Fundamentally different from other, more prominent Jewish traditions and experiences, the Sephardic tradition has long served to bind together the various Jewish communities of the Mediterranean basin. In "The Sephardic Legacy", Henry Toledano immerses readers in the medieval historical context that gave rise to the Sephardic tradition, arguing that the golden age of Jewish culture in Spain would not have been possible without the stimulus and inspiration of Islamic civilization. Along the way, Toledano covers such topics as the flourishing of Jewish culture and science, Hebrew poetry, the systematic codification of Jewish law, Jewish philosophy, and the impact of Islamic civilization on the development of critical biblical exegesis.