U.S. group claims lost Jewish heritage, meets gov't skepticism
Exiled 'Marranos' say practiced Judaism in secret, seek roots in Israel despite Catholic upbringing.
By Anshel Pfeffer Tags: Jewish WorldThe authorities would probably call the 30 U.S. citizens who scoured the Negev last week Christian tourists. But the members of the group think of themselves as American Marranos, and they are determined to return to the faith they say their ancestors were forced to renounce and strike root in Israel.
Like Del and Helen Sanchez, who headed the group, most of the tourists grew up going to church on Sunday. Only recently did most of them discover what they call their "Jewish roots."
And the trip to the Negev was the first step in a quest to realize the prophecy in Obadiah 1:20, stating that "the captives of Jerusalem, who are in Sepharad [Spain], will possess the cities of the Negev." The group was looking at places to settle as Jews in Israel.
Like all the other members of the group, the Sanchezes believe that their ancestors were in fact Spanish and Portuguese Jews who escaped the Iberian Peninsula in the 15th century to flee the Spanish Inquisition. Soon after arriving, some of these Jews found themselves once again under the rule of the Spanish conquistadors, who set up colonies in the Americas.
According to Sanchez's theory, these Jews were forced to convert to Catholicism to escape persecution. And like their Marrano relatives in the old country, the American Jews living under Spanish rule continued to practice Judaism in secret.
Although Helen's family went to church on Sunday, she says they "always knew that Catholicism was forced upon them." According to Helen, her family adopted unusual habits like not working on Saturday, thereby observing the Jewish day of rest. They also let all the blood drain from slaughtered livestock, which corresponds with kosher slaughter.
Helen says her family spoke about being descended from Marranos, but she says this was not something they would openly talk about. Her husband Del says his family dealt with the same issue in a very similar way.
"It was a secret that passed from mother to daughter and was kept by the women of our family," says Del, who said he learned of his Marrano roots only 11 years ago, from his father. Del says his father learned of this from his niece.
"The women didn't tell the men about this because they were afraid they might get drunk and tell someone about it," Del says. "In retrospect, I understand that expressions we used in the family which we thought were just broken Spanish were in fact Judeo-Spanish," he says, referring to the dialect based on old Spanish spoken by Sephardic Jews.
After discovering this, Del and Helen have devoted themselves to bringing other U.S. Jews who regard themselves as descendants of American Marranos closer to their roots. The couple, who live in San Antonio, Texas, say they have retraced their lineage as far back as the 12th century. Del has written nine books on the subject, and has a TV program in a local channel about it.
He travels with Helen around the U.S., mostly in New Mexico and Texas, trying to convince people from Hispanic backgrounds to take a deeper look at their ancestry and see whether they have any Jewish forefathers.
For Del, this is no metaphor. He says he has taken a DNA analysis, which shows that his genetic profile matches that of Jews from the Iberian Peninsula. According to Del, there are many others like him.
"We're talking about potentially staggering numbers. Historians estimate that 10 to 15 percent of all the people of Hispanic backgrounds in North America descend from Spanish Jews. The U.S. alone has 40 million Hispanic people."
To further demonstrate the validity of their theory, Del and Helen have documented old cemeteries across the southwest United States with graves and headstones featuring Jewish names and motifs.
But Del says that despite the evidence, the Israeli and Jewish establishment has treated him with skepticism. "Israel is taking in non-Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union along with Ethiopian Falashmura and Indian people claiming to be Jewish," he says. "How come it won't accept us - the descendants of proper Jews who have gone through the persecutions of the Spanish Inquisition?"
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My mother grew up an Italian Catholic with some strange family practices (we later found out why), and she converted to Orthodox Judaism in the 1940s, then married my father, a Jew of Russian ancestry. While doing genealogy with a cousin in the 1980s, we learned that she actually was descended from Spanish Jews (hence her unusual "Italian" surname) who fled to Sicily and Southern Italy, only to meet up with the Inquisition there. We assume they finally gave in and converted in Italy, to avoid having to flee again. Many of her ancestors also went to Venezuela, because we found many of them there. I worry for the American anusim....I do not want to see them get hurt by arrogant "born Jews" who think themselves a cut above anusim.
deport this antisemite. Have you ever tried to talk to him when no reporters are around? He hates Jews and despises them.
Sorry but sanchez is just a missionary who wants to be sure he will not be deported.Throw him out.
How can you say the "Messianics" are not good for the Jewish people? Do you think they would prefer Pagans? Messiah was God's GIFT to "first the Jew and then the Gentile" Yes, there is still evil in the world, and peace has not yet been realized (outwardly), I guaranty, if ALL lived according to Messiah's Word, there would be peace, inside & out!
