60

Friday, December 22, 1918

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

ZDA. Leader Queries U.S.
Earnestness for M.E. Peace

'Secret Jews' Still Hiding After 500 Years

By WARREN FREEDMAN, Catholic. Indeed, the In-
In these -days of concern quisition in Spain which
for human rights, secret began in 1480 so re-
Jews, or Crypto Jews, pressed' these Marranos
should be rediscovered and that within 12 years all
encouraged to present Jews were forcibly expel-
themselves, if they so de- led from Spain.
Across the border in Por-
sire, as practicing Jews,
without stigma nor the op- tugal, the forced conversion
probrium of their non- of 1497 converted the entire
Jewish neighbors, institu- body of Portuguese Jewry
into titular but insincere
tions or governments.
There are perhaps as Christians. The Church in
many as 10,000 Marranos Poitugal simply did not
principally in northeast tolerate anyone who Was
Portugal, on the Island of not Catholic, and mass bap-
Majorca, Spain, and in tisms were the order of the
Mexico who must be redis- - day.
Indeed, the forced conver-
covered. These peoples are
descendents of baptized mon was so successful that
Jews suspected for almost the Portuguese Inquisition
500 years of being secret did not begin until the year
1540, 60 years after Spain's
adherents to Judaism.
The word "Marrano" is Inquisition began. Liter-
"swine" or ttpig"—in Spanish- ally, the only true "anusim"
(on the Island of Majorca the or, forced converts, were
Marranos are known- as these Portuguese Jews be-
"Chuetas" which also cause, unlike the Spanish
means `_`pigs"). Indeed, the Jews who had a choice, Por-
Marranos or Chuetas were tuguese Jews were simply
held in contempt by their converted en masse.
But not all Spanish and
Catholic neighbors who call
"conversos," meaning Portuguese Jews were slain
I them
converted people; the "con- or forcibly converted by the
I
Men & Women
versos" were -regularly de- - excesses of the Inquisition.
-Short Wave Method
I nounced as non-believers, Fugitive Marranos went to
I
Fast • Safe • Permanent
and they led_ lives as pitiful Italy, North Africa, and
I
especially Turkey.
martyrs.
Any Parl Of Body
_1
The Dutch Jewish com-
After massacres of
I
I
'Free' COT1SUltati011
Jews throughout Spain munity had its roots in Mar
in _the year 1391, the ranos who escaped from
number of Marranos or Spain and Portugal (the
Formerly
of
Northland
Center
•I
16231 14 idile-Road
New Christians in- great philosopher Spinoza
(Betw. Southfield & Greenfield) I
creased because the will was a Marrano). Migrations
Immilmammimmammilismommiwasm-assemsa. g. al
to survive demanded that of Marranos in the years fol-
they be externally lowing 1492 reached Brazil,
Mexico, Chile, the Philip-
pine Islands, and indeed
"the four corners of the
earth."
In Italy, Marranos
populated the cities of
Ancona, Ferrara, Venice
and Leghorn. The great
(JEWISH OCCUPATIONAL INTERNS)
discoirerer Christopher
Columbus is believed by
many scholars to have
been a Marrano.
The existence of these
Marranos in the 20th Cen-
FOR
_ tury was not generally
UNIVERSITY STUDENTS -
known until 1917 when a
Polish Jewish b-usinessman
Enrolled in
"discovered" them in
Undergraduate or Graduate Degree Programs
northeast Portugal. Cap-
tain Arturo Carlos deBarros
• Apply Now by Calling:
Basta, a Portuguese officer,
the JEWISH VOCATIONAL SERVICE 967-0500
in 1920 publicly declared
himself to be a Marrano and
announced that he would
Project JOIN is a unique summer program that combines valuable profes-
return to Judaism by estab-
sional experience with an opportunity to sample a possible career. The ten
lishing - a Marrano
week internships may be in the areas of social work, teaching, health-related
synagogue in Oporto!
professions, program development, or other areas of agency involvement.
It is of interest to note
$650.00 tax free stipend for the summer. Deadline for application is January 5,
that the Marranos in Spain
1979.
and Portugal as well as the
Chuetas on the Island of
Majorca have retained cer-
tain Jewish characteristics:
Sabbath observance,
Sun., Dec. 24th 12-4 ONLY
abstention from certain

•

NEW YORK (JTA) —
"Ivan J. Novick, president of
the Zionist Organization of
America, expressed doubts
about the impartiality of
the American 'moderators'
and the earnestness of the
Administration to actually
bring about peace between
Israel and Egypt."
-
Addressing the ZOA's na-
tional executive committee,
z he also said that claims
have been made, "and not
without cause, that (Egyp-
tian President Anwar).
Sadat's demands for chang-
ing the agreements reached -
at Camp David emanated
from the White House and
the State Department who
seek to placate the . (Arab)
rejectionist front which re-
cently assembled in
Baghdad and declared war
on the Camp David deci-
sions.; -
Novick noted that a

-

number of events in the
Mideast have played a role
in "cautioning Sadat to
move here slowly towards
peace with Israel, if he -
should not get the conces--
sions to placate the Islamic
fundamentalists."
Among these events,
Novick referred to the
situation in Iran and the
unsettling developments
in Iraq, South Yemen and
Afghanistan.
"The effect of all this on
the Israel-Egypt situation is
quite obvious," he observed.
"Sadat no doubt has reason
to fear a rebellion of - the__
Moslem brethren in Egypt;
which would seriously
threaten his government
. . . On the other hand, Is-
rael must also be cautious in
any agreement she makes
with Sadat, and whether
they will be honored by
those who may follow hini."

foods such as ham and pork,
and fasting each year on
Yom Kippur. These char-
acteristics sharply sepa-
rated the Marranos or
Chuetas from their Spanish
and Portuguese neighbors.

It would be a tremendous
upheaval _for a Marrano or
Chueta to enter the Jewish
fold today. As Jews they
would be welcomed with
open arms by Jewish com-
munities and by the state of
Israel. But unfortunately ill
will of their Spanish and
Portuguese neighbors
makes the "re-conversion"
exceptionally difficult.

Perhaps the answer for
the "re-discovered Jews"
lies in a Vatican pro-
nouncement that it is no
longer necessary for
these Marranos or
Chuetas to practice their
Judaism secretly be-
cause the Church is sym-
pathetic to the rights of
all human beings to prac-
tice religion according to
their own consciences.
Indeed, a Vatican letter to
that effect might open new
vistas for these Marranos or
Chu-etas who for almost 500
years have secretly adhered
to Judaism, although ex-
ternally Christian.
■

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