Tag
Conversos
8 articles
Jews and Chocolate: A Sweet and Surprising History
From the converso merchants who brought cacao from the New World to the iconic Hanukkah gelt, Jews have played a surprisingly central role in the history of chocolate — as traders, manufacturers, and enthusiastic consumers.
The Inquisition and the Jews: Conversos, Crypto-Jews, and Survival
The story of the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisitions — forced conversion, crypto-Judaism, auto-da-fé, and the remarkable survival of secret Jewish communities across five centuries.
Jews of Latin America: From Conversos to Community
From the secret Jews who fled the Inquisition to the vibrant communities of Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, and Mexico City, Latin American Jewry is a story of reinvention, resilience, and cultural richness.
Jewish Pirates: Revenge, Adventure, and the Seas of the Inquisition
Yes, there were Jewish pirates — and they were not a footnote. From Samuel Pallache to the converso captains of the Caribbean, Jewish pirates took to the seas to escape the Inquisition, exact revenge on Spain, and build lives of extraordinary freedom.
Crypto-Jews: The Hidden Heritage of Secret Judaism
For five centuries, families descended from forced converts secretly maintained Jewish practices — lighting candles in cellars, avoiding pork, reciting half-remembered prayers. Now their descendants are coming home.
Jews of the Caribbean: Conversos, Sugar, and Sand-Floor Synagogues
Jewish history in the Americas began not in New York but in the Caribbean — with converso refugees from the Inquisition who built synagogues with sand floors, traded sugar, and created communities that endured for centuries.
Jews of Cuba: A Tropical Diaspora's Extraordinary Story
From converso settlers to a thriving pre-revolution community of 15,000, and then a near-total exodus — the story of Cuban Jews is one of resilience, loss, and quiet revival.
Jews of Mexico: From Crypto-Jews to a Thriving Modern Community
Mexico's Jewish story begins with conversos fleeing the Inquisition, includes some of its most dramatic victims, and continues today with a vibrant community of over 40,000.