Nearly three dozen leaders of emerging crypto-Jewish communities from across Spain gathered Thursday in Barcelona for the opening of an unprecedented three-day seminar devoted to examining various topics relating to the country’s “hidden Jews.”
The seminar, entitled “Judaism and Jewish Descendants in Spain: Past & Present Between Identity and History”, is being run by the Jerusalem-based Amishav organization.
Participants, who hail from Madrid, Barcelona, Palma de Majorca and elsewhere, heard lectures about the persecution of crypto-Jews through the ages, shared personal stories of coming to terms with their identity, and discussed the nature of the relationship between the State of Israel and crypto-Jews worldwide.
“It was a highly emotional and stirring sight,” said Michael Freund, Amishav’s Director and an Arutz-7 radio and television host. “To look around the room and see people whose ancestors were forcibly converted to Christianity over 500 years ago now grappling to return to their roots was very inspiring. Who could have imagined that something like this was even possible?”
Israeli Minister of Tourism Rabbi Benny Elon sent a special letter of encouragement to all of the participants. It read in part:
“As a rabbi and an Israeli cabinet minister, it gives me great satisfaction to know that after five centuries of suffering and persecution, the Jewish spark in Spain has not been extinguished.
At great personal risk, many of your ancestors sought to preserve the memory of their cultural and religious identity, an identity that was so cruelly taken away from them by the Inquisition and its agents.
By coming together to explore your Jewish heritage, you are reaffirming your eternal bond with the people of Israel. It is a bond of brotherhood, one that was forged through centuries of affliction, and it can never be broken.”
Minister Elon also urged the participants to visit Israel, “the land of your forefathers”, as soon as possible.
The seminar, entitled “Judaism and Jewish Descendants in Spain: Past & Present Between Identity and History”, is being run by the Jerusalem-based Amishav organization.
Participants, who hail from Madrid, Barcelona, Palma de Majorca and elsewhere, heard lectures about the persecution of crypto-Jews through the ages, shared personal stories of coming to terms with their identity, and discussed the nature of the relationship between the State of Israel and crypto-Jews worldwide.
“It was a highly emotional and stirring sight,” said Michael Freund, Amishav’s Director and an Arutz-7 radio and television host. “To look around the room and see people whose ancestors were forcibly converted to Christianity over 500 years ago now grappling to return to their roots was very inspiring. Who could have imagined that something like this was even possible?”
Israeli Minister of Tourism Rabbi Benny Elon sent a special letter of encouragement to all of the participants. It read in part:
“As a rabbi and an Israeli cabinet minister, it gives me great satisfaction to know that after five centuries of suffering and persecution, the Jewish spark in Spain has not been extinguished.
At great personal risk, many of your ancestors sought to preserve the memory of their cultural and religious identity, an identity that was so cruelly taken away from them by the Inquisition and its agents.
By coming together to explore your Jewish heritage, you are reaffirming your eternal bond with the people of Israel. It is a bond of brotherhood, one that was forged through centuries of affliction, and it can never be broken.”
Minister Elon also urged the participants to visit Israel, “the land of your forefathers”, as soon as possible.