Helping Lost Jewish Communities 11603 Gilsan Street Silver Spring, MD 20902-3122 KULANU TEL: 301-681-5679 FAX: 301-593-1911 http://www.kulanu.org “all of us” [email protected] Volume 11 Number 4 Winter 2004—2005 A Women’s Happening Texas Rabbi To Assist Veracruz Congregation In Uganda Rabbi Peter Tarlow, through the good graces of Kulanu and the hard The first Abayudaya women’s conference was held on December work of our Mexico coordinator, Amichai (Max) Heppner, was 14. Organized by Naume Sabano, president of the Abayudaya brought to Veracruz, Mexico, to meet with the local Texas Women’s Association, it attracted 65 participants from four Ugandan congregation. After a series of discussions, Rabbi Tarlow volunteered villages. to come to Veracruz four times a year to assist the congregation, which The program consisted of a D’var Torah by Mama Deborah Keki, had been formerly served by the late Rabbi Samuel Lerer. Tarlow is the president’s report, communications from the various synagogue fluent in Spanish and has a good understanding of Latin American representatives, the recitation of blessings on hearing sad news, hear- culture. He is the rabbi at the bi-lingual ing good news, and seeing the rainbow, and discussions on Nidah Texas A&M Hillel, and over the next few (Jewish purity laws), the life of Sarah, the observance of kashrut, and years, he hopes that some of his students the story of Ruth. may also be able to visit and work with The president urged the women to continue teaching young girls members of the congregation. about Judaism and about the dangers of HIV/AIDS in Uganda today. Tarlow noted that North American She discussed the need for higher quality craft products, for funds for a Jews have much to learn from the people tree-planting project, and for more education and employment for of Kehillat Beit Shmuel. He stated, “The women. congregants have a wonderful sense of Representatives from the various synagogues spoke about a desire spirituality and joie de vivre. There is a to expand a pineapple garden project, improve a synagogue building, deep love for Judaism among them and a start poultry and goat projects, attract Hebrew books and teachers, pur- sense of mispachah (family). There is a chase mobile phones, and provide inter-synagogue transportation. great potential in Veracruz for helping It was resolved that working visits of women’s groups to each many people whose families were severed other should be encouraged and that resources for promotion of activi- from the Jewish people to return. Kulanu ties at conferences should be pooled. It was decided that two confer- must be thanked for all of its efforts in bringing all of us (kulanu) ences would be held every year at different venues. together.” Regarding transport, the women agreed to make an effort to raise Tarlow plans his next visit to the congregation in May. In the begin- money to purchase a van, and each group was asked to raise money to ning, emphasis will be placed on organizational success, bnai-mitzvah purchase a mobile phone. training, issues of conversion, and Hebrew language skills. The conference ended with the singing of Hatikvah. FULL VERACRUZ STORY ON PAGE 2 TUTSI UPDATE Never Give Up Trying To Find a Way To Stay Alive By Jack Zeller who escaped to the hotel survive. Among the Tutsi population of Founder/President of Kulanu Rwanda’s capital city Kigali in the spring of 1994, they were the ex- Let’s go see Hotel Rwanda with our friend King John Kigeli V, ception. They also conveyed an important lesson: never give up trying the exiled King of Rwanda who lives nearby in Virginia, Rabbi David to find a way to stay alive. Kuperman suggested. The King had been introduced to us by another And there is another lesson to be learned, not in the movie but friend, the director of the Havila Institute, Dr. Yochanan Bwejeri. implicit in the events unfolding now in Burundi, Rwanda’s neighbor. I don’t usually go to the movies. But then I had another phone Hate once taught is not easily removed by social engineering no matter conversation with another friend from Rwanda. His sister is portrayed how well intended, no matter how well funded, and no matter how in the film, and he urged me to go and “look the truth in the eye.” well orchestrated by statesmen and politicians. The road to hell, the Good advice. Go, but on an empty stomach. (We had begun our saying goes, is paved with good intentions. Once demonized and de- afternoon with falafel at Max’s Cafe.) One of our party, a niece of the humanized, a community at risk is always at risk. Asking them to for- King, had to leave during the showing. More than once I just closed get and