Spain gets rabbi with Marrano roots for first time since Inquisition
Rabbi Nissan Ben-Avraham, a descendant of forcibly-converted Spanish Jews, appointed as Shavei Israel's new emissary to the Marranos of Spain.
By Haaretz Service Tags: Jewish World Israel newsFor the first time since the expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492, a descendant of forcibly-converted Spanish Jews will return to Spain to serve as a rabbi.
Rabbi Nissan Ben-Avraham, a resident of the West Bank settlement of Shiloh, has been appointed by Shavei Israel - a non-profit organization that seeks to strengthen ties between Israel and descendants of Jews around the globe - as its new emissary to the Bnei Anoushim community in Spain.
The Bnei Anoushim - referred to by historians as Marranos - were Jews who were forced to convert Catholicism and stayed behind in Spain after the expulsion of 1492. The Bnei Anoushim continued to preserve their Jewish identity and to practice Jewish tradition covertly.
Rabbi Ben-Avraham was born in 1957 in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, into a Chueta family. The Chuetas were descendants of Mallorca's Jews who were forcibly converted to Catholicism in the 14th and 15th centuries. They were never fully accepted by their Catholic neighbors, who referred to them as Chuetas - the Catalan word for "pigs" - and rejected them. An estimated 15,000-20,000 still live in Mallorca, though many have assimilated in recent years.
Ben-Avraham, whose given name at birth was Nicolau Aguilo, immigrated to Israel in 1978, formally returned to Judaism and Hebraicized his name. He later got married, was ordained as a rabbi and became the father of 12 children.
As Shavei Israel's emissary in Spain, Ben-Avraham will teach Torah, Jewish culture and tradition to Bnei Anousim, and will conduct a range of social and educational activities. His work will focus on the Bnei Anousim communities of Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Alicante and Seville, where he will assist those seeking to learn more about their Jewish roots.
"This is a very moving and historic development," said Michael Freund, founder and chairman of Shavei Israel. "It marks the first time that a member of the Bnei Anousim is returning to Spain, where he was born and raised, in order to help his fellow Anousim learn more about their Jewish roots."
According to Freund, there are tens of thousands - and maybe even more - of Bnei Anousim in Spain, who are conscious of their special connection to the Jewish people.
"We owe it to them and to their ancestors to reach out to them, embrace them and welcome them back home," he said.
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Rabbi Nissan Ben-Avraham. |
| Photo by: (Shavei Israel) |
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How will you feel if they use the term that rimes with kite? Will you be happy about it? Well guess what this are derogatory names all 3 of them. In the name of science? give me a break, since when science has anything to do with Judaism? If you look in the Royal Academy's dictionary of the Spanish Tongue, which is the entity in charge of stablishing terms etc even Judiada is a very ofending term. It means a congregation of Jews and also when some one (more than likely a Jew because that is what they think we Jews do) betrays someone else. Very dirty to be using the terms of such an antisemitic establishment, and no nothing scientific about it.
The Chueta's of Mallorca have married within their group for the past 500 years by welcoming them back into Judaism we are truly witnessing the words of our prophets come true before our eyes
... GERIM, converts, in my opinion. We're talking 15th century here. Would it make any sense to you if I said, "We're helping the Bnei Shakespeare community in England to come back to their Elizabethan heritage". COME BACK to what? All these people were raised Catholic, and so were their parents and grandparents etc etc. A bit of genealogical research doesn't give you "a Jewish heritage". It's totally fine and acceptable to convert to Judaism; you don't need an excuse. Actually, I'd argue that Spaniards who want to convert have internalized the negative ideas about Judaism that are common in Spain, and therefore they need to apologize. "I want to be Jewish, but, ehm, it's because it runs in the family" - meaning, "perhaps I had a Jewish ancestor who converted to Catholicism and died 400 years ago". Nonsense. Jewish communities in Spain should be more open and welcoming, esp. regarding potential converts, but this type of silly romanticism about Anussim shouldn't be encouraged.
