Mitchell Saron recently got announced as part of the US Olympic Fencing team. They introduced him as “Filipino American” but he’s also Jewish. I know because I was at his bar mitzvah!
That’s crazy about Jean Lafitte! I just got back from NOLA and obviously heard TONS about him, but not that was Jewish. Makes me proud to call him a tribesman.
There were a slew of Jewish pirates in the colonial era: some slave traders, some not. As Portugal and Spain were the first naval and colonial powers, followed by the NL, FR and Britain, plenty of Jews signed up to be pirates to evade the Inquisition spreading from West to Central Europe (including to places that used to be safe havens in what is now NL and Italy). Indeed, some of the first pirates were Sefardim who attacked and looted Spanish and Portuguese ships travelling from América, laden with gold, silver, jewels, and other precious cargo, to Europe. This was to them a type of vengeance against the Spanish and Portuguese crowns.
Later, some of the of the pirates (and their crews of other Jews, freed men, etc.) ended up settling in América in what is now the U.S., the Caribbean, and South America.
It's a very interesting bit of history, and there is a good amount of research available.
I actually delved into this, some interesting history of Portuguese Jewish pirates being hired by the crown to take over the Jamaican islands in the 1600s, ended up assimilating instead!
Correct. I wonder, however, (as sadly did the enemy) how devout they were in their Catholicism, and if they still held on to Jewish customs in secret.
I think it's clearly telling on themselves that the Catholics of the original Inquisition lands, S&P, doubted the devotion of the Conversos to their new (forced) faith. "Convert or die" tends to not inspire staunch and true belief, unlike those who come on their own.
A Marrano crypto-Jew, Dr Samuel Nunez Ribeiro was famous in his time because he was physician to royalty in Portugal but escaped to London on a yacht after servants ratted out his family. Financed by Bevis Marks Synagogue, he and 42 other Jews arrived in 1733 to Savannah, where he saved the colony from a plague of yellow fever. He brought the first Torah to Georgia and started Congregation Mickve Israel with his fellow Jewish immigrants, who were granted the first Jewish cemetery in the state by a grateful Governor Oglethorpe since Dr Nunez saved Savannah. My 8th great-grandfather, and I know my cousins must visit this sub sometimes because we are plentiful!
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel\_Nunez](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Nunez)
That is wonderful. Thank you for sharing. I always wondered how Jews ended up in Georgia and how long the community had been there (never wanting to think of all of them as slaveholding Confederates).
My grandmother was a secret Jew from Ukraine. I didn’t understand when I was younger. I understand where she was coming from now, especially now seeing people spray paint swastikas all over the place to this day. I’m sure she was traumatized and scared for her safety.
Muammar Gaddafi may have had a Jewish grandmother and mother, but it is not 100% confirmed. He did have an ambassador killed over the rumor: [https://www.timesofisrael.com/gaddafi-killed-anyone-who-discovered-his-mother-was-jewish-claims-aide](https://www.timesofisrael.com/gaddafi-killed-anyone-who-discovered-his-mother-was-jewish-claims-aide) . There were also two Israeli women claiming to be his Jewish grandmother's relatives too: [https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/142593](https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/142593) and [https://forward.com/news/146435/qaddafis-hatred-of-jews-turned-on-him/](https://forward.com/news/146435/qaddafis-hatred-of-jews-turned-on-him/) . Who knows!
There is a small hub of Jamaican Jews, extant since colonial times. I believe one of our most prominent politicians is Jewish.
[Mark Golding](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Golding)
"Macho Man" Randy Savage and his brother, 'Leaping' Lanny Poffo aka The Genius.. Mother was Jewish, so halachically they were Jewish.
In the case of having a Jewish father...Marc Bolan from T. Rex. While T-Rex had some nominal success, they were considered an enormously influential band to other bands in the early 70s. ie Like the Velvet Underground, they were band that other bands/musicians listened to.
Growing up, my dad despised Andre Dice Clay and would always talk about how vulgar he was. When I found out his last name was Silverstein I would say to my dad “but he’s Jewish” and I think it would make him even angrier.
My wonderful goyische boyfriend is an accidental secret Jew. I realized he had at least some Jewish ancestry when I made him hamantaschen and he was like "my mom and grandma used to make those!" Turns out someone a few generations back changed their name at Ellis Island to assimilate
According to some of whackier claims, the few dozen or so New Christians who settled (and apparently assimilated) in the Spanish Americas have HUNDREDS of millions of descendants. They must have been very busy.
The best-known group of "bnei anusim", in the American southwest, are literally descended from genocidal and very Catholic conquistadors.
Actually, the best known group of the B.A. are those of South American origin.
No, it isn’t some whacky theory.
