HIGHLIGHTS
OF THE 1999 SCJS
CONFERENCE IN LOS ANGELES
by
Ruth Silverman
The recent Los
Angeles conference of the Society for Crypto Judaic Studies was memorable for
its scholarly presentations, poignant personal stories, artistic elements and
the warmth of new and old friends united in their common interest.
Prior to Sunday
evening's opening sessions, many attendees were fortunate enough to spend Friday
night celebrating Shabbat at Sephardic Temple Tifereth Israel. During the
service, members of SCJS and B'nai Anousim (descendants of those who were forced
to convert) were recognized by Rabbi Daniel Bouskila. The youthful rabbi
conducted the Friday night service and extended heartfelt words of welcome to
all who were there. Many of them had no idea that in his spare time he serves as
head basketball coach of the Shalhevet School girls basketball team.
Guest speaker Rabbi
Joshua A. Stampfer described challenges facing those discovering crypto-Jewish
ancestors. He affirmed his view that those wishing to return to Judaism should
be welcomed without having to prove ancestry. A founder and former President of
SCJS, Rabbi Stampfer has ministered to and worked with crypto-Jewish groups,
including the congregation in Belmonte, Portugal. He now serves as SCJS
Treasurer, and is Rabbi Emeritus of Congregation Neveh Shalom, Portland,
OR.
The temple, an
architectural blend of rough-hewn white stone walls, fine woods, stained glass
and Oriental rugs, also opened its doors on Monday night for a tour, led by SCJS
Member Bob Hattem and Temple Official Hy Arnesty, and a dinner, with special
blessing by Rabbi Bouskila.
Welcoming remarks
by Stanley Hordes, former president and a founder of SCJS, and current President
Gloria Trujillo, opened the conference on Sunday, and introduced keynote speaker
Seth Ward, Assistant Professor of Jewish Studies and History, University of
Denver.
“The culture
continues to enrich itself, every day,” noted Dr. Ward, who is also president of
the Hispano Crypto-Jewish Resource Center, Denver. He showed videos of
interviews of crypto Jews, made in the course of his research.
The group also
enjoyed a multi-disciplinary presentation,
Memorial de Tres Hermanicas, featuring Artist
Diana Bryer, Singer Judy Frankel and Poet Isabelle Medina Sandoval.
Eduardo Dias shared
insights on the crypto Jews of Portugal, from the beginning of the forced
conversions to the recent developments in Belmonte. Residents secretly
maintained Jewish traditions while isolated from the rest of the Jewish world.
The former UCLA professor is author of the forthcoming Portugal’s
Secret Jews: the End of an Era.
Among the many
interesting practices on which he commented was one which involved rites for the
dead similar to those in Judaism, performed by the women of the community. When
finished with the rites, the women would call a priest to perform "last rites,"
making sure the subject had already died before he arrived. The women would then
"purify" the house because a priest had been there.
"For the Jewish
world and for crypto-Jews, this is an age of diversity in Jewish life," in much
the same way that the broader world is experiencing multi-culturalism, Adaire
Klein, Director of Library Services, Simon Wiesenthal Center and Museum of
Tolerance, told the conferees.
"This is a time for
crypto Jews to create an awareness of their own identity and to take advantage
of technology, research, writing and publishing," she said. "Make ethnic
diversity a source of unity instead of divisiveness."
Trudi Alexy,
Author, The
Mezuzah in the Madonna’s Foot, shared the
astonishing story of her on-going correspondence with a crypto-Jewish Catholic
priest, in an area that cannot yet be identified to protect his safety. He lives
in fear of retribution from his church and his family.
As a young teen, he
celebrated a Bar Mitzvah, wearing a tallit and tefillin, crying as he recited
the Shema. Monday through Friday he studied at a Catholic seminary; on weekends,
he studied Judaism with his grandfather. His story continues to
unfold.
"Only when he was
out of his country could he shed his identity and live openly as a Jew,” Alexy
stated. “He says, ‘Secret Jews do not survive; they adapt.’"
Photographer Cary
Herz' slide presentation of her photos of gravestones of crypto Jews in the
Southwest evoked soft comments of wonderment. A "trialogue" facilitated by
author and Halapid Co-editor Dolores Sloan brought Doña Gracia Nasi to life.
Other participants were historian and womens studies instructor Rosalinda Mendez
González and artist Barbara Mendes. Ms. Mendes’ large, complex painting visually
tracked the remarkable travels of the sixteenth century Sephardic
heroine.
Another personal
story, with a happy ending, was that of Magnolia Albalat, who talked of lighting
an oil lamp every Friday night, though she attended a Catholic school. She now
lights candles, proudly and openly, as a member of Sephardic Temple Tifereth
Israel.
Following were
presentations by filmmaker Jeremy Siefer of portions of his work in progress,
Signs
of Solomon: Crypto Jewish Roots and Revival in the Brazilian
Northeast; Father Stafford
Poole on Limpieza
de Sangre , Spanish purity
of blood laws; and independent researcher Charles Myers, on Elizabethan Jews in
England.
Author Marc Talbert
described his process as a writer creating Star
of Luís, children’s book
about a boy with crypto-Jewish roots. This preceded comments by Dr. Hordes on
recent research, including description of the intricate process of tracking
sixteenth century roots in Mexico of a contemporary New Mexico
family.
David Hirsch,
Jewish and Middle Eastern Studies Bibliographer at UCLA’s University Research
Libray, talked about his recent visit with Jews in Cuba, followed by Airport
Guide Floyd Montoya's personal glimpses into his crypto-Jewish childhood in New
Mexico
A business meeting
closed the conference. Future conference sites and conference chairs are
Northern New Mexico, 2000, Isabelle Sandoval; Pueblo, CO, 2001, Michael
Atlas-Acuña; and Mexico, 2002, Dolores Sloan.
RUTH
SILVERMAN is a writer and publicist from Buffalo Grove, Illinois, where she
writes for The Daily
Herald.
