Sephardic History: Part 6a

A 6 part introduction to Medieval Jewish History with JTS Professor Benjamin Gampel.
Part 6: The Iberian Expulsions and their repercussions.

[@gfunkpalace1252]

These past two episodes are so compelling.

[@fuerton1]

I appreciate this series, it is helping me greatly as I begin my search of my blood Sephardic Jewish connection. Thank you for posting this.

[@Donteatacowman]

"I think we need to step back from the pressures of the fifteenth century." Oh MAN do I. This hustle and bustle at the tavern, the daily market, my maidservant's constant complaining, and my husband always with the dice games, just, whoo, really gets to you sometimes.

[@benfeliz9356]

Very good!!! I personaly think that sephardic jewish that got into Christophet Colombus were the majority. As a matter a fact I just read a book about it. That book was written by a jewish. "The Jewish In Spain By Janes Gerbber"

[@estherjojo8793]

And yet my family and I and the Latinos in my Jewish congregation who are from Mexico all test positive for European Jewish, Middle East and all around the Mediterranean, so how do you suppose we got here?

[@rutbrea8796]

You are descendants of the Jewish people who lived in Spain at the time. Christopher Columbus brought many from Spain to the discovery of America. That is how many of them came to the Americas.

[@ROYAL-BLUE-GHANA]

Rut Brea, dna testing of my brother y chromosome revealed that our great-great-great grand father was from spain and portugal. My dna trace showed that my ancestors were also in north africa or middle east. My mom side revealed that they are black hebrew of bantus origin. Does that make me a jew? I was praying, I asked TMH to reveal to me my paternal tribe. He showed me a TRIANGLE. I dont know what it means. Do you have any idea?

[@stereophonicsmom]

My great grandfather left Spain and came to the US and his family went to Brazil. It all links to Portugal I think. Even going back then.

[@66elflaco]

I concur with the results of the many Hispanics in your congregation. I have for the past 12 years refused to identify as a Latino, I am Hispanic or correctly translated: Sefardic

[@66elflaco]

One of my ancestral fathers left Evora, Portugal in the early 17th century for San Juan de Los Lagos, Jalisco. Of all the surnames involved in my “Mexican” family, every single one of them were of the original 117 families that settled in Jalisco since 1553 and for close to 380 years 10 of those families have been intertwined in marriage. I have so many of my cousins and aunts and uncles that are married to our 2nd, 3rd & 4th cousins. My great grandmother told me at the age of 104 not to marry anyone outside of the family “compound” in Zacatecas. At the age of 10 I really didn’t have an idea as to why she said that. Of course I didn’t but some of my cousins did do as she requested. My great grand parents and grandparents averted indigenous people like the plague.

[@stereophonicsmom]

My great grandfather came here from southern Spain (his village was actually protected by the Northern Africans) to the US in the early 1900’s and dropped his Sephardic last name The rest of his family went to South America. I didn’t know this until he passed away. I was just told that wasn’t our real last name as we were ‘gypsies’ by my Abuela. I think he must have thought US authorities would have thought it was a Jewish name and his family had hid/moved for hundreds or more YEARS. So, no, we weren’t gypsies, our family was trying to survive. He was cheerful/yet I could see the sadness and so loving. He passed in my teens at 100 +. He never went to a place of a worship except for funerals and weddings. He always held my hand so tight. These were Roman Catholic services. He was truly my best friend. About 5 years ago I found Spain was giving reparations for certain Jews and there was our real last name. The ‘reparations’ cost $7,000 + a piece so I started educating my children on my own. I had lived there for awhile yet felt that even if I had the $ I would be an ‘intruder’. I don’t know the right word. I understand why he didn’t tell me and I can’t imagine his heartbreak for not being himself. However, my question, am I still considered a Sephardic Jew or just Spanish? I am proud of our heritage but wasn’t raised in the faith. Thank you for everything. This has been so insightful.

[@66elflaco]

Shalom, How do you feel in your nashema, your spirit? The same question ran through my head and other Hispanics that I know. I personally ID myself as a Marrano in the flesh, Sephardic Yehudim in the spirit. I attend a Messianic Jewish congregation and asked my Rabbi and he said that many of us don’t need to convert, we only have to return in our hearts.

[@fingalful1]

I like the Iberian peninusula but I've always felt sad that there is litte left of the Sephardic culture that flourished there, whereas in Central & Eastern Europe, there's much left of the Ashkenazic culture, despite Hitler's destruction. That probably had much to do with the Reformation & Protestant biblical understanding of the Jews in God's plan for humanity. (As a former Roman Catholic, I remain appaled at Romanist anti-semitism.) I love listening to Sephardic music.

[@silviaavila5720]

Are you denying that there weren't mexican jews in México around the time of the expulsion?

[@rutbrea8796]

They were not Mexicans then, they were Jews. A religious people who follow the teachings of Abraham, Issac I Jacob, who resided in Spain after the exile. Didn't you hear the video? Listen closely from the beginning. America wasn't even discovered at this time. They were not Mexicans!

[@aromero385]

Wow!. This was really sad. Those people were natives from the land, living at Peninsula in Roman's times, before Christians came. They belonged there. Is a shame no having an army to fight back for their rights.

[@RicosBettaWorld]

So no Jews ever settled in the Canary Islands??