The Jewish quarter can be reached through gates. One of the many entrances is the gate
Puerta de Assulca, where there used to be a flea market where oil, butter, chickpeas, lentils and everything necessary for daily life were sold. The Jewish quarter is composed of streets,
adarves (dead-end streets) and squares. The main street is
Calle del Mármol which connected the Jewish quarter with the rest of the city. During the Middle Ages, there was a market, synagogues, public baths, bread ovens, palaces and a wall. In addition, there was a neighborhood called Barrio del Degolladero near the Tagus river, so named because here was the designated place for the ritual slaughter (
shechitah) of cattle. in the Jewish quarter of Toledo In the neighborhood known as Barrio de Hamazelt, the wealthiest Jewish families lived. The most well-known Jew from Toledo,
Samuel Ha-Levi, lived on a street now known as Calle San Juan de Dios. Ha-Levi was the treasurer of the king
Peter of Castile and ordered the construction of the large synagogue, later was known as the
Synagogue of el Tránsito. The synagogue featured a
mezuzah affixed to the door-post, which contains passages from
Deuteronomy. In contemporary Toledo, two synagogues have been preserved and now function as museums: the Synagogue of el Tránsito and
Santa María la Blanca (formerly the Synagogue of Ibn Shushan ). When the synagogues were in use, every Friday before sunset, a rabbi would announce the arrival of the
Sabbath. Near each synagogue, there was a ritual bath called
mikveh. Jewish women would use the mikveh to ritually purify themselves after menstruation and childbirth, following the traditions of
family purity. The mikveh was also used to immerse specific cooking vessels, which were considered
non-kosher upon purchase and required immersion in its waters before use. ==See also==