The Story of
Secret and Forcibly Converted Jews called
Crypto Jews, Anussim,
Marranos, Conversos, Chuetas (Xuetas),
Neofiti, Jadīd al-Islām
and New Christians

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

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

Click here for SUMMARY
 

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 Marrano and Jewish history
and 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

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

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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

CLICK          TO HEAR L’CHA DODEE
SUNG ON THE VISIT IN 2004 OF
SAFARDI CHIEF RABBI SHLOMO

TO THE PORTO SYNAGOGUE
ON THE DEDICATION OF A SEFER TORAH