I agree with others, please do not use the word "marrano", it means "hog", presumably an innocent mistake by the author. Aside from this, what an inspiring story-even a repression as severe as that in Spain is eventually reversed (in a small way at least) after centuries.
I sincerely wish Rabbi well and success at his new position and I wonder if Rabbi Ben-Avraham remembers how his ancestors were saved? In case if he needs, the story is provided @ http://www.turkishforum.com.tr/en/content/2010/01/21/how-the-turks-saved-the-jews-from-genocide/
No one would ever use the term Marrano nowadays in Spain for any kind of jew (spanish jews or foreign jews). Marrano is just an historical term which refers to the insulting denomination used in medieval Spain for converted jews. I however understand that many jews may feel offended because the word was used as an insult. But Haaretz is only being scientific, this word has nothing to do with modern jews or spaniards.
Marrano is a term widely recognized outside the Jewish community, whereas I doubt most non-Jews have ever heard the word Anousim. In the article, the author does use the term b'nie Anoushim, and acknowledges the derogatory nature of the better known names given converted Jews by the Spaniards and others. But not everyone who reads Haaretz is Jewish and can be expected to recognize Hebrew terms. My father's geneological research into our family background uncovered likely Anousim roots. I was already exploring conversion to Judaism when I learned of this - sudenly things began to make a bit more sense! Frankly, I'm so happy to live in a time when we are free to return to our heritage that I don't really care what the Spaniards called us...
For Haaretz's editor to use the word "marrano", such a degrading, humiliating, insulting, and inaccurate description, for those Jews forcibly converted is shockingly insensitive and cruel to our brethren. Surely, the editor could have used "anusim" or "forcible converts." Deeply disappointed by Haaretz's editor. Shalom, Ari
Personally I don't like the term "marrano" because it is currently used in spanish and it means "pig"
Marrano is a despective term that the Christian Spaniards used to the Jewish Spaniards, meaning somethings dirty and usually associated to the pig's behaviour. It is a shame to use this ugly word. Find something else. Also in the Catalan Balearic Islands the Jewish are called "Chuetas" which is also another bad term. The Jewish in Spain should use other terms.
It is used in common practice to refer to converts, but it's also still in usage with its basic meaning of "pig." If it were no longer used to refer to the animal, then it would be a different story.
That's the name it was givien. Being politically correct does not mean to ignore historic facts wether we like them or not.
The term "marrano" has lost its contemptuous meaning and is widely used by scholars worldwide in learned works that respectful towards Jews by all measures. Eminent Jewish scholars such as J.I. Israel do not hesitate to use the term "Marrano". As the old Spanish saying goes, some people behave more popishly than the Pope of Rome -no disrespect intended-. Best regards, and thanks for your great work A. de Oñate. Historian.
SHAME on you, Ha'aretz editors, for using the insulting word "Marrano" (Pig) rather than Converso (the coverted) Marrano was the word used by the Spaniards to still insult the Jews even after they converted, mostly under durress and the threat of execution. Don't you people have any sense of respect for your fellow Jews??? Apparently NOT!! Please do not blacklist this message. Jack Chivo Ph.D. Canada
Now that there will be an effort to return Jews who were forced into Roman Catholicism back to Judaism, remnants of the Sephardic Jewry that brought us Maimonides, Yehuda HaLevi, Ibn Ezra, and the people that brought us Spinoza! Once converted back to the faith, and no doubt become part of the "Tzibur Dati", what are they going to do. They held back the Bnei Israel from India in the '50s, the Falashas from Ethiopia, and more recently Bene Menashe, all on the grounds that they were coming here on as economic refugees. What we needed is Russian speakers, many of whom whose Halachic status, as Jews, is doubtful. It is said that Sephardic Jews reached Spain with the Arab Islamic conquest, and they spoke Arabic. Indeed, Maimonides wrote and worked in Arabic while he lived in Cairo as a medical practitioner. How appropriate for Jews to become a part of the Mediteranean culture, again, as we were when Sephardic Jewish culture dominated our national life!