Anusim | Imamother

Tamiri

Sun, Nov 23 2008, 1:09 am

Does anyone know IRL people who are Anusim from Spain?
I was at a lecture last night, and the speakers were a couple who moved to Israel in 1991 from Spain. Married with 5 children. He was brought up Catholic with "strange minhagim in the house", including being circumcised, and she was brought up in a Protestant home, also with "strange minhagim" such as nida (everything besides the mikva), and lots of dishes for separate things.
They had absolutely no idea they were Jewish. The woman thinks her parents didn't know either, the man thinks his parents *might* have known.
They lived in fear all the time, even though they didn't know why.
They claim there are lists of "new xtians" who are harassed periodically, even 500 years later, on modern Spain.
They say they know of 2-3 other true anusim in Israel. That the people in Spain NEVER discussed their origins. Even though the new xtians are identifiable by their surnames. Up until recently (a couple of generations, max) they "shidduched" between themselves.
Did anyone else every hear of this?
The couple claims the inquisition is alive and well.

shosh

Sun, Nov 23 2008, 1:21 am

I have heard of this (though not of the Inquisition still being in existence. Maybe they mean there's still a lot of anti-Jewish feeling.) But I also heard that such families are still required to undergo geirus if they want to return to the Jewish community.

Tamiri

Sun, Nov 23 2008, 1:22 am

It's not anti Jewish. She says that no one thinks of them as "Jews", but as "new xtians" and there are lists to make sure they toe the line...
Of course they need giyur, because there is no proof of anything.

Tamiri

Sun, Nov 23 2008, 7:26 am

MandKsIma, you had to have been there... these people have the most amazing story about searching for their souls. One Protestant, on Catholic. They had a few children, and gave them all Hebrew names, even though it was against the law in Spain (you have to request special permission to name your children "odd" names. I heard the same thing about Argentina 25 years ago and thought the guy was pulling my leg). How these two people "happened" to meet and went on a soul-searching mission, which first led them to the natives of Equador and then back to Spain. How they "found" Judaism and were stunned to see parallels between what their respective families (remember: one Protestant where the father was a priest, and one Catholic). How they came to Israel only to find they needed giyur and had no support system. There was no one else like them.