Happy Hannukkah to you too! And...I'm bringing my "plug-in" to work tomorrow so it can be displayed in this Firm along side the Christmas tree, after all, I work in a Jewish owned firm! And, you have inspired me to add Greek letters to the Hebrew letter orniments I will be displaying on my tree! Because... yes indeed, the New Testament doctrine was written in Greek. I don't like the terms "New" and "Old" Testament, I think they are misleading. Inasmuch as I wish I could speak Greek, Latin and Hebrew, I believe the Spirit of the Word corrects all translations. Love, Love, Love.
I don't think you're really missing anything. In fact, I'm pretty sure you "get it" just fine. Happy Hanukkah (tonight)!
B"H They may or may not be Jews, but they ARE messianics. Anyone who knows Del Sanchez knows EXACTLY what they are up to, and it is NOT good for the Jewish people.
like we're on the same page? Or am I missing something? I won't claim all my thoughts to be truth, and I always encourage "sifting" AND appreciate doctrinal correction. So again, thank you for that :)
Don't get me wrong. You seem like a sweetheart, who wants the best for people and the world. But your frequent theologizing seems to me a tad out of place, and from your comments, I'm pretty sure you don't read Greek. (Though the New Testament was written in Greek, right?) Just so you know, "Logos" does NOT really mean "Word." It means something more like "speech," or "statement." (This translation-mistake derives from the Hebrew word "DBR," which refers to speech. The "DiBuR" of the Lord is translated as the "Logos" of the Lord in the Greek Testament). Conjugated, "Legei" means said, not "worded." This contradicts authors like Augustine who used the sentence "For from Zion comes the Teaching and the Speech of God from Jerusalem" to say it referred to the "Word" of God. It doesn't. It's talking about the Torah ("Teachings"). There's different Hebrew word for "word;" "milah". That word is Not in the original quote at all.
Your article refers to Sanchez's 'theory.' But this is not a theory, or even news, at least outside of Israel. Jews whose ancestors escaped from Spain, then Mexico, one step ahead of the inquisition, did hide their Jewish roots, married within the hidden community, and kept Jewish traditions. Read "The Mezuzah in the Madonna's Foot," by Alexis Trudi (or Trudy)Or visit New Mexico. Sanchez, however, is wrong when he suggests that the Jews of Ethiopia and India are any less Jewish than the Jews from Spain.
Just in case this one gets posted: Have a Happy and Blessed Hanukkah!!! Remembering: The Hanukkah story is a picture of the steps to salvation. Winning the battle = Surrendering to God Cleansing the Temple = Repentance Refilling the Temple = Learning/obeying God's Word Lighting the lamps = knowledgable rededication Lamps burning for 8 days = God's acceptance and willingness to carry us through to the 8th day/symbolizing eternity. God's Word is our Salvation. Blessed be His Name. It is His Word that sanctifies the Name, not His Name that sanctifies the word. His Name and His Word are interchangable terms. B'Ezrat HaShem!!!
I am glad these people found their heritage and now wish to become practicing Jews, but due to their long disconnection with the Jewish people it would be a good idea if they go though a formal conversion. That way there are no Halachic problems as well as problems with getting Israeli citizenship. Israel needs people like this in the Negev, I hope they come and settle it.
Sorry to break it to you, but yes, Jews denounce your "messiah". If you believe that Jesus is the messiah and God incarnate, then you are not "evolving in Judaism." You are evolving in Christianity. Be a Christian and be proud of it, don't wrap it in the guise of Judaism. There is a definition of a Jew: one who is born to a Jewish mother or someone who has converted to Judaism. Requiring technical conversion is not forcing you to "think like we think," but if you don't share the fundamental precepts of Judaism, then you aren't Jewish. If you turly want to be a Jew, we welcome sincere converts. But if you don't share our basic values, then focus on your Christian faith, let us focus on ours.
Regarding your statement: The majority of Marranos became good Christians and those who chose not to convert, left for more tolerant lands-the Ottoman Empire, Holland, etc. Not accurate. In fact the entire Jewish population of Holland were Marranos who left Spain 100 years after living as Christians. This is why the Dutch Sephardic group does not speak Ladino (ie: 15th century Castillian dialect) they speak Spanish-Portuguese. Marranos/Conversos have been persecuted/tortured by the Spanish Inquisition 100's of years after the expulsion. The Church never accepted Cristianos Nuevos. Gao India (Portuguese colony) hung 70 Jews in the late 1600s for Judaizing. I know a Catholic D'silva from Goa who mentioned growing up he used to be chastized by the Priest who reminded him and his family they were not real Catholics, but Jews! Saludos.
