Elohai Neshama-Bircat Shelomo Siddur

The Elohai Neshama, My G-d, the Soul… is chanted in the following video from the Bircat Shelomo Siddur. It is … More

Conflicted Identities

In 2006, I was attending several week-long classes at the Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership in Chicago. One … More

Crypto Jewish Practices in New Spain

It’s difficult to provide a complete list of Crypto-Jewish observances that Judaizing Conversos in the New World maintained, but the … More

Simon Vaez de Sevilla

This is the third of what I refer to as mini-posts that will focus on facts related to Crypto-Jews/Conversos in … More

Conversos with Columbus

This is the first of what I refer to as mini-posts that will focus on facts related to Crypto-Jews/Conversos in … More

Conversos and the Sabbatean Movement: The Unlikely Supporters of Sabbatai Zevi

In 1665-1666 the messianic movement of Sabbatai Zevi (also written as Shabbetai Zevi, Shabbetai Tzvi, Shabtai Sevi, etc.) spread like … More

The Jewish Diaspora and the Perez Family Case in China, Japan, the Philippines, and the Americas

The Converso diaspora extended far beyond Europe and the New World. The journey of Conversos extended to the Far East. … More

Reimagining the Sagrada Familia: Family and Faith in the life of Luis de Carvajal

Ronnie Perlis from Yeshiva University just uploaded a paper which should prove interesting to anyone fascinated by the legendary Carvajal … More

Petrus Alfonsi Vir Illustris et Ex Iudeo: Reading the Dialogue Against the Jews as a Conversion Text

The Converso phenomena was not limited to the late 14th-16th centuries in Iberia. There were earlier occurrences of forced conversions … More

¿Qué tanta influencia genética judía hay en América Latina?

The following Spanish language article from Tangible discusses the genetic legacy and influence of Turkish Sephardim on Latin America. This … More