New Mexico’s Conversos and Crypto-Jews

Activity note: Hotel check-in from 3:00 p.m.

Afternoon: Program Registration 3:00-5:00 p.m.: After checking into the hotel and getting your room assignment, come over to the Road Scholar table to register with the program staff, to get your welcome packet containing your up-to-date schedule and other important information, and to confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please ask for your packet at the front desk when you check in. Orientation at 5:30 p.m.: The Group Leader will greet everyone with a warm welcome and lead introductions. We will review the program theme, the up-to-date daily schedule and any changes, discuss safety guidelines, emergency procedures, roles and responsibilities, and answer any questions you may have. Transportation for program-related activities will be via motorcoach unless specified otherwise. Free time is reserved for your personal independent exploration. Please be aware that program activities, schedules, and personnel may need to change due to local circumstances. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

Dinner: At 7:00 p.m. enjoy a buffet meal in our private meeting room with a salad, entrée, dessert, coffee, tea, water. (Please note that we must receive dietary preferences, such as vegetarian or gluten free, no later than 3 weeks prior to the program start.)

Evening: Take the rest of the evening to continue getting to know your fellow participants, relax, and get a good night’s sleep for the full day ahead.

Activity note: Getting on/off motorcoach; walking a few blocks over the course of the day; standing up to two hours at Cultural Center. The activity level for this program is "On Your Feet." Participants should be able to walk several blocks, stand up to an hour and climb stairs.

Breakfast: In the hotel meeting room at 7:30 a.m.; selections usually include fruit, yogurt, pastries, oatmeal, eggs, potatoes, turkey sausage, juice and coffee.

Morning: After breakfast we'll enjoy a presentation on the History of Albuquerque and New Mexico. We'll then board our coach and depart for the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. Operated by the nineteen Pueblos of New Mexico, the IPCC is dedicated to preserving and perpetuating Pueblo culture, highlighting the accomplishments and evolving history of the Pueblo people. Our self-guided visit will introduce us to New Mexico's many different Pueblos as we view the Pueblo-curated exhibits on the lower level.

Lunch: Plated meal or buffet at a local restaurant includes a selection of entrées, coffee, tea, soft drinks and water.

Afternoon: After lunch our expert instructor will introduce us to the fascinating history of conversos and Crypto Jews, dating back to the time of the Spanish Inquisition.

Dinner: Plated meal at a local restaurant.

Evening: We'll continue learning about Crypto-Jewish history with a lecture entitled "The Columbus Question."

Activity note: Getting on/off motorcoach; walking and standing for up to 30 minutes at Memorial and Synagogue; standing for up to an hour at the Museum.

Breakfast: In the hotel meeting room.

Morning: A local expert will tell us more about Jewish history and culture in New Mexico. We'll then travel to Albuquerque's Civic Plaza where we'll see the Holocaust Memorial. Designed by renowned artist Jake Lovato, the memorial serves as a permanent reminder of the grim realities of the Holocaust and a commemoration of its victims..

Lunch: Plated meal at a popular local restaurant includes entrées, coffee, tea and water; additional beverages available for purchase.

Afternoon: After lunch we'll visit the Holocaust and Intolerance Museum of New Mexico. Founded in 2001 by Holocaust survivor Werner Gellert, the Holocaust and Intolerance Museum’s mission is “to combat hate and intolerance through education.” Although many of the museum’s exhibits focus on the European Holocaust and World War II genocides, there are also exhibits documenting the Armenian, Greek, and Native American Cultural Genocide. We'll then visit a local synagogue before returning to the hotel.

Dinner: This meal has been excluded from your program price so that you can enjoy what you like or sample the local fare. Not to be confused with "Tex-Mex," New Mexico cuisine includes elements of both Native American and Spanish influences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestion for dining options in the area.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Getting on/off motorcoach; standing for 1 1/2 hours at the Hispanic Cultural Center.

Breakfast: In the hotel meeting room.

Morning: We'll begin the day with an expert-led lecture expanding our knowledge of the lives of Conversos and Crypto Jews. We'll then travel to the National Hispanic Cultural Center, which will help to expand our understanding of the area's Hispanic history and culture. Dedicated to the preservation, promotion and advancement of Hispanic culture, arts and humanities, the National Hispanic Cultural Center celebrates Hispanic traditions through a variety of exhibits including a performance center, art museum and a library. The permanent collection features Frederico Vigil’s buon fresco, “Mundos de Mestizaje,” depicting thousands of years of Hispanic and pre-Hispanic history, and ¡Aqui Estamos!, a circulating exhibition of art from the Center’s permanent collection.

Lunch: Plated meal at an Old Town restaurant includes choice of entrées plus coffee, tea, water; additional beverages available for purchase.

Afternoon: After lunch, we'll depart on foot for an exploration of Old Town, where our Group Leader will introduce us to the oldest part of Albuquerque during a walking exploration of the plaza and surrounding area. Old Town has been the focal point of community life since Albuquerque was founded in 1706. About ten blocks of historical adobe buildings surround the central plaza, including San Felipe de Neri Church, which dates back to 1793. The city's settlers built their homes, shops and government offices here; many of these historical structures have been converted into the restaurants, art galleries and shops that we see today. After retuning to the hotel, we'll hear from a presenter who will discuss her Converso/Crypto-Jewish heritage and voyage of discovery into her own personal histories. A roundtable question-and-answer session follows.

Dinner: In the hotel meeting room.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Getting on/off motorcoach; traveling 135 miles for 2 1/2 hours over the course of the day; standing and walking for up to two hours over uneven and rough packed dirt terrain at Acoma (walkers and wheelchairs not recommended.)

Breakfast: In the hotel meeting room.

Morning: After breakfast we'll board our motorcoach and depart for Acoma Pueblo. Acoma's ties to Jewish history in New Mexico lie in the Pueblo's relationship to Jewish trader Solomon Bibo, the only non-Indian to become governor of a Native American Pueblo. Built on top of a 367-foot-high mesa to protect it from attack, the old Pueblo village has no electricity and no running water. While a few dozen Pueblo members live atop the mesa, most live in villages at the base of the mesa. On arrival at the Sky City Cultural Center we'll transfer to a Pueblo bus and drive to the top of the mesa where we'll explore the old village, see the 17th-century San Esteban del Rey mission church and meet some of the inhabitants of this remarkable historic place.

Lunch: At Acoma Pueblo, choice of chicken or vegetarian wraps and soft drinks.

Afternoon: Return to Albuquerque. The rest of the afternoon is free for independent exploration.

Dinner: At the hotel.

Evening: Program closing.

Breakfast: In the hotel meeting room. Breakfast is the last meal included in the program.

Morning: Hotel checkout time is 12:00 p.m. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Please be in touch via the Road Scholar Social Network, where you can share memories, pictures, and comments. Best wishes for all your journeys!