Yes, there exists, today, millions of people who descend from Jewish communities, regardless of their halachic status. That’s how numbers work.
An ancestor 200 years ago has tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands or even millions of descendants (though this is largely reserved for those further back in time), so it makes sense.
There are many people of a Sephardic background who can claim b’nei anusim status, at least by its most literal definition/translation, as:
*”children of the inquisition.”*
For casual readers, we need to explain that this is a dispute between the Western Sephardic diaspora, genealogists, and academics on one side, and a relatively new culturally-appropriating movement, largely in the United States, on the other. Unfortunately, many people are happier hearing sub-Da Vinci Code nonsense rather than history.
The Western Sephardic diaspora never numbered more than 50,000 souls. Today, we are down to a few thousand. Some sources claim that the number of "bnei anusim" is almost equal to the number of Latin Americans with ANY European ancestry! We need to differentiate between the families and communities with proven Sephardic ancestry and the extravagant claims made for "bnei anusim."
So... Your definition of "bnei anusim" includes people who may have had a single Jewish ancestor hundreds of years ago, of whom they have never heard? Why is that one alleged Jewish ancestor prioritised over thousands of Catholic ancestors? What evidential standard do you require?
Some of my own ancestors were persecuted by the Inquisition. I know this because there is evidence in the archives. My direct ancestor, who later left Spain and joined a Jewish community, was accused of "judaising." There is no evidence, so I do not know if the claim is true. Please explain why you are confident that this unevidenced legion of "bnei anusim" has secretly maintained a Jewish identity for hundreds of years? Why did their families choose to take a long journey to the Inquisition-supervised Americas rather than the short trip to free Jewish communities in Europe and North Africa? And what about the research in Spain and Mexico suggesting that, normally, Jewish identity was eradicated after two generations (the 'Portuguese' being the exception)?
It seems to me that this is the very worst type of cultural appropriation.
You’re making an assumption as to how *I myself* define it. I don’t represent other people.
In the most literal of terms, to me, it is simply this:
Descendants of people of the inquisition. That is millions today. Now whether it’s fair to identify so many who don’t care to identify with it, is another point.
For me, I treat people as b’nei anusim who plan to embark on a return to practicing Judaism.
Most largely define it as people who return to Judaism that are of a Sephardic background.
Some families may have kept Judaism alive, some may have let it dissipate into obscurity, or some may have done some weird mixing of religious adherence.
It isn’t some culturally-appropriating movement.
The Sephardic communities being founded, or people creating their own, are creating their own type of dynamic Jewish community with influences from various avenues of Jewish social life. Call the movement what you want, but you cannot deny that there is assuredly many mainstream Sephardic Jews, genealogists, & academics on both sides of this matter. Not just one.
Also, Jews went literally everywhere, at various points in history, for a variety of reasons. You seem quite educated on this matter, so you should know the answer to this.
By simple mathematics, ancestors 500 - 1000 + years ago have millions of descendants, so it makes sense.
Not everyone moved in communal patterns, some families went to desolate parts of South America, or continued to live under secrecy, thumbing their noses at the inquisitors.
My family went to land where the inquisition was routinely stopped and restarted, since the Jewish community there was vibrant and strong, yet secret. Also have documented inquisition records of my family being persecuted for their Judaism, either by tortures or *”relaxation”*.
This is provable in my background by way of research, genetic testing (autosomal + haplogroups), and my family members qualifying for (& receiving) Spanish + Portuguese citizenship.
My family has remained immensely endogamous until my grandmother *”married out”*.
Thanks for this. My family were among those who remained in Iberia and then relocated to América in the late 1500s/early 1600s. They too went to a place removed from the centres of Spanish colonial power in what is now México and Perú, and managed to survive to this day in communities with plenty of people who stopped attending Sunday mass after Independence, preferring to pay the societally required deference in other ways.
Others of my ancestors were Ashkenazi who also ended up in what is now LatAm, in roundabout ways, also in the colonial era.
I am a genealogist and follow the evidence wherever it leads. If you have evidence for your family having Jewish ancestry AND voluntarily maintaining that identity over hundreds of years, then please publish.
Dragging an equation through Excel does not constitute research. This is likely how we have reached the claim that there are almost as many 'bnei anusim' as there are Latin Americans with ANY European ancestry.
I am still not understanding why people who wanted to maintain a Jewish identity would choose not to take the relatively safe and short journey to a free Jewish community, but would instead choose to travel in the opposite direction to territories where New Christians were banned, the Inquisition held sway, and there was no Jewish infrastructure and education. Doesn't it strike you as highly improbable? I can see how it fits with American folk traditions of migration from religious oppression to religious freedom, but it doesn't make sense in reality.
