In the early Middle Ages, Spanish Jewry was one of the oldest and most successful Diaspora Jewish communities. But from 1391 onwards, a series of terrible disturbances and great tribulations befell the Jews of Iberia, resulting in unprecedented waves of expulsion, persecution and forced conversions. These tragic events culminated in 1492, when the remaining Jews were formally expelled by Spanish monarchs. Many of those who had been compelled to convert to Catholicism – known by the Hebrew term Bnei Anousim, “children of the forcibly converted” – remained behind, where they continued to preserve their Jewish identity and to practice Jewish tradition covertly, away from the prying eyes of the Inquisition and its enforcers. One of the most famous examples was the converted Jews from Palma de Mallorca who are known to this day by the name “chuetas”(pig(.
Bnei Anousim in Portugal
In 1497, the Portuguese king presented the Jews living in his realm with a dastardly choice: convert or die. Some chose death, but most of Portuguese Jewry were dragged to the baptismal font and compelled to accept Catholicism against their will. However, many of these “New Christians” did their utmost to remain loyal to their Jewish roots, passing down the faith and practices of their ancestors across the generations. While many died heroically at the hands of the Inquisition for their continued fidelity to Judaism, others somehow succeeded in preserving their Jewish identity. Perhaps the most famous example was the community of Belmonte, in northern Portugal, where some 150 Bnai Anousim were formally restored to the Jewish people two decades ago by a rabbinical court sent from Israel.
Bnei Anousim in Brazil
When the doors of the New World swung open in the 16th and 17th centuries, Brazil played an important role for the Bnei Anousim. Seeking to distance themselves from Spain and Portugal, where the hand of the Inquisition was heaviest, the Bnei Anousim actively participated in the colonization and development of the new continent. Brazil offered the possibility of a new life, and the hope of one day returning to the faith of their ancestors. But the long arm of the Inquisition reached across the Atlantic, and continued to pursue the Bnei Anousim, hunting down those accused of secretly practicing Judaism and remaining faithful to the Torah. But even the heartless cruelty and ruthless efficiency of the Inquisitors could not extinguish the flame of Judaism, and countless thousands of families, especially in the interior of northern Brazil, continued to preserve Jewish rituals and traditions. This flame is still very much alive today, and in cities such as Recife, Fortaleza and Natal, the descendants of Brazil’s Bnei Anousim are once again clamoring to rejoin their people, the nation of Israel.
Benei Anusim in Chile
In the capital city of Chile, Santiago, a tiny group of Benei Anusim have formed themselves a community, Kehilat Yosef Chaim. They set up their own synagogue, started practicing openly their Jewish traditions over the last decade and made contact with the local spiritual leader Rabbi Moshe Nachimovsky, who in turn contacted Shavei Israel asking for their assistance. That assistance came in the unusual form of a rocket scientist and Rabbi, Rabbi Avraham Israel Latapiat.
Originally from Chile himself, Rabbi Latapiat obtained his Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Pennsylvania and subsequently served as a professor in the Central University of Venezuela where he co-founded the “Knowing in Freedom” program, which is attached to the faculties of medicine, economics and social sciences. He is a member of the American Mathematical Society and has published widely on astrophysics, including via the Astrophysics Center of NASA and the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.
Rabbi Latapiat received his rabbinic ordination from Israel’s Pirchei Shoshanim Yeshiva. He established a kollel (a yeshiva for married men) called HaOr HaKadosh in Caracas, Venezuela, before moving back to Chile. When he moved he expressed an interest in working with the Benei Anusim and now he and his wife teach classes there on a regular basis.
The persecution of Jews in Chile via the Inquisition only ended when the country gained independence from Spain in 1818. The Benei Anusim continued to keep their traditions secretly as they had over the past hundreds of years and it is only recently that some have openly returned to Jewish traditions. It is not known exactly how many Benei Anusim still reside in Chile.
Benei Anusim in Colombia
One of the most recent and fascinating developments among the Benei Anusim is the establishment of communities in Colombia. One such community has sprung up in the city of Bello, Colombia under the tutelage of Rabbi Eldad Villegas. Villegas grew up in the city of Bello, Colombia believing he was Christian. By 19 years of age, he was the pastor of a church with 3,000 members. But something didn’t feel right. Were there Jewish roots in his past? After a trip to Israel, Villegas began exploring his identity as part of the Bnei Anousim, Jews who were compelled to convert to Catholicism 500 years ago by the Inquisition. He ultimately converted to Judaism…and was ordained as a rabbi. Today he serves as the spiritual leader of the Benei Anusim community in his area who as recently as five years ago saw themselves as Christians. According to Bogota Chief Rabbi Goldschmidt, there are seven such communities around Colombia with as many as 300 members in one of them.