forgive previous massacres, and embrace the hope that it won’t my eyes. David, who was sitting next to me, and whose heart began happen again, is asking them to close their eyes to the truth. pounding with the opening scenes, says I was shaking with agitation I can close my eyes in the movie theatre, but there’s no one with a almost the whole time. machete sitting in the row behind me, just waiting for me to do that. The movie contains a lesson about the power of hate and the The Tutsi you see in the movie were killed for being who they unlimited power of socially orchestrated hate. In the movie, the people (Continued on page 6) KEEPING A PROMISE Evolution of a Congregation Historic Conference In Belmonte, Portugal By Emily Taitz In Veracruz, Mexico There are thousands of Bnai Anousim (descendants of forced By Amichai Heppner converts) all over the world, but they all originated in the Iberian Pen- [As Kulanu’s Coordinator for Mexico, I met Rabbi Samuel Lerer insula after the Expulsion from Spain of 1492 and forced conversions in 1999. At that time he was the elderly but vigorous long-time in Portugal of 1497. Some of them live in the American Southwest; mentor and supporter of the congregation of Anousim in Ve- many more are in Mexico and Central and South America; and still racruz. (Anousim are Crypto-Jews, separated from the main- more remain in Europe, especially Spain and Portugal. Some have stream through persecution by the Inquisition half a millennium forgotten their roots but others have nursed the secret for centuries, ago.) We talked about his upcoming retirement and Kulanu’s role afraid to admit what was just suspected. Until now. in continuing his work in Veracruz. We were not a bit too early, For the last 20 or 25 years, these Crypto-Jews, as scholars call because just a few months after my visit, Rabbi Lerer’s life on them, have been coming out of the closet. Most are still fearful. They earth came to an end. He left an emotional congregation hit hard may make a tentative gesture, or a preliminary admission, and then by the loss. My wife Shana and I made an initial visit to assess retreat. Others are more open, insisting on being counted as Jews in needs in Veracruz in 2003. We began our last visit on January spite of the reluctance of family members to admit what has always 14, 2005, and I was assured, over and over again, that Kulanu’s been a secret, and in spite of the rabbinical establishment that often support, even from afar, has meant a lot to the community.] rejects them. For two months, Kulanu planned to bring an ensemble of sup- Recently, this disparate population of Bnai Anousim has estab- porters to Beth Shmuel Congregation in Veracruz (named after lished several websites, and in the relative anonymity of the Internet, Rabbi Lerer) to discuss an expansion to incorporate more of the they have been attempting to understand their experiences and make isolated Anousim descendants who live outside the periphery of contact with others. One of those websites is Saudades Sepharad Jewish life. Planning in Veracruz was no less intense, and Anousim (www.saudades.org). Saudades is the Portuguese word for “longing” descendants came from as far away as 100 miles for the weekend- and Sepharad is the Hebrew word for Spain. Through the web, the long meeting in January. Bnai Anousim, who are often still practicing or lapsed Catholics, ex- We were met at the airport by Daniel Munoz and his family, plore their roots, compare stories and try to decide what to do with the including his father, who is vice-president. Daniel was elected out- information they accumulate. Only a few actually convert. Many in- reach chairman by the community, and has proven himself fully sist that they are already Jews and consider the demand for Orthodox capable of handling this job despite his young age (22). By diligent conversion to be demeaning. The majority, until now, has remained in effort joined with fortunate coincidence, we assembled a variety of the cloudy margins of Judaism, unsure of where they fit in. resource persons to join us for this momentous weekend: Rabbi One group of Bnai Anousim, the Jews of Belmonte, are sure. Peter Tarlow of Texas A&M University; Rabbi Phillip Posner of They claim to be the only descendents of forced converts who re- Temple Bnei Yam in Ajijic, near Guadalajara, Mexico; Maria mained faithful to Judaism for 500 years, secretly practicing the Jewish Aurora Sanchez, an architect from Mexico City (supported by Elena rituals they remembered. Finally, in the 1980s, when they felt it was Gallegas Sanchez of Veracruz), who has good connections in the safe, they openly declared their faith.