the event payment when you send us the event ticket.

After ECJS & JEP receive your event ticket, you will receive an email with a detailed application form and terms and conditions, to apply for this limited scholarship.

Once you have submitted that completed form back to ECJS & JEP you will be informed in a short time period if you have been awarded the scholarship and the amount of funding for the scholarship.

Discount Qualification

Participants must prove financial situation warranting discount. A copy of a valid passport and/or references are required. Documents and/or letter outlining your request with contact details of either a Rabbi or Jewish community organization who can vouch for your limited finances should be sent via e-mail to info@ecjs.me

If you are awarded a further “extra” discount to the advertised prices we ask that you try your best to attend every session of our program, especially the workshops and lectures, to reflect your appreciation of this donation. A thank you letter about your experiences at the event is required for our sponsors within 2 weeks following the event.

Limited availability. Discounts will be granted solely at the discretion of ECJS & JEP and its partners and special offer discounts are only valid on main event dates and exclude extra costs such as extra nights/membership fee etc.

Special Discount Offer and Early-bird Offer Period End-Date

This is the date all registration and payments must be RECEIVED by the ECJS & JEP office. It is entirely the discretion of the ECJS & JEP office staff to decide whether a participant fulfills the demands for the offers, and ECJS & JEP hold the full right to charge non-offer price if they believe this is not the case.

Group Organiser or other Special Offers

These are only applicable to you as an individual and do not apply to any other participants, for example a discount in a 2 person room is a discount on your participation rate and not for the other person sharing the room. It is entirely the discretion of the ECJS & JEP office staff to decide whether a participant fulfills the demands for the offers.

Cancellation Policy

This is the general cancellation policy but DOES NOT APPLY to the special Non-Cancelable / Non Refundable sale price ticket (see below terms for these tickets.

For cancellations until 23:59 on 31 May 2023 we will refund all payment except for 50 Euros admin fee for our staff to process this cancellation. From 31 May 2023 until 23:59 on 06 July 2023, we will refund 70% of your payment, providing the event sells out and we manage to re-sell your place. Otherwise we will not be able to offer a refund. After 06 July 2023, all cancellations will get no refund even for a medical emergency, except for Covid-19 related cancellation where we obtain refund (see Covid-19 section). The reason for this deduction is due to the risk we are taking, as well as the event low prices, the longer administration process involved in changing your booking, and often involves more time and expensive phone calls trying to find a replacement.

ECJS & JEP will have already booked, ordered and paid for everything for you. We will not be able to receive refunds for any of these purchases. Please understand that ECJS & JEP is a non-profit organization. We invest over €100 for each member to attend the event beyond the member fee that was paid. With your cancellation we lose this investment as well.

This is our cancellation policy and we apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause you. You agree that by submitting any event registration form or “ticket” via our website, you thereby acknowledge that you have read and understand this permission agreement and agree to be bound by its terms and conditions.

Cancellation Policy for special NON-CANCELABLE / NON REFUNDABLE 1 WEEK SALE TICKETS:

These tickets are special priced offer tickets that are entirely non cancelable and 100% non-refundable once registration is completed and payment made. Purchase of this ticket is entirely at the purchaser’s risk and will not be refunded in any circumstances. It is also not permitted to use “Paypal query / bank recall” or any other similar methods to attempt to recall the payment. In this circumstance you will be issued a full invoice to re-instate the payment. By completing the registration and sending payment, you agree to these terms and conditions fully.