In Honor of Dr. Esther Saenz for organizing a successful field trip for her New York Friends Seminary Spanish Class to Nosotros, an ASF and Philos Project exhibition, featuring art by Angel Urrely (Cuba) and Carlos Ayala (Puerto Rico). “Each piece the students saw reflected the shared roots of Jewish and Latino communities and expressed hope for a more positive future,” Esther said after the visit.
Sephardi Ideas Monthlyis a continuing series of essays from the rich, multi-dimensional world of Sephardi thought that is delivered to your inbox on the second Monday of every month.
For the month of February, Sephardi Ideas Monthly turns its attention to crypto-Jewish identity in the American southwest—New Mexico, to be precise—with an article from December, 2000, issue of The Atlantic, “Mistaken Identity? The Case of New Mexico’s ‘Hidden Jews.’” Written by Barbara Ferry and Debbie Nathan, this extended and fascinating article explores how a tangled web of history, memory, social pressure and commercial interests have contributed to shaping a crypto-Jewish identity whose origins remain as intriguing as they are unclear.
“Mistaken Identity? The Case of New Mexico's ‘Hidden Jews’”
The promise of crypto-Jewish identity exerts a powerful pull on Jewish imagination, and especially Sephardi Jewish imagination, in the 21st century. Can it really be true that communities, or even families, of anusim, who were pursued by the inquisition in the New World somehow managed to hold on to remains of their Jewish identity, incompletely-understood fragments lacking intelligible context that, nevertheless, enabled their descendants, hundreds of years later, to return the fold?
Informed by an old-school desire to get to the bottom of the truth about crypto-Jewish identity in New Mexico, Ferry and Nathan paint lively portraits of some of the principal players. They point to Dr. Stanley Hordes, “an ample, bearded man whose tweed jackets and Dockers slacks hint at his solidifying status as a professional historian,” as the main engine behind the scholarly claim that crypto-Jews populate New Mexico. They also shine a light on his scholarly nemesis, Dr. Judith Neulander, a woman who originally, “wanted to be the first folklorist to dignify [Horde’s] claims with ethnographic research,” but who came to the conclusion that, “researchers like Hordes have so muddied the crypto-Jewish field that it is no longer possible to tell history from fantasy.”
Along the way, Ferry and Nathan let members of the crypto-Jewish community speak for themselves, from Loggie Carrasco, “an elderly woman who claimed to belong to a clan that has practiced crypto-Judaism for generations in an old neighborhood in Albuquerque,” to Juan Sandoval, a local who, “scrapped his Native American and Christmas inventory and replaced it with hardened-clay menorahs and “chia” rabbis whose beards contained seeds that sprouted when watered.” Sandoval’s ex-wife and children, note Ferry and Nathan, later accused him of being a fraud, “His son showed a reporter a Styrofoam mock-up of a gravestone with a Star of David on it, painted gray on three sides.”
Ferry and Nathan lean in the direction of Neulander’s critical view, but Michael Carroll, a professor of Sociology at The University of Western Ontario, took them to task in 2002 for ignoring scholarly voices critical of Neulander, even as he praised them for their old-fashioned dedication to the truth, “The Ferry/Nathan article leaves the impression that Neulander’s work is itself generally unproblematic. In fact, things are not that simple.” And the debate goes on.
After poring through the evidence, Ferry and Nathan conclude by acknowledging the limits of their own inquiry. After all, when it comes to identity, historical truth is often a second-tier power, “Faith… is always about more than history. Religions are built on collective wishes and hopes. And with southwestern crypto-Judaism the wishes and hopes may, in the end, prevail.”
Sephardi Ideas Monthly is very happy to introduce our readers to crypto-Jewish identity in New Mexico with Barbara Ferry and Debbie Nathan’s thoughtful and entertaining examination of a fascinating issue, “Mistaken Identity? The Case of New Mexico’s ‘Hidden Jews.’”
Born in 1862 in Salonika, Hacham Shabtai moved with his family to Jerusalem at the age of five. After spending his youth studying with Jerusalem’s sages, Hacham Shabtai served in various rabbinic positions in the Land of Israel, North Africa, and Central Asia, before being appointed Hacham Bashi (Turkish for ‘Chief Rabbi’) of Aleppo, Syria, in 1908, a position he held for 18 years. Hacham Shabtai finished his distinguished career as a member of the Chief Rabbinical Council in Israel, where he passed away in 1955.
Hacham Shabtai’s sermons, responsa, and halachic rulings are included in his two-volume work, Divrei Hizkiahu. The two volumes demonstrate the breadth and depth of Hacham Shabtai’s learning together with his sensitive humanity, wonderfully demonstrated in his broad interpretation of the Biblical injunction to “Love thy neighbor as thyself.”
“Love thy neighbor as thyself”– To say that a man love his fellow man, and come to his assistance, is not required between Israel and their brethren, but that it also be thus with our neighbors – who are not Jews; one must be loving with them, and pursue their wellbeing and benefit… And if they are, heaven forbid, in distress, we are also obligated to share in their distress and be in sorrow for them… we are certainly obligated to all the nations and it is our duty to love them, as a man loves his fellow man, and thus will they realize and know that the Torah we have is complete and leads us in the true way, and all the world's peoples will see that the Name of the Lord is called upon us
5-15 March 2018 Center for Jewish History
15 W 16th Street
New York, NY 10011 The American Sephardi Federation’s NY Sephardic Jewish Film Festival showcases contemporary voices steeped in the history, traditions, and rich mosaic culture of Greater Sephardic communities. The ten-day Festival features premiere film screenings, intriguing stories, evocative documentaries, Q&As with filmmakers, as well as special honorees and guests. This year's ten-day festival has film entries focused on Iraqi, Syrian, Mexican, Egyptian, Israeli, French, Tunisian, Ethiopian, and Greek communities. Each night of the Festival is a different themed program honoring the rich and diverse communities ASF represents.