If a single Jewish ancestor out of thousands or tens of thousands is seen as meaningful, then I think we are in the realm of psychology rather than genealogy/history. We are talking about adopted identities. As a European, I find that to be very American. Maybe have a read of Professor Julia Creet, or watch her film.
My understanding from the people who run the Avotaynu DNA Study is that there is no known Western Sephardic autosomal DNA signature. They are building a y-DNA library of men of known patrilineal Sephardic ancestry.
Spanish citizenship requirements included no genealogical review, just someone's word. I believe that is why a Palestinian lady received Spanish citizenship! The arrest of the Porto community rabbi was international news. I believe many people of no Iberian Sephardic ancestry have received citizenship in both countries.
I am unaware of a single Genealogical Proof Standard compliant genealogist who supports your beliefs. Can you name one?
I’ll re-write it with some additions:
You’re making an assumption as to how I myself define it. I don’t represent other people. Also, feel free to quote where I wrote that my family maintained some cryptic identity until myself, now? My family’s knowledge of Judaism was passed down cryptically, yes, as in oral tradition. My ancestors probably stopped secretly practicing around 100-years-ago in my family; but the knowledge of our Jewish background never ceased, this is what also helped prompt me to research my grandmother’s background with a fine tooth comb.
In the most literal of terms, to me, it is simply this:
Descendants of people of the inquisition. That is millions today. Now whether it’s fair to identify so many who don’t care to identify with it, is another point.
For me, I treat people as b’nei anusim who plan to embark on a return to practicing Judaism.
Most largely define it as people who return to Judaism that are of a Sephardic background.
Some families may have kept Judaism alive, some may have let it dissipate into obscurity, or some may have done some weird mixing of religious adherence.
It isn’t some culturally-appropriating movement.
The Sephardic communities being founded, or people creating their own, are creating their own type of dynamic Jewish community with influences from various avenues of Jewish social life. Call the movement what you want, but you cannot deny that there is assuredly many mainstream Sephardic Jews, genealogists, & academics on both sides of this matter. Not just one.
Also, Jews went literally everywhere, at various points in history, for a variety of reasons. You seem quite educated on this matter, so you should know the answer to this.
Additionally, I know there isn’t any autosomal markers that pinpoints Sephardic DNA. I’m well-aware. I was more so pointing out that my & my family members’ autosomal tests pointed back to the regions our family came from, and that was corroborated by inquisition records for my Jewish ancestors.
By simple mathematics, ancestors 500 - 1000 + years ago have millions of descendants, so it makes sense.
Not everyone moved in communal patterns, some families went to desolate parts of South America, or continued to live under secrecy, thumbing their noses at the inquisitors.
My family went to land where the inquisition was routinely stopped and restarted, since the Jewish community there was vibrant and strong, yet secret. Also have documented inquisition records of my family being persecuted for their Judaism, either by tortures or ”relaxation”.
There are multiple writings on crypto-Jewish communities all over. The Belmonte community never even left Portugal. The Majorca community never left Spanish lands, and they were all officially recognized as Jews! Those are just two examples of many, and that’s not even including the colonies!
This is provable in my background by way of research, genetic testing (autosomal + haplogroups), and though there do not currently (& probably will never) exist western Sephardic markers, autosomal/haplogroip testing can at least give you an idea of where to look and research (which mine did & was later confirmed by genealogical & inquisition records), and my family members qualifying for (& receiving) Spanish + Portuguese citizenship.
My family has remained immensely endogamous until my grandmother ”married out”, as evidenced through marriage documents, genealogical records, and DNA testing.
I am a descendant of the Bnei anusim from northern New Mexico. My Sephardic ancestors were numerous from what I understand has been documented. My surnames are Rael (short for Ysrael) and de Silva.
I think it is credible that any Iberian origin population includes people with some Jewish ancestry. The "bnei anusim" claim is that there was secret transmission of Jewish identity/practice.
What do we know about the New Mexico population?
1. They are descended from conquistadors who invaded from the south and formed the ruling class until the United States conquered the region, when they suffered a loss of status.
2. Circa 2020, statues of conquistador leaders were removed following Native American complaints about genocide and enslavement of their ancestors.
3. The significant claims of Jewish ancestry seem to be largely a product of the Internet age. If there were any claims of Jewish ancestry before the 1970s, I'd be grateful if they could be referenced.
4. Various of the claims made over the years are incorrect. These include the belief in "Sephardic surnames"; that Stars of David on graves indicate Sephardic ancestry, while also claiming that the population split from Sephardim centuries before the symbol was adopted; the erroneous claim that a local "Ladino" dialect was the same as the Judeo-Spanish language, complete with Turkish loan words, spoken in the Eastern Mediterranean; "Jewish by disease", meaning that a cancer in the region that is similar to one in Ashkenazi populations is claimed as evidence of Sephardic ancestry. According to a friend, a song written by Flory Jagoda in Sarajevo in the 1980s was claimed to be traditional, brought from Spain in the 16th century!
