History provides several horrible periods of violence, fear and murder. Such horrible acts against humanity have been committed in the name of religion, colonization, and racial superiority. The Holocaust, was one of the most catastrophic and saddest events in history, where about 11 million people, including Jewish children, families, and political dissenters were mass murdered. However, there exists another mournful and cruel period that marked the lives of many Sephardic Jews with secrecy and fear. One hardly hears about the harassment, rejection and humiliation of Sephardic Jewry in Spain, Portugal, and countries like Mexico, at the hands of the Holy Office of the Inquisition, which began in 1492. Due to these events, Sephardic Jews found themselves facing one of the most complex decisions of their lives and those of future generations; conversion, expulsion or death. The reasons for conversion are complex, as many converted by force and others for social or political reasons. As a result, converts became known as Conversos and “marranos /chuetas, and the latter are derogatory terms, as the names imply “swine” (Hordes 6). Another important term is Anusim, referring to those "whose conversion was prompted by violence and fear not sincerity” (Hordes 6). Marranos, were secretive people often, “keeping their children from their Jewish identity, until they reached an age where discretion could be trusted "(Telushkin 195). All of these events, have led to the complex phenomena, of the crypto-Jews in the new world, including Mexico and the American Southwest. Thus, sparking new areas of interest and research of their practices, customs, authenticity, and identification.
The turbulent times for Sephardic Jews began in 1391 as rio...
... middle of paper ...
...r practices though altered are present today. Many descendants of Conversos and crypto Jews are making their return to Judaism. Regarding people's identities Kunin says, “All identities are authentic as well constructed by an individual and his or her community. The historical evidence is conclusive in demonstrating a link between crypto- Jews of New Mexico and the Jews of Spain.”
Works Cited
Cardoza, de Sola, Anne. Texas Mexican Secret Spanish Jews Today. Web.
Golden, Gloria. Remnants of Crypto-Jews among Hispanic Americans. Mountain View, California: Floricante Press, 2005. Print.
Hordes, Stanley. To the End of the Earth: a History of the Crypto-Jews of New Mexico. New York: Columbia University Press, 2005. Print.
Kunnin, Seth. Juggling Identities: Identity and Authenticity among the Crypto-Jews. New York: Columbia University Press, 2009. Print.
113 Encyclopedia Britanica. Chicago, IL. Chicago, 1965. Bitton, Davis & Beecher, Maureen U. New Views of Mormon History. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1987.
Prior to Anton Drexler’s Nazi Party being in power, many Jews were loyal to Germany. In fact, several thousand Jews fought for Germany during WWI. The Cassandra complex is based on a tale in Green Mythology. Cassandra was given the ability to predict the future, it was in vain because no one cared to listen because no one would believe her warnings. Just like Cassandra, both Moishe and Mrs. Schächter have been given a gift as well as a curse. In the beginning, the very idea of mass genocide was preposterous considering the fact 10’00 Jews thought for Germany in WWI. It was comprehendible to them that the country they were born in; the country they served; and the country they prospered in would turn its back against them and instigate the slaughter of 6 million Jews.
Tobler, Douglas F., and Nelson B. Wadsworth. The History of the Mormons. New York, New York: St. Martin's Press, 1989. Print.
Jews' Beliefs and the Holocaust In the eyes of many Jews, the Shoah was the most evil act taken out on. the Jewish community and the community. Shoah is a Hebrew word meaning "desolation." and has become the preferred term for the Holocaust for Jews. scholars who believe the word 'holocaust' has lost its significance.
The roles of the Jews as outsiders within a larger community are ever present no matter the century. In the prologue of the mystical book called “The Pinch”, the first Jew made his arrival in Memphis in 1541. His name was Rodrigo Da Luna, a Marrano. Stern briefly mentions this Marrano, who is in no part of the story line other than being the first Jew in the area. This simple mention of a Marrano, also represents a part of Jewish history at a time when Jews faced persecution and were practicing their religion in secret in the face of adversity. Class references Rodrigo came to the Americas with the Spanish conquistador Fernando De Soto. As the conquistadores pushed further inside the continent, Rodrigo contemplated setting up shop and practicing his trade along the Chickasaw bluffs. He was a tailor by a trade and judged the bluffs ideal for civilized habitation. He thought like a true businessman and looked at the indigenous Indians as potential future clients. However once the barges were completed that would carry him across the Mississippi river, he conceded to go along with the explorers delving deeper into
The Spanish Inquisition was the longest and most ruthless inquiry of faith of all time. Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Christians, and all non-Catholic religions were besieged by persecution from the Spanish government. Although it was not intended, thousands of innocent Spaniards were tortured and killed once the king and queen of Spain established the Inquisition. An Inquisition is a very complex process, and at first, seemed innocuous.
