Crypto-Jews There exists in the Archives much material which will be of interest to historians, including some items which may shed light into the lives of the descendants of conversos, or "Crypto Jews," who settled in the region. This page provides a look at the Crypto-Jewish experience in the U. S. Southwest. [6K] SWJA [20K] SWJA (Left) A common toy among Mexican children to this day is one that bears a striking similarity to a Dreidl, a top used to play games during Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights (Right) An amulet of the Ten Commandments in Hebrew, owned by Ruth Ruiz Reed Miller [23K]. She explained that the amulet was passed down to her from family members for years Suggested readings on Crypto-Jews Amado, Melissa.The Descendants of the Conversos: A Comparative Discussion of Practices Cembalest, Robin. "Losing Their Religion," Lingua Franca v. 8, no. 2 (March 1998) p. 16-19 Freund, Michael. "Marranos No More," The Jerusalem Post, October 30, 2002. Freund's column concerns the descendants of Jews forcibly converted in Spain and Portugal during the Inquisition who are now seeking to return to the Jewish people. Golden, Gloria. 2004. Remnants of Crypto-Jews Among Hispanic Americans. Mountain View, CA: Floricanto Press. Heller, Reid. 400th Yartzheit of Luis Carvajal, el mozo, Joseph Lumbroso Saint Louis University, Madrid, Spain. Converso and Morisco Studies. Converso and morisco are the terms applied to those Jews and Muslims who converted to Christianity in large numbers and usually under duress in late Medieval Spain The Converso and Morisco Studies conferences and publications examine the implications of these mass conversions, for the converts themselves, for their heirs (also referred to as conversos and moriscos ) and for Medieval and Modern Spanish culture. Herrera, M. Miriam. Crypto-Jews/Anusim Links Ms. Herrera is a converso poet descended from Natives of the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. She has compiled a list of resources on these categories: History & Definitions, The Spanish & Mexican Inquisitions, Tools for Researching Crypto-Jewish Heritage, Writers & Artists, Personal Stories, Culture & Folklore, and Book Reviews. Jacobs, Janet Liebman. 2002. Chapter Five: "Conversion and the Rekindling of the Jewish Soul," In Hidden Heritage: The Legacy of the Crypto-Jews. Berkeley, CA: The University of California Press. [available online http://www.ucpress.edu/books/pages/9701/9701.ch05.html Valerio, Max. "The Atlantic Monthly Exposé," HALAPID 8:1 (Winter 2001) p. 4-5, 8-10. The Crypto-Jews: An Ancient Heritage Comes Alive Again, Volume 2, Number 1, Southwest Jewish History Sefard Forum - E-mail discussion list for researchers of Sephardic genealogy Conversos in Latin America Sephardim in Spain Sephardim in Portugal Kulanu Website: "All Of Us", is an organization which reflects the community of interests of individuals of varied backgrounds and religious practices dedicated to finding and assisting lost and dispersed remnants of the Jewish people. It includes links to past newsletters, articles on a variety of related topics, and contains information on upcoming events sponsored by the Society for Crypto-Judaic Studies. Interested in more? Join the Kulanu_Mexico Yahoo group. "Kulanu activities in Mexico in locating, assisting and interacting with Mexican Jewish groups and emerging Anousim communities." Visit The Society for Crypto-Judaic Studies website. You will find many informative articles in its publication, HaLAPID.