Issues Affecting Lives of Hidden Sephardic Jews (B’nei Anousim)*
Spiritual Life Issues and The Biblical Promise of Return and Restoration: Obadiah 1:19-20
Obadiah 1 :19-20 – This company of Israelite exiles who are in Canaan will possess as far as Zarephath; the exiles from Jerusalem who are in Sepharad will possess the towns of the Negev. Deliverers will go up on Mount Zion to govern the mountains of Esau. And the kingdom will be the LORD’s
Wandering
There is no question that Sepharadic Jews were doing everything in their power to find safely for their families. Many of these landed in the West Indies, Vera Cruz, and Mexico and as far north as the Port of Tampico in Mexico. (p. 19)
The Sepharadic Jews immigrated into northern Mexico, south and central Texas, New Mexico and parts of southern Colorado to be- come whom we eventually called, Los Tejanos y los Manitos de Nuevo Mejico (The Texans and the brethren of New Mexico). (p. 21)
Persecution
In 1492, on the day before Christopher Columbus set sail towards the New World, the official expulsion of all Jews from Spain took place. (p. 13)
Torture, Torment, Hatred & Prejudice
Between the 4th and 14th Century, a host of atrocities were cast upon Sepharadic Jews across the Iberian Peninsula, particularly Spain. Each succeeding Church Council increased or built upon previous rulings which directly impacted the quality of Jewish life in Spain. As if that was not enough, in vie for power and control, the Catholic kings began to assume the leadership in perpetuating massacres, which left the wealth, resources and properties of these Jews in their own hands. (p. 14)
Expulsion, Persecution & Murder
In 1492, on the day before Christopher Columbus set sail towards the New World, the official expulsion of all Jews from Spain took place. (p. 13)
If the Jews did not leave Spain, they would suffer imprisonment, ,torture, massacres, and varied methods of inhumane executions such as hanging, decapitation and burning at the stake, after being garroted. (p. 18)
Isolation
The first major Diaspora out of Spain occurred in 1391 C.E. when the actual decree was formulated to expel all Jews from Spain. King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella made this decree official in March 31, 1492. (p.14)
Victimization
The persecution of Jewish immigrants consisted of life imprisonment; confiscation of property, several hundred lashes, wearing San Benito garments (St. Benedict’s garment, which included a hood) in public, several years in the galleys and burning at the stake. (p. 68)
There were 60 different trials that were performed between 1593 and 1817. Approximately 4059 leaves of trial records have been translated and preserved. (p. xx)
In 1524, the Catholic kings sent the Franciscan missionaries to Mexico City vested with power to install the Spanish version of the Inquisition in today’s capital of the Republic of Mexico. They were instructed to steal the land of all practicing Jews as well as conver- sos who were new Christian believers. (p. 27)
Religious Control
The Spanish Inquisition shipped the Dominican Order to assume control over the Inquisition, which the Franciscans had begun. (p, xix)
Shame
Many Jews were forced to become Catholics but practiced their Jewish faith in secret. (p. 53)
Many of the Jews who immigrated to Mexico, were told by their parents to keep their Jewish ness secret. (p. 86)
Superstition
Some of these Sephardic Jews continued to hold to the Kabala. p.85
Footnote
Some Sephardic Jewish names:
Aguilar, Alvarez, Angeles, Avila, Ayala, Castro, Diaz, Dominguez, Duarte, Enriquez, Garcia, Gomez, Gonzales, Herandez, Herrera, Huete, Lopez, Lunca, Medina, Mena, Morales, Moreno, Munoz, Ortega, Perez, Ramirez, Rodriquez, Rosales, Ruiz, Salas, Sanchez, Velasquez
There is an indication that Mexican names ending in Z are Separadic.
From Dr. Paul Cox, Aslan’s Place
Issues Affecting The Lives of The Hidden Sephardic Jews (B’nei Anousim)