On Monday, May 19, the Faculty of Arts of the University of Lisbon hosted the conference "Fragments of Portuguese Converso History – A Library Perspective", presented by Arthur Kiron, curator of Judaica Collections at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn).
The lecture explored the history of Portuguese conversos through historical archives and library collections, emphasizing the crucial role of libraries in preserving and uncovering this often-forgotten heritage.
Arthur Kiron, who also serves as Director of the Library at the Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies and Adjunct Assistant Professor of History at Penn, shared insights from his work with Judaica collections, including the renowned Weigle Judaica and Ancient Near East Reading Room. With a strong academic background in Jewish History and Religious Studies, Kiron offered a unique and interdisciplinary perspective on the remnants of the Portuguese Sephardic diaspora.
