The Society for Crypto-Judaic Studies
C/o Gloria Trujillo
2000 Avenida Cesar Chavez
Monterey Park, CA 91754
Ha Lapid
c/o Art Benveniste, Editor
333 Washington Blvd. #336
Marina Del Rey CA 90292
http://www.sephardiconnect.com/halapid/halapid.htm
While living in Denver, Nan encountered some researchers in
New Mexico looking for proof that the early settlers of the state were really
conversos, or crypto-Jews -- descendants of the Spanish Jews who, although forced
to convert to Catholicism in 1492, continued to practice Jewish rituals in secret
when they fled to the New World.
With award-winning radio producer Benjamin Shapiro as collaborator (who was
living in Albuquerque at the time,) together with Dr. Stanley Hordes, the former
State Historian of New Mexico, she got permission to produce a radio program
based on interviewing some of these hidden Jews.
They began to look for people who would agree to be recorded on tape. The results
have produced three documentaries to date -- "Search for the Buried Past:
The Hidden Jews of New Mexico," "The Hidden Jews of New Mexico: Rekindling
the Spirit", and "The Hidden Jews of New Mexico: Return to Iberia."
These extraordinary half-hour radio programs tell the story of the descendants
of Spanish Jews who went "underground" during the Spanish Inquisition
in the 1500-1600's, pretending to be Catholics while secretly continuing Jewish
religious practices. These hidden Jews fled to New Mexico to escape persecution
and - to this day - their families still maintain a secret culture after 400
years of hiding. These programs are the first account in which they reveal their
own stories and their search for spiritual and historical identity.
First broadcast in 1988, these programs have become some of the most requested
public radio programs of all times. Because of the timeliness of the subject
and the original work done in conducting hours of interviews, researching, and
producing the program, Nan is considered an outstanding resource on this little
known topic and she speaks often at synagogues, schools and similar programs.
Another important development that grew out of the radio productions is the
Society for Crypto-Judaic Studies. Started by a few descendants from Crypto-Jewish
families, and including researchers, artists and others involved with Sephardic
history and culture, the Society offers annual gatherings, information exchange,
and a newsletter Ha Lapid (The Lamp) with articles, poems and discussions relating
to both historical and current concerns among descendants of conversos from
around the world.
Related Links
Jewish Genealogy http://www.jewishgen.org/
Jewish History Sourcebook http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/jewish/jewishsbook.html
Sephardic Genealogical and Historical Society http://www.geocities.com/EnchantedForest/1321/index.html
Spanish Jewish Names of the 13th and 14th Centuries
http://www.panix.com/~mittle/names/juliana/iberian-jewish/
Bloom Southwest Jewish Archives (U/Arizona)
http://dizzy.library.arizona.edu/images/swja/swjalist.html
Hidden Jews of New Mexico, Community Media Services, Community Activities