Israel’s ambassador in Spain joined Spanish officials on Friday in celebrating the name change of the ancient Spanish town of Castrillo Matajudios, which translates as “Camp Kill Jews”, to Castrillo Mota de Judios – meaning “Jews’ Hill Camp”, The Associated Press (AP) reports.

The event came a year after the north-central village, of some 50 inhabitants, voted to change the name after the mayor said it was offensive and the village should honor its Jewish origins.

Documents show the village’s original name was “Jews’ Hill Camp” and that the “Kill Jews” name dates 1627, after the 1492 expulsion of Jews from Spain.

Israeli Ambassador Daniel Kutner said, according to AP, that the town’s decision to celebrate its Jewish past was to be praised.

“It must be remembered that the expulsion from Spain was for Jews a traumatic event of historical dimensions and set out the trajectory for the Jewish people from there on,” he said at a brief ceremony before a road sign bearing the new name was placed at the town’s entrance.

The name change was formally approved by the regional government of Castilla y Leon in June.

Researchers believe the village got its previous name from Jewish residents who converted to Catholicism and wanted to reinforce their repudiation of Judaism to convince Spanish authorities of their loyalty. Others suspect the change may have come from a slip of the pen, noted AP.

No Jews live in the village today but many residents have Jewish roots.

Spain now offers citizenship to Sephardic Jews – those originating from the Iberian peninsula – who can prove they are descended from those who were expelled. The country said several weeks ago it was speeding up applications for 4,300 Sephardic Jews seeking Spanish nationality under the new law.

(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)