From: sethr@cbnewsl.cb.att.com (seth.r.rosenthal)
Subject: Re: more on columbus forum
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1992 17:12:37 GMT

I'm sorry I got a bit hot under the collar when I wrote this.
Its a day later and I'm cool now.
It always bothers me that Muslims attempt to use the 1492 thing
as a Third World rallying event, while the real tragedy and the
heaviest participants were Spains Crypto-Jews, who make up a very
large percentage of the heritage of today's Latin Americans.

In article <16502@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu>, ez000281@hamlet.ucdavis.edu writes:
> In <1992Sep1.043407.15520@cbnewsl.cb.att.com> Seth Rosenthal writes:
> 
> >This agenda really is insulting.  Muslims, who could just cross
> >the straits to escape were by far the minority among those coming to
> >the New World.  Most of the settlers were either Crypto-Jews or
> >Christian heretics escaping persecution.  
> 
> I believe Peter Boyd Bowman has biografical statistics on the origins of the  
> first settlers in his book "Indice geobiografico...".  I don't know it he 
> supports your claim, nor if he is able to document the religious beliefs of 
> those who came in times of inquisition and expulsion but he does provide 
> statistical documentation as to the specific region from Spain from which they 
> came (Extremadura heads the list). 
> 

Actually, the lineages were already being covered up, since
the sangre' limpia documents had begun being purchased in the
late 1300's.

> >Jews had to get all
> >the way to what is today Turkey or the Balkans to truly get
> >away, since north Africa hadn't been very tolerant since
> >the Almohavids invaded in the 13th century, destroying
> >the Jewish communities of Granada and Cordoba.
> 
> I would add that just recently Sephardic Jews actually spoke Spanish in their 
> community located in the vecinity of what was present day Yugoslavia.  The wars 
> of this Century brought many to the US where they continued to speak the 
> variety of Spanish that resembles very closely 16th Century Spanish.
> 

I posted something a year or so ago about Judeo-Spanish (Ladino) and
the retention of Castillian culture in Sephardi Jews.  Turkey once had
the largest population, about 250,000 with Greece coming in close
behind.  Most of the Yugoslav Sephardim were actually originally
from Southern Italy.  Sicily expelled its Jews a few years
before Spain.  If we could go back in time to Salonika of the
1920's you could see Castillian Synagogues for each major town
in Castille, Andalusian for each major town, Catalan, etc.
Neighbors of my cousin still have the key to the house in Toledo
in case they ever get to go back.  Toledo was once called "the Jerusalem
of the West" because of its major Jewish community.

There are large Sephardi communities in New York, Seattle, Los Angeles.
You can still hear Ladino spoken in the major Sephardic synagogues.
There is a Sephardic Yeshiva in Brooklyn, and lots of your trendy
clothing are manufactured by companies owned by Sephardic Jews
(Sassoon, Gitano, Marciano).  A who's who of Sephardim would
include some well-known people that might surprise you.

> 
> Many of the "converts" espoused the doctrines of Erasmus, which seeked a 
> return to the literal writings of the Old Testament, this led to persecutions 
> of "erasmistas" (e.g., Fray Luis de Leon) and to a climate in which "blood 
> purity" or proof of "old cristian" lineage was of primary importance for 
> achieving social acceptance.  Much of this hippocrisy is well documented in the 
> work of Cervantes, who, BTW, is believed to have been son of a "convert".
> 

The SAFAM (Sephardic American Society) at least believes this, they
have a pamphlet on it.  The encyclopedia doesn't confirm it though.

> >Given the high remnant level of Judaism in many Hispanic
> >peoples Catholicism, especially in secret, and a singular
> >lack of Islamic remnants, this statement is a gross
> >misrepresentation and poorly motivated.
> >I have personally seen Jewish rituals among Puerto Ricans,
> >Cubans, 
> 
> As for Puerto Rico, I can only say that the congregation is relatively large 
> and incorporates many of the Jew that fled Castro in 1960.  Havanna seemed to 
> be the center of Judaism in the Carribean back in those days.
> 

Edelmiro, I wasn't talking about the Puerto Rican Jewish
community.  I was in the house of a Puerto Rican family on
Long Island, on a Friday afternoon.  I won't mention more on their
identity to protect them.  They were an old family from the island
not recent immigrants to Puerto Rico, and VERY Catholic.
Their daughter was getting married that Sunday to another
Puerto Rican fellow.  As sundown approached (remember this is
FRIDAY) the grandmother in the family disappeared into a
back room (to light candles it turns out) and the mother
turned all the icons and statues of Jesus and Mary and the Saints
to face the wall.  I didn't say anything, but a Crypto-Jew
would do just this on Sabbath, so they wouldn't have to look
at them while saying sabbath prayers.  I'm sure they haven't
the foggiest idea why they do this.  They probably think
its something Catholic that they do.  The same thing is done
in Toledo, Majorca, and many other big Marrano communities.


		Seth Rosenthal

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own not my employers'.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.latin-america