60
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, December 72, 1918
'Secret Jews' Still Hiding After 500 Years'
ZOA Leader Queries U.S.
Earnestness for M.E. Peace
...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,
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 him."
HAIR REMOVED FOREVER
Men & Women
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Fast • Safe • Permanent
Any Part of Body
Free Consultation
Dorothy Stofer
Formerly of Northland Center
647-3432
16231 14 Mile Road
(Betty. Southfield & Greenfield)
—
By WARREN FREEDMAN
In these days of concern
for human rights, secret
Jews, or Crypto Jews,
should be rediscovered and
encouraged to present
themselves, if they so de-
sire, as practicing Jews,
without stigma-nor the op-
probrium of their non-
Jewish neighbors, institu-
tions or governments.
There are - perhaps as
many as 10,000 Marranos
principally in northeast
Portugal, on the Island of
Majorca, Spain, -and in
Mexico who must be redis-
covered. These peoples are
descendents of baptized
Jews suspected for almost
500 years of being secret
adherents to Judaism.
The word "Marrano" is
"swine" or "pig" in Spanish
(on the Island of Majorca the
Marranos are known as
"Chuetas" which also
means "pigs"). Indeed, the
Marranos or Chuetas were
held in contempt by their
Catholic neighbors who call
them "conversos," meaning
converted people; the "con-
versos" were regularly de-
nounced as non-believers,
and they led lives as pitiful
martyrs.
After massacres of
Jews throughout Spain
in the year 1391, the
number of Marranos or
New Christians in-
creased because the will
to survive demanded that
they be externally
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Catholic. Indeed, the In-
quisition in Spain which
began in 1480 so re-
pressed these Marranos
that within 12 years all
Jews were forcibly expel-
led from Spain.
Across the border in Por-
tugal, the forced conversion
of 1497 converted the entire
body of Portuguese Jewry
into titular but insincere
Christians. The Church in
Portugal simply did not
tolerate anyone who Was
not Catholic, and mass bap-
tisms were the order of the
day.
Indeed, the forced conver-
sion was so successful that
the Portuguese Inquisition
did not begin until the year
1540, 60 years after Spain's
Inquisition began. Liter-
ally, the only true "anusim"
or, forced converts, were
these Portuguese Jews be-
cause, unlike the Spanish
Jews who had a choice, Por-
tuguese Jews were simply
converted en masse.
But not all Spanish—and
Portuguese Jews were slain
or forcibly converted by the
excesses of the Inquisition.
Fugitive Marranos went to
Italy, North Africa, and
especially Turkey.
The Dutch Jewish com-
munity had its roots in Mar-
ranos who escaped from
Spain and Portugal (the
great philosopher Spinoza
was a Marrano). Migrations
of Marranos in the years fol-
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
discoverer Christopher
Columbus is believed by
many scholars to have
been a Marrano.
The existence of these
Marranos in the 20th Cen-
tury was not generally
known until 1917 when a
Polish Jewish businessman
"discovered" them D in
northeast Portugal. Cap-
tain Arturo Carlos deBarros
Basto, a Portuguese officer,
in 1920 publicly declared
himself to be a Marrano and
announced that he would
return to Judaism by estab-
lishing a Marrano
synagogue in Oporto!
It is of interest to note
that the Marranbs in Spain
and Portugal as well as the
Chuetas on the Island of
Majorca have retained cer-
tain Jewish characteristics:
Sabbath observance,
abstention from certain
Bantam Books
Names Detroiter
NEW YORK — Former
Detroiter Esther Margolis
has been elected senior vice
president, director of pro-
motion, advertising, public-
ity and public relations by
the board of directors of
Bantam Books, Inc.
Ms. Margolis joined Ban-
tam in 1962 as assistant
promotion director and in
1965 was appointed the
company's first publicity di-
rector. In 1971 she was
elected a vice president.
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
Chuetas who for almost 500
years have secretly adhered
to Judaism, although ex-
ternally Christian.
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