What is now known as "Judahism" in reality is the Word of God. I am evolving in the Word of God. There is also much "man created doctrine" in "Judaism" as there is in all religions. The more I evolve in the Word of God, the more I am able to distinguish between the two. The "Judaism" of your Bible, confirms the "Judaism" of the entire Bible. Or in other words, the Word of God in your Bible fortells of the Word of God in the entire Bible. And again I say, since the Word was given, man has misused it in an attempt to gain political advantage over the other. God foresaw this coming and commanded against it. If the conclusion of your faith puts anyone but God above their fellow man, I'd rethink your faith. Theefore, to be more clear, let me just say, I am evolving as a Child of God, according to His Word alone. Which puts only Him above all of His creation. Selah.
Having lived in 4 prominent Sephardic communities in the US, it never ceases to amaze me how resentment persists among Sephardim towards conversos, chuetas, marranos, meshumadim whatever term you prefer. The issue at hand is not accepting descendents of conversos as jews, of course halachic conversion is necessary. The real issue is that Sephardic religious authorities, such as Shas, Rishon Lezion, and Sephardic Rabbanim in general seem to refute their connection to Judaism. I find it ironic that 500-600 years post exile from Spain, the distain towards those that converted still lingers, and trust me it does, I have heard this topic countless times in communties whose families left Spain for Rhodes, Turkey, Morocco, Bosnia, Italy... The only issue is one of recognizing their connection to Judaism via their heritage. Nothing wrong with requiring Halachic conversion. However, Sephardic Jews (Iberian in origin) do not welcome this group.
There is no mistaking the Holy Spirit of God in the Christmas season. Listen to the songs. Those who try to kill this Spirit in the name of paganism are making a HUGE mistake. How sad the Spirit is not recognized due to the time of year the event of Messiah's birth is celebrated. We should instead be striving to hold on to the Spirit of this season all year long. Peace is not a Season, it is a way of life!!!
For those who think people would go to Israel for financial reward. Wake up. There is no such a thing. Also, people are certainly more financially equipped in the US that in Israel. Now,for those who are concerned about judaicity, a good proportion of people living in the settlements in the West Bank are converts (husband of wife) who were not marranos. So much for puritanism. In addition, judaism in the Sephardic tradition is very much a deeply cultural thing, in addition to the religious thing. That concept is sometimes hard to be understood by non-Sephardim.
1. #16 talks of her evolving as a Jew, quotes Matthew from "the Bible", and makes some confusing statements regarding Moshiach. Wake up! Matthew is a Christian text, and is not part of our "Bible" (Tanach). 2. So who is surprised that the secularists who run Israel are less than pleased to find more folks who are serious about discovering their Jewish roots and Judaism? The Ashkenazic Israeli elite far prefer eastern European pig eaters as immigrants to Ethiopian, Indian/Burmese border, Ugandan, and yes, (USA) New Mexico returnees to Judaism!
Going back to the Samaritians [sp], whose father was Jacob, but they were not Jews; this was not refuted in Messiah's days here with us, or ever after that to my knowledge; Other than, I've heard some Rabbi's state that "all of Israel" is Jewish. This claim is not what the Bible says. Judah will never find their brothers, they've stopped looking. The brothers will just have to find Judah, may that is why they were commanded to be "David's Lamp, always before God in Jerusalem"?
"Rabbinate has required a technical conversion." I have often wondered if I am decended from one of the Lost Tribes. As I evolve in Judaism, it just seems to come so natural. Then again, I could just as easily be decended from a pagan clan who has found their way to the Word through Messiah? Either way, I know the path I have taken and if not for faith in Messiah, I would not have ever found my way. The Bible states clearly that Messiah came to: "He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." Matthew 15:24 Doesn't a "Rabbinate technical conversion." include the denouncing of Messiah as Messiah? Doesn't it say, Think like we think and you can be one of us? We are not going to leave judgment to God, we'll be the judge?
These are definitely times of the Mosiach. Of course, there has been intermarriage, but if those who have a Jewish past want to convert why not let them. In the days of Mosiach many will become Jews. We need all the loyal and faithful we can get in this world of much persecution. Too, many converts keep the mitzvot better than those who are Jewish by birth.
I remember dating an Israeli years ago whose mother's family was Spanish. He told me when the Spanish forced conversion on Jews they gave them new names . Their names were names of fruit and vegetables so they the Catholics knew who they were. This friend met many Spanards with names like Cherry and told they were once Jewish
Supposedly there are common genetic strains at the DNA level for those descended from Jews. It's not a perfect way to add or detract from their hunch about who they are, but it would carry a lot of evidentiary weight.
The question of the the Hispanic population in the Southwest, particulary the hills of northernn New Mexico, should certainly be investigated, but the claim that this population or a large segment of it has been living, at least the females, as crypto Jews for 5 or 6 centuries is suspect. The majority of Marranos became good Christians and those who chose not to convert, left for more tolerant lands-the Ottoman Empire, Holland, etc. If they lived as crypto-Jews they often left wills that indicated certain formulae that were recognised as rejected Catholcism and its symbols. Most Marranos who did become devout Catholics, members of the hierarchy or even saints (Theresa d'Avila, the great mystic and scholar) were, its true, suspect and resented by the old Catholic gentry who resented their success in Spain. So I find the claim of the Sanchez's suspect or certainly in need of scholarly research and evidence to support their claim. Who is poreventing them from converting?
