The history of the Jews of Spain spans more than a thousand years. It ended tragically in 1492 with the…
The Sephardic Jews of Spain and Portugal: Survival of an Imperiled Culture in the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries
I had the pleasure of working with Dolores Sloan on the board of the Society for Crypto-Judaic Studies from 2011-…
Jewish Conquistadors in the New World
In 1391, a new period in the history of the Jews of Spain began. Jewish communities throughout the Peninsula except…
The Toleration of Jewish Life in Christian Territory
There was also a deeper theological reason to allow and protect Jewish habitation in Christian lands. The Church had adopted…
The Rambam and the Maharal Come to Dinner: A Theoretical Discussion on the Topic of Jewish Identity
Anyone even remotely familiar with the Talmud will note the routine exchange or dialogue that takes place between rabbis. The…
Jewish Conquistadors in the New World
Three events transpired in 1492 in the Iberian Peninsula, which had tremendous ramifications for years to come. The first was…
Shabbat Shacharit Services
Shabbat Shacharit services are held twice a month in Grand Prairie, Texas as part the B’nei Anusim Center for Education.…
The Jews in the Caribbean (Littman Library of Jewish Civilization)
I do not have The Jews in the Caribbean yet in my personal connection, but Jane S. Gerber’s previous major…
The Karaites and Conversos
Most people familiar with my work know that my area of primary expertise is Sephardic history, more specifically the Crypto-Jewish…
Anusim and Brit Milah Circumcision Part 2
In this video, we continue looking at a section from Simcha Asaf’s work on the Anusim. This section deals with…
The Case for Crypto-Judaism at the 40th Annual Texas Hispanic Genealogical and Historical Conference
Long time friend, David Daniel Gonzalez also presented at the 40th Annual Texas Hispanic Genealogical Conference last year. His lecture…