Mintz, J. R. (1992). Hasidic People. A Place in the New World. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
In his lengthy undertaking, The Spanish Inquisition: A Historical Revision Henry Kamen attempts to readjust his readers thinking about the infamous Spanish Inquisition. Thirty years of research brought him to the conclusion that there was less persecution and horror in the Inquisition than pop culture and historians have drawn. In Trent 1475: Stories of a Ritual Murder Trial, R. Po-Chia Hsia takes the reader on a dark journey to the wretched persecution of a small community of Jews in the Italian city of Trent. Both books tell stories of minority groups becoming scapegoats for society, Kamen taking on an entire era of a country, and Hsia illustrating a vivid example. The books have some similarities and differences, and some strengths and weaknesses in their approaches. While Kamen's goal and emphasis tends to somewhat distort his story, he valiantly maintains his effort. In deconstructing the methods used to write these two books, it is clearly understood that while Kamen and Hsia are writing vastly different books, they are both entirely good works of history.
Over the years in history, there have been many formidable executions that were caused by the aspect of different faiths and races. Period after period there have been many leaders who lashed out onto others because of what they believed in. All of these incidents have never been forgotten; one very infamous one would be the Spanish Inquisition. The Spanish Inquisition was started to “cleanse” the Church of heretics and purify Spain. They executed Jews, Muslims, and other minorities not of Christian faith. Ferdinand and Isabella were in crown of Spain and appointed the Church to start the Spanish Inquisition. These cases will be discussed in the fallowing paper.
Why were the Jews ostracized and persecuted by the Germans and the Nazis? Why did their neighbors and friends turn against them? How did they survive and push through these difficult times? Hopefully this paper will help to clear up some if not all of these troubling questions.
The holocaust was the mass murder of about six million Jews during World War II. The hostility toward or discrimination against Jews as a religious, ethnic, or racial group is known as antisemitism. Antisemitism was a centuries old phenomenon. Jews in Europe had always been a minority. In some countries , Jews could not own land, attend school, or practice certain professions. The Holocaust, which was between 1933 and 1945, is history’s most extreme example of antisemitism. A German journalist that was named Wilhelm Marr originated the term antisemitism in 1879. Which symbolized the hatred of Jews, and also hatred of a variety of advanced, catholic, and international political trends of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries that were often joined with Jews. The tendency under attack included equal civil rights, required equality, free trade, ownership, account free enterprise, and self control from violence. Between the most casual definition of antisemitism all through history were pogroms. Pogroms were violent riots that were begun against Jews and many times supported by government authorities. Pogroms were often encouraged by blood libels, which were false rumors that Jews used the blood of Christian children for ritual purposes. In the modern era, antisemites added a political quality to their ideas of hatred. In the last third of the nineteenth century, antisemitic political groups were formed in France, Germany and Austria. Advertisements such as the Protocols of the Elders of Zion developed or provided support for fake theories of a global Jewish plot. A convincing part of political antisemitism was nationalism, whose supporters often falsely accused Jews as disloyal citizens. The Nazi party, which was established in 19...
The case was that those people were hated by the catholic church, so they were persecuted and killed of the ways you may imagine, even, initially, the "Holy" Inquisition was created with this aim... - and they called it "Holy".. awful...without words!-
Sephardic Jews are Jews from Middle Eastern countries. They make up 16% of the world Jewish population. Many of them are found in Israel, France and America, but now, they are spread out all over the world, and this is because of the Spanish Expulsion and Inquisition, when all Jews were expelled from Spain. The Jews who lived in Spain experienced a normal life of freedom, up until the increase of the Jewish population and when the King and Queen feared that the Jews would one day rule over Spain, which linked to the increase of Anti Semitism and the lead to the Expulsion and Inquisition.
... the Inquisition presented by scholars like Kagan and Dyer, Homza, and Kaman. As the case of María Gonzalez demonstrates, the movement acted with great secrecy, had a set of very organized procedures, and sometimes used torture. The Inquisition’s accusations were often questionable and it’s motives were at times more culturally than religiously based. While conversos were accused of being “crypto-jews” in reality, many like Pedro de Villegas were simply partaking in cultural practices that were not actually tied to their religion. The Inquisition, however, was not completely unsympathetic or unfair- it allowed victims the opportunity to provide evidence and witnesses to prove that they were loyal Christians. If a converso knew how to present themselves in an appealing way and provided powerful testimony, they could be absolved of the charges brought against them.
...odox Jews in the establishment of Israel, provides the background of the modern struggles for Jewish identity and the secular condemnation towards the Ultra-Orthodox imposition of theocratic ideals.