Schedule at a Glance
Monday, 5 March: Moroccan Opening Night - featuring the Pomegranate Awards Ceremony and a special performance by the Grammy-nominated Innov Ganawa with Israeli-Greater Sephardi Jazz great Itamar Borochov
SINGLE SCREENING: $10/$15 (VIP Seating)
CLOSING NIGHT FILM AND AFTER PARTY: $25
MEXICAN FILM & AFTER PARTY: $25
YOUNG PROFESSIONALS FILM & HAPPY HOUR: $25
SYRIAN FILM & AFTER PARTY: $30
26 February - Kavkazi (Mountain Jews)
20 March - Bukharian Jews
24 April - Georgian Jews
ASF’s Sephardi Scholars Center Center for Jewish History
15 W 16th Street
New York, NY 10011
The American Sephardi Federation’s Young Sephardi Scholars Series, in partnership with COJECO BluePrint Fellowship, is excited to host a three-part learning and cultural series about the Russian-speaking Jewish (RSJ) communities of the Greater Sephardic world. The cultures and histories of Bukharian, Georgian, and Kavkazi (Mountain) Jews are situated at the fascinating, yet lesser known, intersection of RSJ, Sephardic, and Mizrahi life. Led by Ruben Shimonov, this interactive multimedia learning series will provide a unique opportunity to explore the rich and multilayered stories of the three communities.
Ruben Shimonov, 2018 American Sephardi Federation Broome & Allen Fellow, was born in Uzbekistan and grew up in the vibrant Greek and Turkish Sephardic community of Seattle. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree in International Relations, Near Eastern Studies, and Jewish Studies from the University of Washington. As a Bukharian Jew—whose own multilayered identity lies at the intersection of Mizrahi, Sephardic, and RSJ—Ruben roots his work as an educator, social innovator, and community builder in a deep passion for the diverse cultural mosaic of the Jewish people. This has informed his active leadership and community organizing endeavors within organizations such as the American Sephardi Federation (where he is the Young Leadership Board’s VP of Education and Community Engagement), JDC Entwine, Moishe House, and OneTable. He has also brought this passion to his work at Queens College Hillel for the past four years—most recently as Director of Cross-Community Engagement and Education—where he had the unique role of engaging, empowering, and creating meaningful Jewish experiences for Sephardic and Mizrahi students. Ruben is currently pursuing Master’s degrees in both Public Administration/Nonprofit Management and Judaic Studies at New York University. Ruben was recently named a COJECO Blueprint Fellow and is working on community projects that highlight the intersectional identities of Russian-speaking Greater Sephardic Jews. He is also the founder of the Sephardic-Mizrahi LGBTQ Shabbat Dinner Series and annual retreats, which provide a one-of-a-kind platform for LGBTQ Jews from Sephardic and Mizrahi backgrounds to build a vibrant and supportive community.
We look forward to having you join us!
Please click here to make a reservation Light dinner reflecting the cuisine of Bukharian, Georgian, and Kavkazi Jews will be served
Through February 15, 2018
in ASF’s Leon Levy Gallery Center for Jewish History
15 W 16th Street
New York, NY 10011
The Philos Project and American Sephardi Federation cordially invite you to “Nosotros," an art exhibit featuring the work of two renowned Latino artists, Angel Urrely (Cuba) and Carlos Ayala (Puerto Rico)--as a symbolic recognition and “step forward” to improving Jewish-Latino relations. We thank the Dominican artist, Juan Bravo, for exhibiting his pieces for the exhibit’s Opening Night. Each piece reflects the shared roots of Jewish and Latino communities and expresses hope for a more positive future from the perspective of each respective artist.
Each artist has displayed their works in hundreds of exhibits in both the US and Latin America, having many of them included in some of the most coveted collections in the world. We are very excited to bring them and their works to celebrate the importance of uniting us (or Nosotros), the Jewish and Latino communities, and having this art displayed in a very powerful way at the American Sephardi Federation at the Center for Jewish History. Artists:
Angel Urrely is to the point. This son of Cuba does not beat around the bush. At least not for what the brush comes to reveal—his theory is clear and sharp. Each frame creates a specific, assertive and brutal connection. The reading of his work is—from the perspective of the viewer—very simple, to the point that if you assume an interpretation of what you are reading, believe me: Urrely is addressing exactly what you are thinking. Urrely has something to tell you and will let you know one way or another.
Carlos Ayala presents himself as the “Benjamin” of the tribes, the youngest of them all. This son of Puerto Rico presupposes that his youth may seem an obstacle to you, so he shows you his clutched fists from the introduction. This young man is fierce. Carlos shows us the deepest pains experienced by man, and brings them to an entertained, distracted and ill-bred public. He does not sit down to dream on the Caribbean coast and wait for boats loaded with promises. He does not have the time for it, but rather wants to remind you that even at the best moments pain is present. And at any moment it can befall us.
We look forward to having you join us!
Please click here for additional information and viewing hours
Donate now and your tax-deductible contribution will help ASF preserve and promote Greater Sephardi history, traditions, and culture as an integral part of the Jewish experience!
Contact us by email or phone ((917) 606-8266) to learn about giving opportunities in honor or memory of loved ones.
Thank you for opting (on our websites, at an event, or by email) to receive American Sephardi Federation Programming Updates and Publications. We apologize if this message was sent in error.
The American Sephardi Federation is a proud partner of the Center for Jewish History (15 West 16th St., New York, NY, 10011).
