The Story of
Hidden and Forcibly Converted Jews called

Crypto Jews, Anussim,
Marranos, Conversos, Chuetas (Xuetas),
Neofiti, Jadid al-Islam
and New Christians

 

Hundreds of thousands of Spanish and Portuguese Jews
were converted to Christianity
often by torture or to avoid death.  
To Christians they were known as New Christians

If Moslem they were called Moriscos.  

To escape the Inquisition many practised Judasm in secret.
Many returned to Judaism when outside Inquisitorial power.
500 years later many are still returning to Judaism

 

THIS SITE IS THEIR STORY AND INCLUDES

Barros Basto who revived Judaism in Northern Portugal
and founded the wonderful synagogue in Porto

Dona Gracia Mendes one of the greatest
women in Jewish history
The only person to have reacted to a pogrom by organising
the boycott of an Italian port (Ancona)

The Cantonists and Israel Itzkovich:
Forced conversion in 19th Century Russia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click      to hear
L’cha Dodee
sung on the visit in 2004 of Safardic
Chief Rabbi
Shlomo Amar

To the
Porto Synagogue
on the dedication of a sefer torah  

Coming from Marranopress books:
Dr. Castro Sarmento (1691-1761)
a Portuguese Marrano in England
by A. Andrade and F. Guimaraes

Click here for the preface by Professor Michael Alpert
President of the Jewish Historical Society of England.

click here to reserve an advance autographed copy

 

Webmasters:  Viviane and Jack White (London)
vijamada@gmail.com

This site is dedicated
to Dr Yehudah Berdugo and his wife Dr Vardinah Berdugo
who gave us the opportunity
to spend Rosh Hashona and Yom Kippur 5766 (2006)
with them in Northern Portugal
with the
(then) largely Marrano congregation of Porto
and the converted Marrano congregation of Belmonte