The Spanish Inquisition haunted the lives of thousands of Spanish Jews and forced converts from Judaism, evoking despair and horror and creating a climate of secrecy and deceit. Hilary will look at why it came into being and how and where exactly it functioned.

Dr. Pomeroy was awarded her PhD in the Department of Hispanic Studies, Queen Mary, University of London and taught the history and culture of Sephardi Jews in the Department of Hebrew and Jewish Studies, University College London. She chaired the foremost international conference on Judeo-Spanish Studies for twenty-five years, the last three conferences in collaboration with Bar-Ilan University, Israel, and the Consejo Científico de Investigaciones Superiores, Madrid. She has published numerous articles and a book on the Moroccan ballad tradition.