(JNS.org) In a historic visit, 60 American Jewish leaders traveling with the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations met with King Juan Carlos I of Spain at Zarzuela Palace in Madrid on Thursday. During the meeting, the king spoke about the Jewish cultural heritage and the major influence Jews have had in Spain, including contributions in science, philosophy, culture, and arts. The Conference of Presidents delegation has met with several other top officials in Spain as well as leaders of Spain’s Jewish community.

“We have been deeply impressed with the Spanish leadership and other officials during our meetings. They [spoke about] how deeply rooted the Jewish community remains here and how important it is to them,” Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents, told JNS.org.

Prior to the visit, the Spanish Justice Ministry announced groundbreaking legislation to give millions of Sephardic Jews descending from Jews expelled during the Spanish Inquisition the chance to claim Spanish citizenship.