Crypto-Judaism facts for kids

Judaica (Jewish religious items) like candlesticks, a handwashing cup, and a shofar.

Crypto-Judaism is when someone secretly follows Judaism while pretending to be part of another religion. People who do this are called "crypto-Jews." The word "crypto" comes from a Greek word meaning 'hidden.'

This term is often used for Spanish Jews from history. They publicly said they were Catholic but secretly practiced Judaism. They were also known as Conversos or Marranos. This happened a lot in Spain after the Massacre of 1391 and the Alhambra Decree (when Jews were expelled) in 1492.

Secret Jewish Life in Europe

In Spain and Portugal during the 14th and 15th centuries, Jews who changed their religion were officially called Cristianos Nuevos (New Christians). But people often called them conversos. Both Spain and Portugal made laws that limited the rights of these New Christians in their home countries and their colonies in the Americas.

Even though only "Old Christians" (people with no known Jewish or Muslim ancestors) were officially allowed to move to the Spanish colonies, many New Christians with Jewish backgrounds still went. They sometimes used fake documents or entered through Brazil, where the rules were less strict.

Despite the dangers from the Spanish Inquisition (a powerful religious court), many conversos secretly kept Jewish traditions at home. For example, they celebrated the Festival of Santa Esterica. This was a hidden version of Purim, a Jewish holiday, disguised as a Catholic saint's day.

After the Alhambra decree in 1492, many conversos in places like the Balearic Islands (called Xueta there) publicly followed Roman Catholicism. But they privately stayed true to Judaism, even during the harsh Spanish Inquisition. They are some of the most famous and well-known crypto-Jews.

Crypto-Judaism also happened in earlier times. This was whenever Jewish people were forced to change their religion by rulers. Some Jewish followers of Sabbatai Zevi (called Sabbateans) officially became Muslim. They were known as Dönmeh. Later, followers of Jacob Frank ("Frankists") officially became Christian but still kept parts of their Jewish practices.

Crypto-Jews also continued to exist in Russia and Eastern European countries after Communism began with the October Revolution in 1917. The government did not force Jews to join the Russian Orthodox Church. However, they did not like any religion being practiced. Some faiths were allowed but watched closely by the government. Since Communism ended, many people in these countries, including Jewish descendants, have openly returned to their ancestors' faith.

The "Belmonte Jews" in Portugal have a unique story. They secretly kept their Jewish traditions for centuries, starting in the 12th century. This whole community survived by marrying only within their group and hiding all signs of their faith. They were only discovered in the 20th century. Their rich traditions of crypto-Judaism are very special. Some now practice Orthodox Judaism, but many still follow their old secret ways.

Maimonides' Influence

A wise Jewish scholar named Maimonides supported the idea of using reason over becoming a martyr (dying for your faith) when facing religious challenges. This helped make crypto-Judaism acceptable by Jewish rules. It gave a religious reason for Jews to hide their faith during the centuries of the Spanish Inquisition.

Early Conversions

Before 1492, there were other times when Jews were forced to convert outside of Spain. One of the earliest forced conversions happened in Clermont-Ferrand about a century after the Fall of Rome. This was 40 years before the first forced conversions in Spain.

Neofiti and Susiti

The Neofiti were a group of crypto-Jews who lived in the Kingdom of Sicily (which included Southern Italy) from the 13th to the 16th centuries. Another group, the Sus, Süßkind, and Lindauer families, were crypto-Jews who settled in the Holy Roman Empire. They lived as Catholic or Protestant crypto-Jews.

Hidden Faith in the Americas

Crypto-Judaism was also found in Spanish colonies, especially in northern New Spain (now Mexico). Many conversos joined Spanish and Portuguese trips to the new lands. They hoped for new chances and more freedom away from Spain. In these new lands, secret Jewish traditions often mixed with Catholic ones. This was similar to how native peoples kept their own traditions hidden under a Catholic appearance.

The special Festival of Santa Esterica was kept alive by conversos who moved to the Americas. Their descendants still practice it today.

Early Mexico (16th Century)

Some of the Jewish people forced out of Spain went to Portugal. But in 1497, Portugal made all remaining Jewish children become wards of the state unless their parents also converted. So, many early crypto-Jewish travelers to Mexico were technically Portuguese, but with Spanish Jewish roots. Many Portuguese people moved to Mexico, so much so that Spanish colonists started using "Portuguese" as a way to say "Jewish." Mexico offered good trade chances. Some migrants thought this area would be more accepting because it was far from Spain and had many non-Christian native peoples.

Colonial leaders worried that many crypto-Jews were going to Mexico in the 16th century. They wrote to Spain, complaining that Mexican society would become too Jewish. Officials found and shut down secret Jewish places of worship in Mexico City. Because of this, the "Law of Pure Blood" was started. This law stopped New Christians (anyone who couldn't prove their family had been Old Christians for at least three generations) from moving to Mexico. Also, the Mexican Inquisition began to make sure everyone in Mexico was truly Catholic. The first people punished by the Mexican Inquisition were native converts or crypto-Jews who returned to their old faith.

The number of conversos moving to the Americas went down, except for those allowed to settle in Nuevo León under a special rule.

