Haaretz
The 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. [...]
This is ridiculous. The inquisition ended hundreds of years ago, as did Spanish rule over Mexico, Texas and so forth. If they felt so strongly about their Judaism, why have they continued on in their Churches? Why have they continued baptizing their children?
ReplyDeleteIts time to pay more attention to the histories. These people were not forced to convert at sword point. They were given the option of converting or exiting Spain. They CHOSE to convert. They CHOSE to violate that most cardinal of sins for which we should first give our very lives.
The supposed flight to the New World to escape persecution is also a farce. We are dealing with serious revisionist history. If they wanted to escape persecution they could have simply fled across the Gibraltar strait into Morocco. Why did they flee across the Atlantic? The answer is simple they were offered the chance to be land owners, and treasure hunters. They were offered a better life as Catholic colonists then they would have had as Jews in an Arabic nation. Thus they CHOSE to abandon their faith for the sake of worldly gain.
Now we are seeing the same thing again. Things aren't so great in Mexico, the US has built a security fence, essentially saying "NOT WELCOME" across their Southern border. Israel, however, is still accepting anyone who is Jewish, bringing you for free, and paying you money to come... Really we need to look at this a lot harder.
I agree with what you say, however
ReplyDeleteI doubt that these people have even
the slightest shred of evidence of
a Jewish past.
It seems to be a current fad for
Latinos to claim to be descents
of Spanish or Portugese Jews who
were forced to flee. Some use
such rediculous evidence as the
ending of their last name- if it's
"ez" or"es" you are a Jew.
If they really want to be Jews,
they should have legitimate proof
of an unbroken maternal line of
Jews. Or they need to convert.
Gentiles self proclaiming themselves to be Jews is totally
getting out of hand...
http://failedmessiah.typepad.com/failed_messiahcom/2009/09/annals-of-halacha-anusim-a-pesak-din.html
ReplyDeleteApparently rav Ahron Soloveichik ruled that Anussim are to be considered jewish for Aliot and Minyan, but must undergo conversion to marry.
The letter seems a bit confusing to me. Please check its authenticity.
If it were authentic, it would be quite far away from your position...
Bnei anusim kept jewish tradition generation after generation. And it's true that apparent and false convertion to the cristianism to save their lives. It's a historic issue. there are some communities stil in Mallorca, you can read about it if you speak some ladino or sefardí.
ReplyDeleteWhat Merkubal said shows ignorance and prejudice, what always bring hate for others. Have you ever think about them, We have take this feeling, tradition and religion every generation. Inner I feel jewish and I know I am. I don't need nobody validation. There are many bnei anusim families and we take this with us deep in our soul. In the past our families were in life danger for being jews. We are not like you, I know, that's because we are bnei anusim, but you like it or not, accept it or not, we feel jewish and we know we are.
An one last thing, for example, in my family, we stil have some things in tradition, brought from Sefarad as a shofar and torah, and some traditions. But that is nothing without the inner feeling and faith.
Mekubal, if it would be so that easy to flee in times of persecution, so why 6 million jews died at the Shoa? Why dind't they flee?
ReplyDeleteThe conversions in the 15th century were NOT done by choice. One day they were jews and the next day they HAD to be (or at least behave like) xtians. They had NO choice.
The ones who scaped to Morocco, Turkey and Greece are the ones from south spain, from the muslim territories, who were expelled TOGETHER with them.
There are hundreds of documents in the Torre do Tombo mudeum in Portugal, which shows the the anusim kept their jewish practices and identity for even more than 300 years after the beginning of the Inquisition.
The immigration to the New World was a way to live anonymously and freely (in 1636 was founded the first synagogue in Brazil by portuguese anusim). They assumed their jewish identity again, until the Inquistion arrive and persecute them.
There is more then enough official historic documentation which proves that their descendents practiced endogamic marriages in several small brazilian cities, as well as jewish practices and beliefs.
Surely nowadays they need a propper conversion and in any case they should be puted away or ridicularized.
What will you say when Mashiach returns the exiles (including the 10 lost tribes)? Will it be considered ridiculous?
Aren't the lost tribes nowadays living as non-jews but someday are promissed by the sages to return to EY?
Wow! some of these rabbis seem as ridiculous as the Pope. There are plenty of people out here who can prove Jewish ancestry by genetic results and they may be more Jewish then all of you who want to deny them their right. Shame on you. Fear is passed down sometimes, especially when your life was threatened. You trust no one and that attitude is passed on to your offspring for generations to come, no matter how many years go by.
ReplyDeleteNão é por sobrenome que se descobre que é misturado com judeu, é por tradições ou costumes ou palavras que os nossos antepassados falavam. Podendo o exame genético comprovar. Uma pergunta: por que muita gente quer ser judeu?
ReplyDelete