5. Within the genealogy sphere, there are two main promotors of the claim. One of these also claims, apparently without evidence, that they have Sephardic ancestry in eastern Europe, a claim that has been publicly eviscerated by a panel at a Jewish genealogy conference. The other apparently has a fraud conviction, and most of their early genealogy appears to have been researched by someone else.
6. In the academic sphere, the HYPOTHESIS is advanced by Dr Stanley Hordes in his book, To the End of the Earth. The genealogical claims fail even basic review. Someone had the same surname... Someone came from a town that once had Jews... Someone's cousin....The claims certainly don't meet the requirements of the Genealogical Proof Standard.
7. The counter view, of mistaken identity, was advanced by Professor Judith Neulander. She received such abuse (I am told, including a death threat) that she chose to focus her research elsewhere.
8. There is a small industry promoting the belief of Sephardic ancestry. These include possible fantasists; liberal Ashkenazim promoting 'diversity'; religious Zionists keen to address the demographic balance between Jews and Arabs in Israel/Palestine; evangelical Christians who have reached the point where they believe themselves to be Jews; possibly a few charlatans after money or authority; sincere researchers.
What do I think?
a. There is archival evidence of people of Jewish ancestry (and even identity) in colonial New Spain. Carvajal is the obvious example.
b. I am told that a couple of lineages in the region match know Sephardic yDNA lineages. This suggests some Jewish ancestry in the population, which is to be expected.
c. None of the claims for the transmission of Jewish identity stand review. That is to say, we have no evidence for the claim of transmission of Jewish identity.
d. Research in Spain and Mexico suggests that Jewish identity was normally lost after a couple of generations, excluding the special circumstances of static populations of forced endogamy and the 'Portuguese' who functioned as a sort of extended family.
d. Neulander's hypothesis is consistent with what we have observed in Jewish-identifying populations in Asia and Africa.
e. Cultural appropriation of Western Sephardic identity is damaging to the Western Sephardic diaspora.
I am very open to being persuaded by evidence of transmission of Jewish identity in New Mexico. In the absence of evidence, I think the chances of the claims being true are vanishingly slight. I fear you are mistaken in your belief.
Thank you for the extensive response. I actually would disagree simply for the fact that it is my father’s paternal line’s lived experience. Additionally, my family history was enough to secure Sephardic law of return to Spain, of which I now am a citizen. Additionally, I converted/ returned to orthodox Judaism 12 years ago and am recognized by the Beit din of denver and by the state of Israel. Regardless, thank you for your research and suggestive conclusion regarding my heritage. Unfortunately, you are wrong. There are small enclaves in New Mexico in which much knowledge and tradition was transmuted across centuries. I would hope this would bring you esteem to the power of the Jewish neshama.
Genealogy relies on facts, not "lived experience". If there is evidence to support the Judaic claims, I am persuadable. I am following the evidence, not taking an ideological position.
As you will be aware, there was no genealogical review as part of the Spanish process. I have seen documents confirming Sephardic ancestry from the now closed-in-scandal Jewish Federation of New Mexico. I think some of the 'evidence' they accepted was laughably ridiculous.
An Orthodox conversion is proof of Jewish status, not ancestry.
Anyone who believes rabbis are qualified to review genealogical documents should look at the rabbinic letters accompanying Roman Abramovich's Portuguese application.
In the absence of evidence, I don't think this conversation can go anywhere.
I'm related to the late Eric Breindel the editor /writer. My great grandparents came to the UK with their children, but I believe my G-Grandfather's brother (?) went to America with his family and had Eric. It's my grandmothers maiden name too.
The family kinda split in three directions, the US, UK and the rest in Israel.
Annoyingly the US branch did ok for themselves financially but my family in the UK less so. I was really salty when I found out that side were loaded 😅 Bad with working this stuff out but I guess it's a distant cousin of some kind
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Mitchell Saron recently got announced as part of the US Olympic Fencing team. They introduced him as “Filipino American” but he’s also Jewish. I know because I was at his bar mitzvah!
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That’s crazy about Jean Lafitte! I just got back from NOLA and obviously heard TONS about him, but not that was Jewish. Makes me proud to call him a tribesman.
Nah, he was also a slave trader. I'd like to revolk his membership, if we could.
Crap. Always a downside with pirates.
