Descendants of the Anusim (Crypto-Jews) in Contemporary Mexico
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Descendants of the Anusim (Crypto-Jews) in Contemporary Mexico Slightly updated version of a Thesis for the degree of “Doctor of Philosophy” by Schulamith Chava Halevy Hebrew University 2009 © Schulamith C. Halevy 2009-2011 This work was carried out under the supervision of Professor Yom Tov Assis and Professor Shalom Sabar To my beloved Berthas In Memoriam CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................7 1.1 THE PROBLEM.................................................................................................................7 1.2 NUEVO LEÓN ............................................................................................................ 11 1.2.1 The Original Settlement ...................................................................................12 1.2.2 A Sephardic Presence ........................................................................................14 1.2.3 Local Archives.......................................................................................................15 1.3 THE CARVAJAL TRAGEDY ....................................................................................... 15 1.4 THE MEXICAN INQUISITION ............................................................................. 17 1.4.1 José Toribio Medina and Alfonso Toro.......................................................17 1.4.2 Seymour Liebman ...............................................................................................18 1.5 CRYPTO‐JUDAISM ........................................................................................................ 18 1.5.1 Rabbinic Sources .................................................................................................18 1.5.2 Megged and Gitlitz..............................................................................................19 1.6 MODERN TIMES ...................................................................................................... 19 1.6.1 El Sabado Secreto................................................................................................20 1.6.2 Vito Alessio Robles ..............................................................................................20 1.6.3 Eugenio del Hoyo.................................................................................................20 1.6.4 Ricardo Elizondo Elizondo..............................................................................24 1.6.5 Richard Santos .....................................................................................................24 1.6.6 David Raphael ......................................................................................................25 1.6.7 Israel Cavazos Garza .........................................................................................25 1.6.8 Raphael Patai .......................................................................................................25 1.6.9 Cronistas .................................................................................................................26 1.7 OTHER REGIONS .......................................................................................................... 26 1.7.1 Portugal...................................................................................................................26 1.7.2 Brazil ........................................................................................................................27 1.7.3 Southwest USA......................................................................................................28 1.8 SUMMARY OF FOLLOWING CHAPTERS..................................................................... 30 2 METHODOLOGY................................................................................................31 2.1 APPROACH .................................................................................................................... 32 2.2 SECRECY AND TRUST................................................................................................... 33 2.2.1 La Gravadora ........................................................................................................34 1 2.3 INFORMANTS ................................................................................................................ 34 2.3.1 Priests.......................................................................................................................35 2.3.2 Cronistas .................................................................................................................35 2.4 INTERVIEWING............................................................................................................. 36 2.4.1 Listening and Questioning ..............................................................................36 2.4.2 Villages.....................................................................................................................37 2.5 CERRALVO..................................................................................................................... 38 2.6 A CAVEAT................................................................................................................... 39 3 LOS TREVIÑO.....................................................................................................40 3.1 THE FAMILY ................................................................................................................. 41 3.2 TOMAS TREVIÑO ....................................................................................................... 43 3.3 EVERARDO .................................................................................................................... 44 3.3.1 Our First Meeting ................................................................................................44 3.3.2 Our Second Meeting ...........................................................................................46 3.3.3 Valle Hermoso.......................................................................................................48 3.3.4 Everardo’s Parents .............................................................................................51 3.3.5 Don Ernesto ...........................................................................................................53 3.3.6 The Future..............................................................................................................54 3.3.7 Family Sayings......................................................................................................57 3.3.8 Everardo’s Poetry................................................................................................57 3.4 MONICA ......................................................................................................................... 62 3.4.1 Summer 2000........................................................................................................62 3.4.2 Autumn 2004 ........................................................................................................66 3.4.3 The Installation....................................................................................................69 3.4.4 Winter 2006...........................................................................................................71 3.5 ALONSO AND HIS AUNT............................................................................................... 74 3.6 THE COFFEE SHOP ...................................................................................................... 76 3.7 AQUILES...................................................................................................................... 77 3.8 ROGELIO........................................................................................................................ 78 3.9 J G................................................................................................................................... 80 3.10 NANCY......................................................................................................................... 83 3.11 DISCUSSION................................................................................................................ 83 3.12 A FINAL WORD ......................................................................................................... 85 4 CRYPTOJEWISH PRAXIS ...............................................................................86 4.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 86 2 4.2 LIFE CYCLE ................................................................................................................... 87 4.2.1 Courting...................................................................................................................87 4.2.2 Marriage .................................................................................................................88 4.2.3 Conjugal Relations..............................................................................................89 4.2.4 Birth ..........................................................................................................................89 4.2.5 Circumcision..........................................................................................................89 4.2.6 La Tablilla ..............................................................................................................90