After you have your room assignment, come over to the Road Scholar desk in the lobby (between 4:00-5:30pm) to register with the program staff and pick up your arrival packet that will contain the up to date schedule we'll review during orientation.
Please be aware that program activities and scheduled times could change due to local circumstances. In the event of any changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.Dinner: We'll have dinner at the hotel from 6:00-7:00pm. Enjoy this opportunity to begin getting acquainted with your fellow participants.Evening: ORIENTATION: We’ll gather in our meeting room from 7:00-8:30pm for an informative overview of the program to come plus an opportunity to meet the program staff and your fellow participants during an introductory get-acquainted session. We’ll review the updated schedule, answer any questions you may have, and cover responsibilities, safety guidelines, and emergency procedures. The remainder of the evening is yours to begin getting to know one another. (If you arrive late, please pick up your packet at the hotel front desk.)
This new program extends the study begun in our popular program 11007, “New Mexico’s Conversos and Crypto Jews.” We’ll explore connections formed by Conversos with Native Americans — also forced into Catholicism by the Spaniards — and later with Ashkenazic Jews who came to the state when the railroads opened New Mexico in the 1800s. We’ll also examine connections between the Penitentes who came to the state around 1630, other Eastern religions, and early settlers. Field trips feature sites with special significance for the development of Jewish history in New Mexico.Lodging: MCM Elegante HotelMeals Included: Dinner
PRESENTATION: Conversos in the Larger New Mexico Community.
You'll learn how Jews came to New Mexico in the 1500s. Fleeing the Inquisition in Europe, they hid their religious beliefs under the guise of Catholicism, brought by the Spaniards and Mexicans as they conquered the Native Americans in Pueblos of the Southwest.Lunch: Hotel dining room.Afternoon: FIELD TRIP (departure 1:30pm): Jewish aspects of the city of Albuquerque. Old Town was established in 1706. When “late” arriving Ashkenazic Jews opened shops there, it was the center of the community for many years. The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center is owned and operated as a non-profit organization by the 19 pueblos of New Mexico, where we’ll begin an exploration of Native American culture and its ties to the Converso-Crypto Jews. About a mile northeast of Old Town, this museum — modeled after Pueblo Bonito, a spectacular 9th-century ruin in Chaco Culture National Historic Park — has some remarkable exhibits. The bus will return to the hotel at approximately 4:30pm.Dinner: Hotel dining roomEvening: PRESENTATION: New Mexico's Jewish and Native American People.Lodging: MCM Elegante HotelMeals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
PRESENTATION: Lecture and discussion with a University of New Mexico professor who will present the many connections other religious groups in New Mexico have with New Mexico Jews. These groups include Christians; people affiliated with Eastern religions; the Penitentes, a secret society that came to New Mexico around 1630, who carried scourges made of leather thongs with which they lashed themselves, begging God to forgive their sins; and others. There are many kinds of "crossovers" from Jewish to Christian and vice versa. You'll see how the Jews fit into the big picture of New Mexico history, primarily with early settlers and then on into the present.Lunch: To savor the local flavor, we’ll dine at a popular restaurant (bus departs at 12:30pm).Afternoon: FIELD TRIP: We begin our afternoon at the Jewish Community Center in Albuquerque, which has a significant connection to the development of the religious life of New Mexico. The Ronald Gardenswartz Jewish Community Center serves as a focal point for all those who seek a Jewish experience with a variety of social, cultural, recreational and educational programs and services.
We’ll also visit a synagogue before moving on to the New Mexico Holocaust and Intolerance Museum. This unique institution educates people about the Holocaust as well other genocides that have affected people around the world, unlimited by religion, culture, geographic area, or time. For example, exhibitions cover events related to Native Americans including Bosque del Redondo and Wounded Knee.
The bus will return to the hotel at approximately 5:00pm.Dinner: Dinner at the hotel from 6:00-7:00pm.Evening: FREE EVENING: Enjoy the hotel’s facilities, explore on your own, or simply relax and prepare for tomorrow's early check-out and bus transfer to Las Vegas, NM and Santa Fe, NM.Lodging: MCM Elegante HotelMeals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
FIELD TRIP: Aboard our bus, a local guide will join us to point out many of the interesting Jewish-related sites in Las Vegas — developed in large part by Ashkenazim who came to the town via the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad in the 1800s.
You will see the current home of the first Jewish house of worship in the Territory of New Mexico, Temple Montefiore, dedicated in 1884; the Masonic Cemetery, where many Jews were buried; and business established by these early Jews. For the most part, none of the Ashkenazim knew anything at all about the Jewish history that had gone on in New Mexico since the 1500s.Lunch: We’ll have lunch at the historic Plaza Hotel in Las Vegas from Noon until about 1:15pm.Afternoon: PRESENTATION: A Las Vegas historian will discuss the Ashkenazic Jewish population of the city in the 1800s and early 1900s, their contributions, and their influence.
Bus will depart for Santa Fe for a guiding driving and walking exploration.Dinner: Dinner will be in the Staab House restaurant on the grounds of the historic La Posada Hotel, a luxury resort set on six acres of beautifully landscaped grounds near downtown Santa Fe. The Staab House, a Victorian mansion, was built by an old Santa Fe Trail merchant. The restaurant itself is cozy and casual; we'll have several menu choices for you including dessert. Evening: After dinner, the bus will take you to the overnight hotel for check-in. Because it's been such a busy day you'll have the evening to relax.Lodging: The Lodge at Santa FeMeals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Visit home and studio of artist Diana Bryer, whose work frequently deals with the heritage of the people of Jewish descent whose ancestors fled the Spanish Inquisition.
As time allows, visit other sites in Chimayo and Espanola.
Bus departs for Santa Fe at 1:00 PM. Lunch: Lunch will be on your own in the downtown Santa Fe area. There are many good restaurants to try; your group leader will be happy to give you some ideas and suggestions.Afternoon: FREE TIME: Explore downtown Santa Fe on your own. You'll receive tickets to the New Mexico History Museum, the Palace of the Governors Museum, and the New Mexico Fine Arts Museum, all in the downtown area.
In addition to museums, there are numerous art galleries and significant landmarks in the area.
At 4:00PM, meet your group leader at the designated spot to return to the hotel by bus.Dinner: Dinner at the hotel from 5:30-6:30pm.Evening: PERFORMANCE: At 6:45pm, our bus will depart for a special performance, staged especially for our group, of Robert Benjamin's contemporary play, "Parted Waters." Set in New Mexico, the play brings to life three generations of Hispanics dealing with the knowledge and secrets of their lineage.Lodging: The Lodge at Santa FeMeals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
WRAP-UP: We’ll gather in our meeting room in the hotel for a program wrap-up from 10:30-11:15am with an opportunity to share you impressions and how the experience may have changed your perspectives.
PERFORMANCE: For a rousing finale, enjoy a performance by an Ashkenazim Klezmer band, followed by program closing with your group leader.Lunch: The program concludes with lunch at the hotel from 12:00-1:00pm followed by independent departures.
We trust you have enjoyed this new program and will join us again for other rewarding Road Scholar learning adventures in the future. Best wishes for all your journeys!Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch