AND
THE SOCIETY FOR
CRYPTO-JUDAIC STUDIES
(SCJS)
Crypto Jew (secret Jew): a Jew in Spain, Portugal, or one of their colonies who was forced to hide his or her Jewish identity because of fear of persecution by the Inquisition; a descendant of such Jews; previously referred to as a "marrano" (in Spanish, a derogatory term meaning "pig"); also known today as "anusim" (Hebrew plural for "forced ones")
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE SOCIETY FOR CRYPTO-JUDAIC STUDIES
The Society for Crypto-Judaic Studies was founded in August 1990 by Dr. Stanley Hordes of Santa Fe, New Mexico, Rabbi Joshua Stampfer of Portland, Oregon, and playwright Rena Down of New York City. The first annual conference was held in 1991 in Taos, NM. Annual conferences have been held since then in Albuquerque, NM (twice); Buena Park, CA; Denver, CO; San Antonio, TX (twice); Tuscon, AZ; El Paso, TX; Los Angeles, CA; Pueblo, CO; San Diego, CA; Belmonte/Guarda, Portugal; and, this year, Portland, Oregon. The 2004 conference in Portland is the Society's 14th Annual Conference.
OFFICERS AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Officers and Board Members serve two-year terms, with current members serving until August 2005. President is Dr. Abe Lavender of Miami Beach, FL. Arthur Benveniste of Venice, CA, is Immediate Past President, website monitor, and co-editor of HaLapid; Professor Dolores (Dolly) Sloan of Santa Monica, CA, is VP for Communications and editor of HaLapid; Dr. Stanley M. Hordes of Santa Fe, NM, is VP for Programs; Lupe Mandujano Garcia of Austin, TX, is VP for Membership; Gloria Trujillo of Monterey Park, CA, is Secretary; and Gerrard Salomon of La Jolla, CA, is Treasurer. Four at-large members are: Orfa Salinas of Corpus Christi, TX, Max Wolf Valerio of San Francisco, CA, Kathleen (Kitty) Teltsch of New York City, and Yaacov Gladstone of New York City and Deerfield Beach, FL The president can be contacted at the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199. His email address is abelavender@aol.com. Check the SCJS website for extensive information about the Society (www.cryptojews.com).
PURPOSE OF THE SCJS
The Society for Crypto-Judaic Studies (SCJS) encourages both academic study and the sharing of personal discoveries concerning the history and religious culture of crypto Jews. Our specific focus is Jews of Iberian origins. Many of our members are searching for their own crypto-Jewish roots; others are researching crypto-Judaic issues from an academic perspective, and others are interested in learning more about secret Jewish practices and hidden Jewish communities.
For many decades it was assumed that no crypto Jews remained in Iberia. But in 1917, Samuel Schwarz, a Polish Jewish engineer, stumbled upon remnants of crypto Jews in the village of Belmonte, Portugal. Attempts to revive crypto-Judaism at this time were defeated by opponents, but in 1932 interest in the crypto Jews of Spain and Portugal, and their contemporary descendants, was first popularized by the famous Judaic scholar Cecil Roth with the publication of A History of the Marranos. Much has changed since then, including gradual replacement of the negative Spanish word marrano with the positive terms of crypto Jews (secret Jews) or anusim ("forced ones").
A significant increase in interest in crypto Jews began several decades ago, and more recently there has been a phenomenal increase of interest by descendants of crypto Jews, research scholars, and other interested people. It was to help meet the needs and interests of all these people, and to bring them together to network and share knowledge, that the Society for Crypto-Judaic Studies (SCJS) was founded. In some cases, members choose to meet occasionally between conferences to exchange information, hear informational talks, and socialize. One such group has been meeting for two years in Deerfield Beach, Florida.
The SCJS is a secular organization, and welcomes anyone, regardless of religious or ethnic identity, academic or layperson status, who is interested in the perplexing and fascinating topic of crypto-Jewish identity. We are currently seeking our nonprofit status.
ACTIVITIES OF THE SCJS
The SCJS encourages both academic and personal interest in the history and current status of crypto Jews, provides major forums for interchange of information by scholars, encourages and provides facilities for networking by interested persons, and provides assistance to persons interested in the topic. The following activities are sponsored:
HaLapid
A journal and newsletter, HaLapid (Hebrew for "The Torch") is published quarterly, and is mailed to members. It includes scholarly researched articles, personal stories by crypto-Jewish descendants, book reviews, poetry, Society business issues, and other relevant topics. Genetics/DNA research on Sephardim has generated much interest.
Annual Conference
The Annual Conference usually is held in August, from Sunday through Tuesday. A number of sessions include presentations by researchers, personal stories, panel discussions, concerts and performances. A banquet features a well-known speaker and cultural entertainment. A business meeting, open to all, is part of the conference.
Website
www.cryptojews.com
The SCJS website receives many hits from people interested in crypto-Jewish history, background, and activities. It contains information about the Society, including an archive of articles, personal stories, and other items previously in HaLapid. Readers may post comments. Knowledgeable members respond to questions and make referrals when requested. Relevant links are provided on topics such as Sephardic surnames, important dates and events in Sephardic history, and major geographical areas of importance to Sephardim.
MEMBERSHIP FORM
Annual Membership Dues Are:
Individual $25
Student (high-school or college) $10
Institutional $35
Sustaining $100
Patron $1,000
(Please circle type of membership)
Dues include four quarterly issues of HaLapid and discounts in registration for the annual conference.
Please make checks payable to Society for Crypto-Judaic Studies, and mail to:
Lupe Mandujano Garcia, SCJS
4632 Yellow Rose Trail
Austin, TX 78749
Name:____________________________
Address:__________________________
City:__________ State:___ ZIP:_______
Country if other than U.S.A.:__________
Phone (optional):___________________
Email (if available; please PRINT):,
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7/21/04 adl
JEWS AND CRYPTO JEWS IN SPAIN AND PORTUGAL
Some scholars suggest that Jewish presence in Iberia goes back three thousand years to Solomon's trades with Andulasian Tarshish or Phoenician trading with coastal Iberians. But, the presence of Jews living in Iberia as early as the Roman period, before Iberia became Christian in 312 CE, is clearly documented. In 711, Muslims from North Africa conquered Spain, and for several hundred years Jews, Muslims, and Christians lived together in "convivencia," coexisting in relative, if imperfect, harmony, in Spain's "Golden Age." Spain had the single largest Jewish community in Europe, and while most Jews were small merchants, farmers, or craftsmen, Jews were very well represented in the highest levels of culture, education, medicine, and finance, and made major contributions to the society.
The Catholic church wanted religious exclusivity, not diversity, however, so Jews and the few Muslims left had three choices: leave, die, or convert to Catholicism. Many Jews sincerely converted, but in 1391 riots in Andalusia destroyed the Jewish quarters and began a century of riots and forced conversions. Some of the "conversos" or "New Christians" rose to high positions in the Catholic church. But, many others remained secretly Jewish, hopeful that the edict was simply a temporary aberration and waiting for the day when they could return to an open expression of their Jewishness. However, efforts to find the secret Jews were relentless, and nearly 32,000 were burned to death in autos de fe. Nearly all underwent various forms of severe persecution.
In 1478, the Inquisition was established in Castile. On March 31, 1492, with the Edict of Expulsion, all Jews in Spain faced an ultimatum: convert to Catholicism or go into exile within four months, by July 31. By August 1, 1492, no legal Jews were left in Spain. Even without the many who had converted to Catholicism in the previous century, it is estimated that there were about 400,000 Jews in Spain in 1492. An estimated 200,000 converted and stayed in Spain, 100,000 went across the border to Portugal, and another 100,000 went elsewhere.
Many would leave hurriedly, with disbelief and shock, selling what they could for token prices, packing their belongings and carrying them out of the country, by boat, wagon, or foot.
The Spanish Jews who went to Portugal faced major problems there also; e.g., 700 children were kidnaped from their parents and sent to the island of Sao Tome and raised as Christians. King Manoel I (1495-1521) wanted the Jews to stay because their skills would help Portugal's economy, but he was pressured by his wife's parents, King Fernando and Queen Isabel of Spain, to expel or convert the Jews. An expulsion order was issued in 1496, but in 1497 nearly all Jews were forcefully converted to Catholicism, without exile being a choice. Some later were able to secretly escape. After 1580, when Spain annexed Portugal, many actually returned to Spain or went to Spanish colonies because of the severity of the Portuguese Inquisition. About 1,800 were burned to death. Those remaining in Portugal were trapped. Many lived in small villages, such as Belmonte, where they practiced their religion covertly. The Belmonte crypto Jews have recently returned to an overt practice of Judaism.
Those who left Spain in 1492 for places other than Portugal, joined later by those who got out of Portugal or Spain, went into exile to many places including North Africa, Turkey, Greece, and other parts of the Ottoman Empire, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, England, and some areas of Germany. The Jews who went to the Ottoman Empire and most of the European areas were allowed to openly practice their Jewishness. The descendants of most of those who went to North Africa and Turkey are now in Israel. About 90% of those in Greece (mostly Salonika) in the 1940s were murdered by the Nazis.
Of those who left Spain in 1492, a few individuals went west. However, the major migration westward to Atlantic and Caribbean Islands and the Americans would be later.
CRYPTO JEWS IN THE AMERICAS AND THE ISLANDS
Although only a few Jewish individuals who left Spain in 1492 went west to Iberian territories, by the middle half of the 1500s, and especially after 1580, when the Portuguese Inquisition intensified, many Iberian crypto Jews began migrating westward. Some went to Atlantic and Caribbean Islands such as the Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands, Tobago, Barbados, Puerto Rico, Cuba, and Jamaica. Large numbers went to the Americas, especially Brazil and Mexico. Smaller numbers went to Peru and many other areas. They moved as far away as they could from the nearest Inquisition office in hopes of keeping Jewish practices, at least in secret, without being caught. Many did successfully hide, but some were caught and persecuted.
The current Southwestern United States, and especially Northern New Mexico, far from the Inquisition office in Mexico City, became home for many crypto Jews. We are increasingly learning that crypto Jews lived in many Latin American areas and in a few non-Latin areas. In addition, a few crypto Jews settled in some Portuguese-influenced areas in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Some crypto Jews gave in to pressure and converted to Catholicism, but others maintained a crypto-Jewish identity. Since these were unable to access normative Jewish practices, and were often cut off from rabbis, open Jewish communities, religious objects, prayer books, and even the Torah, they developed ingenious and astonishing methods to preserve and practice Judaism. The Jewish spark existed for some only in their minds and souls, but it continued to burn. Still-practicing descendants of Spanish-Portuguese crypto Jews are now emerging from many areas. We are now seeing a major return of descendants, some to interest and pride in their Jewish heritage, and many others to the beliefs and practices of their ancestors. They, we, are returning from the rural areas, villages, towns, and cities of the Americans and the islands along the route of escape.