Nuevo León (Late 1500s to Early 1600s)

The Spanish expanded northward into Mexico, facing tough lands and native tribes who fought back. Spain paid for this expansion by finding minerals and forcing native peoples to work in mines. The native peoples in northeastern New Spain were especially strong in resisting. The Spanish thought these areas were wild and lawless.

Luis Carvajal y de la Cueva, a Portuguese New Christian, received special permission from the Spanish Crown to settle Nuevo León. Because this area was so dangerous and difficult, Carvajal did not have to prove that all new settlers were "Old Christians." This allowed people who were normally not allowed into New Spain to go to Nuevo León. Carvajal was allowed to bring 100 soldiers and 60 workers. Many of them have been shown to be crypto-Jews.

Jewish religious items at the Metropolitan Museum of Monterrey.

With Carvajal as governor, Monterrey became the main city. After a few years, some people told authorities in Mexico City that Jewish rituals were happening in the northern province. They also said that efforts to convert native peoples were not strong enough. Governor Carvajal and his family were called to appear before the Inquisition in Mexico City. They were arrested and put in jail. The governor died in jail. His niece, Anna Carvajal, faced severe questioning and spoke about her family's secret practices. Many of them were put to death for returning to Judaism.

The governor's nephews changed their last name to Lumbroso. Two of them moved to Italy and became well-known rabbis.

While Carvajal was governor, Monterrey became a place for other crypto-Jews who wanted to escape the Mexican Inquisition in the south. So, Nuevo León and the founding of Monterrey were important because they attracted crypto-Jewish migrants from all over New Spain. They created one of the earliest Jewish-related communities in Mexico. (The Jewish communities in modern Mexico, who openly practice Judaism, were not formed until much later, in the late 1800s and early 1900s.)

Former Spanish Territories in the U.S. (17th–18th Centuries)

Because of the Inquisition in Nuevo León, many crypto-Jewish descendants moved to frontier colonies further west. They followed trade routes through towns like Chihuahua and Hermosillo, and north to Paso del Norte and Santa Fe. Some even went to Alta California on the Pacific Coast.

In the late 1900s, in modern-day Southwestern United States, especially New Mexico, some Hispanos of New Mexico believe they are descended from crypto-Jews from the colonial period. Most still follow their Catholic faith, but they often remember older relatives practicing Jewish traditions. Since the 1990s, many scholars have studied these crypto-Jews of New Mexico. While some people are doubtful, others say that these New Mexicans' identity is truly connected to Spanish converso histories.

Peru

In Peru, conversos arrived during the Spanish Conquest. At first, they lived freely because the Inquisition was not active there. But when the Inquisition arrived, New Christians were punished, and some were even executed. The descendants of these Sephardic Jewish converts settled mainly in the north of Peru. They married local women and blended into the community.

Colombia

In the Antioquia region of Colombia, some families also have traditions and stories of Jewish ancestry. Genetic studies show that many male ancestors in this group came from southern Spain, and some might have been Sephardic Jews. In Medellín, there is a tradition called marranada, where a pig is prepared and eaten in the streets every Christmas. This custom has been seen as a yearly way to show they reject Jewish laws.

Bolivia

Santa Cruz de la Sierra was a safe place for Sephardic Conversos during the Spanish colonial era. In 1557, many crypto-Jews joined Ñuflo de Chávez and helped found the city. During the 16th century, more crypto-Jews facing punishment from the Inquisition moved to Santa Cruz. It was the most isolated city, and the Inquisition did not bother Conversos there. Some settled in Santa Cruz and nearby towns.

Several of the oldest Catholic families in Santa Cruz have Jewish ancestors. Some families still practice certain Jewish traditions. As recently as the 1920s, some families kept seven-branched candlesticks and cooked food using kosher practices. It is still common among some old families to light candles on Friday evenings and to mourn close relatives by sitting on the floor. After almost five centuries, some descendants of these families know they have Jewish ancestry, but they practice Catholicism.

Costa Rica

Some crypto-Jews settled near San José, Costa Rica in the 16th century. They acted as Catholics in public but practiced their Jewish rituals privately. In the town of Itzkazú (now Escazú), some crypto-Jewish families were not as secret. Locals started to connect their rituals and prayers in Hebrew with witchcraft. Because of this, Escazú has been known in Costa Rican stories as the "city of the witches."

Other Latin American Countries

Besides these communities, there are also Catholic communities descended from crypto-Jews in places like the the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and other countries in South America. These include Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Venezuela, Chile, and Ecuador. From these communities comes the saying, "Catholic by faith, Jewish by blood."

Famous Crypto-Jews

• Antonio Fernandez Carvajal was a Portuguese merchant in London. Like other hidden Jews in London, Carvajal prayed at the Catholic church of the Spanish ambassador. At the same time, he was a leader in the secret Jewish community, which met in a hidden synagogue.
• Isaac Cardoso was a Jewish doctor and thinker. He was born in Portugal but later moved to Italy. For a time, he used the name Fernando to avoid the Inquisition. After finding safety in Verona, he openly became Jewish and became a leading scholar in Italy.
• Benjamin Melendez was an activist, musician, and gang leader from New York. He is best known for helping to create a gang truce in New York City in 1971.

See also

In Spanish: Criptojudaísmo para niños