New Mexico's Crypto-Jews: Image and MemoryWhile photographing the Congregation Montefiore Cemetery in Las Vegas, New Mexico, in 1985, Cary Herz first heard whispers about "the other people." Thus began a twenty-year search for descendants of crypto-Jews, the Sephardic Jews who were forced to convert to Catholicism during the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisitions centuries ago. Many openly professed Catholicism, but continued to practice the Jewish faith privately. Herz's photographs and the accompanying essays honor the people whose ancestors, through families' oral histories and genealogical records, knew about their heritage. Other New Mexican Hispanics have recently begun to explore their families' customs and are only beginning to examine their possible blended lineage. To help complete her exploration, Herz sought out symbols_gravesites, artifacts, and icons_that might point toward the presence of the descendants of crypto-Jews who came to the New World. There has recently been a renewed interest in crypto-Jews, as DNA tests have revealed the Jewish heritage of a number of Hispanic New Mexicans. |
Contents
Descendants | 15 |
Headstones Persistence | 79 |
BIBLICAL NAMES | 106 |
Copyright | |
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Adonay Albuquerque ancestors ancestry Anusim Archives B'nai Zion Belmonte border camera camposanto candles on Friday Carrasco Carvajal Cary Herz Catholic cemetery Chávez Christian church circumcised Coca Colorado Congregation Conquistadora conversos convert County crypto crypto-Jewish crypto-Jews crypto-Judaism culture Dennis Duran descendants dreidel Esther father Francisco Gómez Robledo Friday night Gerald González Gómez Robledo family grandfather grandfather's grandmother gravestones headstone Hebrew Herz's hidden Jews Hispanic Ignacio Roybal images Inquisition Israel Jewish Jewish Roots Josefa Juan Judaizers kosher Ladino Lady Luna Marranos maternal memory menorah Mexican Mexican Inquisition Mexico City Mexico Families Mexico Press mezuzah Moises mother Oñate Paso Paul Marez Peña photograph Pon y Saca Portugal Portuguese practicing Judaism prayer Pueblo Rabbi Rael records religious Richard Romero Rosary San Miguel Sanchez Santa Fe secret Sephardic Jews Shabbat siddur six-pointed star Spain Spanish Stanley Hordes Star of David stone symbols tallit Tanakh told Torah trompito valley visited