We know that a number of conversos (I do not like the word "marrano", came to what is now New Mexico, in order to get as far away as they could from the Catholic church and the inquisition. Over the years, their traditional Judaism was lost, but somehow they knew their origin. One example is the former Mayor of San Antonio,Texas, Henry Cisneros, whose father came from New Mexico .
In Victoirian times the Scots and the English boith claimed a link to the ten Lost Tribes of Israel. Today with DNA, claims can be assessed, but saying their ancestors were Jews in the 15th Century doesn't prove they are Jews today. In similar cases the Rabbinate has required a technical conversion.
Recognition always comes slowly. Because of possible problems with gittin and potential mamzerus it is best for these people to undergo conversion, which means they count as being born again.
The thing to do in such a case, is to properly convert whereever you are living, attend services at a synagogue, and give your children a Jewish education. Coming to the land does not automatically turn you into a proper Jew. Observance does.
There has been a movement afoot for many years among Hispanics in areas like New Mexico who have discovered their Jewish roots, remembering things like women who lit candles hidden in vases on Friday evenings. One of the early Conversos to Hispanic Mexico was appointed governor of Mexico and when he heard that the Inquisition was going to be set up in Mexico, he warned his fellow-conversos to go to the furthest reaches of the Hispanic conquista where the Inquisition wouldn't reach them, so many of them ended up in places in the American Southwest. This particular governor was supposedly tried for heresy (practicing Judaism) by the Inquisition and died in an auto-de-fe execution. Jerry Blaz
This would be a group of US Jews trying to get into Israel for the material benefits and the liberalism you're speaking about?? Kol ha kavod, Israel, you must be doing great, I didn't realize! And why is Israel still shnorring in all the Western countries, then...
In all probability, this is a group of people trying to claim Jewish heritage to enjoy the benefits of an affluent liberal society. Any DNA evidence showing a relation between these "Marranos" and Sephardic Jews is likely due to interbreeding of Sephardic Jews with the native Spanish. Most Hispanics have some Spanish blood. If any of their ancestors were the sister of a Spanish girl who married a Jewish guy, they would match. It's actually a formidable plan. Very creative, and I can only hope Western society doesn't flip a shit about Israel rejecting these claims with further accusations of racism.
Israel should concentrate its search for Jews in the Iberian peninsula and Southern France. Millions of Jews who lived there were forced into Catholicism by the blood thirsty Catholic Inquisition. Some thirty thousand were burnt alive in a gruesome ceremony that the Church had the audacity to call 'auto da fe', or act of faith. These people must be helped to come home.
My great-grandfather was a Marrano who grew up in the backwoods (swamps) of Louisiana. Although orphaned at age 13 he continued to keep the traditions of the family, somewhat further bastardized (for instance, he lit candles on Friday because his mother had). When he began to apprentice as a young man under my maternal great-great grandfather, the family quickly realized that he was also Jewish and he ended up marrying my great grand-mother.
The Southwest (Az, New Mexico, Tx) is a hot spot for descendents of conversos. The Spanish Gov of Nueva Espana only allowed those with Jewish blood (via Limpieza de Sangre documentation) to settle in the Norther province of Nuevo Leon, named of course after the Judaria of Leon in Espana. Well is it a surprise that Nuevo Leon historically included much of Arizona, Tx, etc... If the Israeli government, Shas, Rishon Lezion can find lost tribes with thousands of years disconnect from Judaism and bring them to Israel, perhaps they ought to recognize and seek out the descendents of Conversos, Meshumadim, who have only 400-600 years disconnect, and the benefit of Spanish culture, ie easy transition back to Sephardic Minhag. Anyone who has lived in eth Southwest can recognize visible signs of Sephardic life going back to Hernan Cortez, Cristobal Colon, etc...
I tend to believe them. My maternal family comes from the Jewish community in Mexico. As a child on summer vacation, with the local JCC, we went for a long hike outside Mexico City and came to a tiny village. In this village we saw your stereotypical native Mexicans, in Mexican dress, Long black braides, etc. In the center of this town stood a large building marked with the Star of David. Upon entering, you are greated with a Sephardic synagogue. They had torah scrolls, and prayer books in Hebrew. They called themselves Marranos. Their ancesters from Spain came over to the Americas with the Spanards and lost themselves in the hills of Mexico. They created their own community and intermarried with the local population. They consider themselves Jews and lived very quietly. They kept themselves very well hidden for hundreds of years. It wasn't until the 6o's and 70's that they were discovered. How many more of these communities can there be around the world? It makes you wonder.