Reconectar, the movement to reconnect with the descendants of Spanish and Portuguese Jewish communities who were forced to convert to Christianity during the Inquisition, also known as Bene Anousim, has welcomed the appointment of former Israeli Justice Minister Moshe Nissim to head a government committee mandated with giving recommendations for solving Israel’s conversion issue.
Nissim is the son of former Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rav Yitzhak Nissim (1955-72), who was extremely sympathetic to those Anousim who wanted to return to Judaism, writing many opinions on the subject, including to the head of the Aliyah Department at the Jewish Agency calling on their assistance in helping those Anousim committed to Judaism to return. Ashley Perry (Perez), President of Reconectar and the Director General of the Knesset Caucus for the Reconnection with the Descendants of Spanish and Portuguese Jewish Communities, said, “We hope that he will follow his father’s many rulings and include the issue of the return of Anousim in his recommendations.” He added, “There are millions of Anousim, completely committed to Judaism, the Jewish People and Israel, who seek official recognition and a recommendation to include them in future conversion guidelines could be a game-changing moment for the Jewish world.”