
Story of Hope
Story of Hope – An Autobiography by Dona Gracia Serrano
The following is an excerpt from a family historical account as seen through the eyes of a Sephardi Anusim (forced one) who did not discover the true roots of her family until her father, at the age of 87, expressed this long hidden secret. It is a typical account of many Sephardic Anusim families who are now discovering their true identity as Jews.
This account, a combination of oral history and factual documentational records, in no form is meant to either offend or discredit others perspectives on this subject. The truth, after all, is often a pain staking revelation that must be unfolded on a personal basis.
The following is neither meant to offend any official religion or persons. Forgiveness is a cleansing thing that gives the person giving and receiving it a freedom from the bondage of the past. This again is often a painful process, for one must be willing to go through some pain to receive it.
The truth is often hard to face in its rawest form. It is the prayer of this writer, that the following will bring some measure of hope and understanding of the past. This Anusim history and personal account cannot be altered, as it would be as impossible for a holocaust victim to apologize for what they have been subjected to. However, this writing is meant as the beginning of a healing process—a return of lost identity and freedom from past secrets done in the name of often mistaken religious fervor.
This account, as painful as it is to share, is done in the spirit of hope and love. “Love”, in this writer’s opinion, as stated in the Torah, “covers all sins”(Prov. 10:12b). It is the highest hope that this story, as thousands of other’s similar to it, will continue to bring hope to those who have felt the same wandering spirit and loss of identity as this author has experienced. It is that hope that truth will reveal and heal, what 500 years of hidden history have tried to erase.
“May those who sow in tears, reap with shouts of joy” Psalm 12a:5
Uncovering the Lost Root
It was a rainy day on Masada and we had just walked among the ruins in February of 1999. We had just walked in to a little restaurant stop for refreshment. As I neared the counter a middle-aged woman greeted me warmly with a knowing look. “Why you look just like my mother!” she said as she reached out and caressed my cheek. “My family went to Italy from Spain, where did your family go?” Not to appear too shocked I said, “Well, Mexico…”
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Tiberias – Doña Gracia Hotel
Gracia Serrano Fenn Tours the Doña Gracia Hotel in Tiberias, Israel…
Ashkelon Post
Gracia Serrano Fenn Greets You From Ashkelon, IsraelGracia Serrano Fenn greets you from the Ashkelon Marina in Israel. Over the next few weeks she will be reporting from Haifa, Tiberius and Jerusalem. Watch for more reports!Thanks for Watching!
For Israel’s 70th Anniversary – Hatikvah (The Hope) Sung by Grace Serrano Fenn
Enjoy This Video of Hatikvah! It is Israel's 70th Birthday and Grace Serrano Fenn has just released this Video of Hatikvah (The Hope), Israel's National Anthem! Enjoy and let us know what you think below...
Passover Explained
Doña Gracia Serrano Fenn of Sephardim Hope International explains the Passover Seder for the Anusim. She explains the elements, the Order of the Seder and invites you to join in a Seder wherever you may be.
The Sefardic Way To Put On A Tallit
Click on Book to Order Now! Anousim Awake! is the personal account of the revealed family Jewish identity of Gracia Serrano Fenn, a hidden Jewess who found out a “family secret” in 1999 in Israel. It is the Serrano family story of being raised with “no family past”,...
A Story of Return
One's journey of discovery of identity has many colors and types, but the inward soul will always cry out for truth. Such is my story of Return to the ancestral past of my Jewish identity. It was not until 1999, upon my first visit to Israel that I encountered the...
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