Samuel Usque’s Approach to Wavering Conversos

Once Conversos fled Spain and Portugal, returning to Judaism openly was not always an attractive option. Many Conversos wavered in … More

The Concept of Taqiyya and its Impact on Iberian Jewry

The Islam conquest of Spain began in 711 CE and would extend over parts of the Iberian Peninsula through the … More

The Sabbatean Prophets

B”H Traveling on business can be difficult but one benefit is that it gives me the opportunity to read. I … More

Spanish Judaism, the Inquisition, and Identity in the New World

B”H Roger Martinez, a professor at the University of Colorado and former president of the Society of Crypto-Judaica Studies, and … More

Conversos and Samaritans: Unlikely Comparisons

In 2014, I had the opportunity to present a brief lecture on comparisons between Conversos and Samaritans in rabbinic literature. … More

George Washington’s Letter to the Spanish-Portuguese Synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island

Visiting the Touro Synagogue this week was an amazing experience. I knew about its history but actually walking into the … More

The Touro Synagogue

This video shows my recent visit to the Touro synagogue in Newport Rhode, Island. I stopped by the historic Spanish-Portuguese … More

Vicente Ferrer and the Post 1391 Era

The Dominican friar Vicente Ferrer had participated in the onslaught of the Jewish communities in 1391 by eagerly accepting Jews at … More

A Treasury of Sephardic Laws and Customs

Anyone interested in learning about the minhagim/customs of the four groups that historically lie within the framework of Sephardic Judaism … More

The Primary Reason for the Expulsion of Jews from Spain

According to the Spanish Monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella, the Conversos were the primary reason for their fateful decision to eventually … More