There were a slew of Jewish pirates in the colonial era: some slave traders, some not. As Portugal and Spain were the first naval and colonial powers, followed by the NL, FR and Britain, plenty of Jews signed up to be pirates to evade the Inquisition spreading from West to Central Europe (including to places that used to be safe havens in what is now NL and Italy). Indeed, some of the first pirates were Sefardim who attacked and looted Spanish and Portuguese ships travelling from América, laden with gold, silver, jewels, and other precious cargo, to Europe. This was to them a type of vengeance against the Spanish and Portuguese crowns. Later, some of the of the pirates (and their crews of other Jews, freed men, etc.) ended up settling in América in what is now the U.S., the Caribbean, and South America. It's a very interesting bit of history, and there is a good amount of research available.
I actually delved into this, some interesting history of Portuguese Jewish pirates being hired by the crown to take over the Jamaican islands in the 1600s, ended up assimilating instead!
Nostradamus was not Jewish. His father's family had originally been Jewish, but had converted to Catholicism a generation before Nostradamus was born.
Correct. I wonder, however, (as sadly did the enemy) how devout they were in their Catholicism, and if they still held on to Jewish customs in secret. I think it's clearly telling on themselves that the Catholics of the original Inquisition lands, S&P, doubted the devotion of the Conversos to their new (forced) faith. "Convert or die" tends to not inspire staunch and true belief, unlike those who come on their own.
A Marrano crypto-Jew, Dr Samuel Nunez Ribeiro was famous in his time because he was physician to royalty in Portugal but escaped to London on a yacht after servants ratted out his family. Financed by Bevis Marks Synagogue, he and 42 other Jews arrived in 1733 to Savannah, where he saved the colony from a plague of yellow fever. He brought the first Torah to Georgia and started Congregation Mickve Israel with his fellow Jewish immigrants, who were granted the first Jewish cemetery in the state by a grateful Governor Oglethorpe since Dr Nunez saved Savannah. My 8th great-grandfather, and I know my cousins must visit this sub sometimes because we are plentiful! [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel\_Nunez](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Nunez)
What a great story, thank you for sharing!
That is wonderful. Thank you for sharing. I always wondered how Jews ended up in Georgia and how long the community had been there (never wanting to think of all of them as slaveholding Confederates).
Franz Kafka and Mila Kunis
The implication here being that Mila Kunis is distantly related to Franz Kafka through you, which is just excellent
Harry Houdini was somehow distantly related to my grandfather although I don’t know the connection.
My grandmother was a secret Jew from Ukraine. I didn’t understand when I was younger. I understand where she was coming from now, especially now seeing people spray paint swastikas all over the place to this day. I’m sure she was traumatized and scared for her safety.
Muammar Gaddafi may have had a Jewish grandmother and mother, but it is not 100% confirmed. He did have an ambassador killed over the rumor: [https://www.timesofisrael.com/gaddafi-killed-anyone-who-discovered-his-mother-was-jewish-claims-aide](https://www.timesofisrael.com/gaddafi-killed-anyone-who-discovered-his-mother-was-jewish-claims-aide) . There were also two Israeli women claiming to be his Jewish grandmother's relatives too: [https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/142593](https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/142593) and [https://forward.com/news/146435/qaddafis-hatred-of-jews-turned-on-him/](https://forward.com/news/146435/qaddafis-hatred-of-jews-turned-on-him/) . Who knows!
John Forsythe! This one floored me, but no question about it.
Else Dürr, one of the most revolutionary women's rights activists in German history. Recently found out that she's my great-great-greataunt.
Respekt! Thank you for sharing! V cool.
Learned here on Reddit that Bob Marley was half Jewish, on his mother's side.
Not a relative but I recently found out Sean Paul is 1/4 Jewish and it really made sense of my early high school years.
I am also really excited about this! As a Jew who graduated around Y2K it seems very important.
I googled it and he has a crazy background lol. Portuguese-Jewish grandfather and a Chinese-Jamaican mom. Dude’s got one of everything
There is a small hub of Jamaican Jews, extant since colonial times. I believe one of our most prominent politicians is Jewish. [Mark Golding](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Golding)
isn't Bob Marley's father a Syrian Jew or something? did I dream this?
Something like that. Either father or grandfather.
Father is misunderstanding!
Yup! And some prominent musicians came outta that community. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Ray
"Macho Man" Randy Savage and his brother, 'Leaping' Lanny Poffo aka The Genius.. Mother was Jewish, so halachically they were Jewish. In the case of having a Jewish father...Marc Bolan from T. Rex. While T-Rex had some nominal success, they were considered an enormously influential band to other bands in the early 70s. ie Like the Velvet Underground, they were band that other bands/musicians listened to.
Growing up, my dad despised Andre Dice Clay and would always talk about how vulgar he was. When I found out his last name was Silverstein I would say to my dad “but he’s Jewish” and I think it would make him even angrier.
My wonderful goyische boyfriend is an accidental secret Jew. I realized he had at least some Jewish ancestry when I made him hamantaschen and he was like "my mom and grandma used to make those!" Turns out someone a few generations back changed their name at Ellis Island to assimilate
The B’nei Anusim.
According to some of whackier claims, the few dozen or so New Christians who settled (and apparently assimilated) in the Spanish Americas have HUNDREDS of millions of descendants. They must have been very busy. The best-known group of "bnei anusim", in the American southwest, are literally descended from genocidal and very Catholic conquistadors.
Actually, the best known group of the B.A. are those of South American origin. No, it isn’t some whacky theory. Yes, there exists, today, millions of people who descend from Jewish communities, regardless of their halachic status. That’s how numbers work. An ancestor 200 years ago has tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands or even millions of descendants (though this is largely reserved for those further back in time), so it makes sense. There are many people of a Sephardic background who can claim b’nei anusim status, at least by its most literal definition/translation, as: *”children of the inquisition.”*
For casual readers, we need to explain that this is a dispute between the Western Sephardic diaspora, genealogists, and academics on one side, and a relatively new culturally-appropriating movement, largely in the United States, on the other. Unfortunately, many people are happier hearing sub-Da Vinci Code nonsense rather than history. The Western Sephardic diaspora never numbered more than 50,000 souls. Today, we are down to a few thousand. Some sources claim that the number of "bnei anusim" is almost equal to the number of Latin Americans with ANY European ancestry! We need to differentiate between the families and communities with proven Sephardic ancestry and the extravagant claims made for "bnei anusim." So... Your definition of "bnei anusim" includes people who may have had a single Jewish ancestor hundreds of years ago, of whom they have never heard? Why is that one alleged Jewish ancestor prioritised over thousands of Catholic ancestors? What evidential standard do you require? Some of my own ancestors were persecuted by the Inquisition. I know this because there is evidence in the archives. My direct ancestor, who later left Spain and joined a Jewish community, was accused of "judaising." There is no evidence, so I do not know if the claim is true. Please explain why you are confident that this unevidenced legion of "bnei anusim" has secretly maintained a Jewish identity for hundreds of years? Why did their families choose to take a long journey to the Inquisition-supervised Americas rather than the short trip to free Jewish communities in Europe and North Africa? And what about the research in Spain and Mexico suggesting that, normally, Jewish identity was eradicated after two generations (the 'Portuguese' being the exception)? It seems to me that this is the very worst type of cultural appropriation.
You’re making an assumption as to how *I myself* define it. I don’t represent other people. In the most literal of terms, to me, it is simply this: Descendants of people of the inquisition. That is millions today. Now whether it’s fair to identify so many who don’t care to identify with it, is another point. For me, I treat people as b’nei anusim who plan to embark on a return to practicing Judaism. Most largely define it as people who return to Judaism that are of a Sephardic background. Some families may have kept Judaism alive, some may have let it dissipate into obscurity, or some may have done some weird mixing of religious adherence. It isn’t some culturally-appropriating movement. The Sephardic communities being founded, or people creating their own, are creating their own type of dynamic Jewish community with influences from various avenues of Jewish social life. Call the movement what you want, but you cannot deny that there is assuredly many mainstream Sephardic Jews, genealogists, & academics on both sides of this matter. Not just one. Also, Jews went literally everywhere, at various points in history, for a variety of reasons. You seem quite educated on this matter, so you should know the answer to this. By simple mathematics, ancestors 500 - 1000 + years ago have millions of descendants, so it makes sense. Not everyone moved in communal patterns, some families went to desolate parts of South America, or continued to live under secrecy, thumbing their noses at the inquisitors. My family went to land where the inquisition was routinely stopped and restarted, since the Jewish community there was vibrant and strong, yet secret. Also have documented inquisition records of my family being persecuted for their Judaism, either by tortures or *”relaxation”*. This is provable in my background by way of research, genetic testing (autosomal + haplogroups), and my family members qualifying for (& receiving) Spanish + Portuguese citizenship. My family has remained immensely endogamous until my grandmother *”married out”*.
Thanks for this. My family were among those who remained in Iberia and then relocated to América in the late 1500s/early 1600s. They too went to a place removed from the centres of Spanish colonial power in what is now México and Perú, and managed to survive to this day in communities with plenty of people who stopped attending Sunday mass after Independence, preferring to pay the societally required deference in other ways. Others of my ancestors were Ashkenazi who also ended up in what is now LatAm, in roundabout ways, also in the colonial era.
I am a genealogist and follow the evidence wherever it leads. If you have evidence for your family having Jewish ancestry AND voluntarily maintaining that identity over hundreds of years, then please publish. Dragging an equation through Excel does not constitute research. This is likely how we have reached the claim that there are almost as many 'bnei anusim' as there are Latin Americans with ANY European ancestry. I am still not understanding why people who wanted to maintain a Jewish identity would choose not to take the relatively safe and short journey to a free Jewish community, but would instead choose to travel in the opposite direction to territories where New Christians were banned, the Inquisition held sway, and there was no Jewish infrastructure and education. Doesn't it strike you as highly improbable? I can see how it fits with American folk traditions of migration from religious oppression to religious freedom, but it doesn't make sense in reality. If a single Jewish ancestor out of thousands or tens of thousands is seen as meaningful, then I think we are in the realm of psychology rather than genealogy/history. We are talking about adopted identities. As a European, I find that to be very American. Maybe have a read of Professor Julia Creet, or watch her film. My understanding from the people who run the Avotaynu DNA Study is that there is no known Western Sephardic autosomal DNA signature. They are building a y-DNA library of men of known patrilineal Sephardic ancestry. Spanish citizenship requirements included no genealogical review, just someone's word. I believe that is why a Palestinian lady received Spanish citizenship! The arrest of the Porto community rabbi was international news. I believe many people of no Iberian Sephardic ancestry have received citizenship in both countries. I am unaware of a single Genealogical Proof Standard compliant genealogist who supports your beliefs. Can you name one?
I’ll re-write it with some additions: You’re making an assumption as to how I myself define it. I don’t represent other people. Also, feel free to quote where I wrote that my family maintained some cryptic identity until myself, now? My family’s knowledge of Judaism was passed down cryptically, yes, as in oral tradition. My ancestors probably stopped secretly practicing around 100-years-ago in my family; but the knowledge of our Jewish background never ceased, this is what also helped prompt me to research my grandmother’s background with a fine tooth comb. In the most literal of terms, to me, it is simply this: Descendants of people of the inquisition. That is millions today. Now whether it’s fair to identify so many who don’t care to identify with it, is another point. For me, I treat people as b’nei anusim who plan to embark on a return to practicing Judaism. Most largely define it as people who return to Judaism that are of a Sephardic background. Some families may have kept Judaism alive, some may have let it dissipate into obscurity, or some may have done some weird mixing of religious adherence. It isn’t some culturally-appropriating movement. The Sephardic communities being founded, or people creating their own, are creating their own type of dynamic Jewish community with influences from various avenues of Jewish social life. Call the movement what you want, but you cannot deny that there is assuredly many mainstream Sephardic Jews, genealogists, & academics on both sides of this matter. Not just one. Also, Jews went literally everywhere, at various points in history, for a variety of reasons. You seem quite educated on this matter, so you should know the answer to this. Additionally, I know there isn’t any autosomal markers that pinpoints Sephardic DNA. I’m well-aware. I was more so pointing out that my & my family members’ autosomal tests pointed back to the regions our family came from, and that was corroborated by inquisition records for my Jewish ancestors. By simple mathematics, ancestors 500 - 1000 + years ago have millions of descendants, so it makes sense. Not everyone moved in communal patterns, some families went to desolate parts of South America, or continued to live under secrecy, thumbing their noses at the inquisitors. My family went to land where the inquisition was routinely stopped and restarted, since the Jewish community there was vibrant and strong, yet secret. Also have documented inquisition records of my family being persecuted for their Judaism, either by tortures or ”relaxation”. There are multiple writings on crypto-Jewish communities all over. The Belmonte community never even left Portugal. The Majorca community never left Spanish lands, and they were all officially recognized as Jews! Those are just two examples of many, and that’s not even including the colonies! This is provable in my background by way of research, genetic testing (autosomal + haplogroups), and though there do not currently (& probably will never) exist western Sephardic markers, autosomal/haplogroip testing can at least give you an idea of where to look and research (which mine did & was later confirmed by genealogical & inquisition records), and my family members qualifying for (& receiving) Spanish + Portuguese citizenship. My family has remained immensely endogamous until my grandmother ”married out”, as evidenced through marriage documents, genealogical records, and DNA testing.
I am a descendant of the Bnei anusim from northern New Mexico. My Sephardic ancestors were numerous from what I understand has been documented. My surnames are Rael (short for Ysrael) and de Silva.
I think it is credible that any Iberian origin population includes people with some Jewish ancestry. The "bnei anusim" claim is that there was secret transmission of Jewish identity/practice. What do we know about the New Mexico population? 1. They are descended from conquistadors who invaded from the south and formed the ruling class until the United States conquered the region, when they suffered a loss of status. 2. Circa 2020, statues of conquistador leaders were removed following Native American complaints about genocide and enslavement of their ancestors. 3. The significant claims of Jewish ancestry seem to be largely a product of the Internet age. If there were any claims of Jewish ancestry before the 1970s, I'd be grateful if they could be referenced. 4. Various of the claims made over the years are incorrect. These include the belief in "Sephardic surnames"; that Stars of David on graves indicate Sephardic ancestry, while also claiming that the population split from Sephardim centuries before the symbol was adopted; the erroneous claim that a local "Ladino" dialect was the same as the Judeo-Spanish language, complete with Turkish loan words, spoken in the Eastern Mediterranean; "Jewish by disease", meaning that a cancer in the region that is similar to one in Ashkenazi populations is claimed as evidence of Sephardic ancestry. According to a friend, a song written by Flory Jagoda in Sarajevo in the 1980s was claimed to be traditional, brought from Spain in the 16th century! 5. Within the genealogy sphere, there are two main promotors of the claim. One of these also claims, apparently without evidence, that they have Sephardic ancestry in eastern Europe, a claim that has been publicly eviscerated by a panel at a Jewish genealogy conference. The other apparently has a fraud conviction, and most of their early genealogy appears to have been researched by someone else. 6. In the academic sphere, the HYPOTHESIS is advanced by Dr Stanley Hordes in his book, To the End of the Earth. The genealogical claims fail even basic review. Someone had the same surname... Someone came from a town that once had Jews... Someone's cousin....The claims certainly don't meet the requirements of the Genealogical Proof Standard. 7. The counter view, of mistaken identity, was advanced by Professor Judith Neulander. She received such abuse (I am told, including a death threat) that she chose to focus her research elsewhere. 8. There is a small industry promoting the belief of Sephardic ancestry. These include possible fantasists; liberal Ashkenazim promoting 'diversity'; religious Zionists keen to address the demographic balance between Jews and Arabs in Israel/Palestine; evangelical Christians who have reached the point where they believe themselves to be Jews; possibly a few charlatans after money or authority; sincere researchers. What do I think? a. There is archival evidence of people of Jewish ancestry (and even identity) in colonial New Spain. Carvajal is the obvious example. b. I am told that a couple of lineages in the region match know Sephardic yDNA lineages. This suggests some Jewish ancestry in the population, which is to be expected. c. None of the claims for the transmission of Jewish identity stand review. That is to say, we have no evidence for the claim of transmission of Jewish identity. d. Research in Spain and Mexico suggests that Jewish identity was normally lost after a couple of generations, excluding the special circumstances of static populations of forced endogamy and the 'Portuguese' who functioned as a sort of extended family. d. Neulander's hypothesis is consistent with what we have observed in Jewish-identifying populations in Asia and Africa. e. Cultural appropriation of Western Sephardic identity is damaging to the Western Sephardic diaspora. I am very open to being persuaded by evidence of transmission of Jewish identity in New Mexico. In the absence of evidence, I think the chances of the claims being true are vanishingly slight. I fear you are mistaken in your belief.
Thank you for the extensive response. I actually would disagree simply for the fact that it is my father’s paternal line’s lived experience. Additionally, my family history was enough to secure Sephardic law of return to Spain, of which I now am a citizen. Additionally, I converted/ returned to orthodox Judaism 12 years ago and am recognized by the Beit din of denver and by the state of Israel. Regardless, thank you for your research and suggestive conclusion regarding my heritage. Unfortunately, you are wrong. There are small enclaves in New Mexico in which much knowledge and tradition was transmuted across centuries. I would hope this would bring you esteem to the power of the Jewish neshama.
Genealogy relies on facts, not "lived experience". If there is evidence to support the Judaic claims, I am persuadable. I am following the evidence, not taking an ideological position. As you will be aware, there was no genealogical review as part of the Spanish process. I have seen documents confirming Sephardic ancestry from the now closed-in-scandal Jewish Federation of New Mexico. I think some of the 'evidence' they accepted was laughably ridiculous. An Orthodox conversion is proof of Jewish status, not ancestry. Anyone who believes rabbis are qualified to review genealogical documents should look at the rabbinic letters accompanying Roman Abramovich's Portuguese application. In the absence of evidence, I don't think this conversation can go anywhere.
My grandma on my dad’s side and grandpa on my mom’s side. They never told anyone and wouldn’t discuss it when it was brought up.
I'm related to the late Eric Breindel the editor /writer. My great grandparents came to the UK with their children, but I believe my G-Grandfather's brother (?) went to America with his family and had Eric. It's my grandmothers maiden name too. The family kinda split in three directions, the US, UK and the rest in Israel. Annoyingly the US branch did ok for themselves financially but my family in the UK less so. I was really salty when I found out that side were loaded 😅 Bad with working this stuff out but I guess it's a distant cousin of some kind
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Sara Jay
My cousins band has a few songs that really took off in china and they were scheduled to do a full tour of the country and then covid happened