It was fortuitous that I decided to start researching both my Jewish roots and culinary practices in the sane year 1992 It was the 500th anniversary of the Expulsion from Spain and fortunately for me that year’s related events created a lot of interest in Sephardic matters My maternal grandmother’s family came from the Azores [...]

Nestled amidst the buildings of London’s financial district positioned such that it rests on what was once the east edge of the city one finds the oldest standing synagogue in England the Bevis Marks ynagogue Having just celebrated its Tricentenial celebration in 2001 Bevis Marks has offered a haven to many Jews seeking to escape persecution [...]

The study of genetics and especially the concept of DNA testing has gained much interest in recent years in the medical and forensic areas This interest also is beginning to increase in the area of genealogy and in several areas of academia Since the mid1990s I have introduced my classes in ethnicity to the research [...]

More than a decade ago I set out to write an article about the "secret Jews" of the South West on assignment from The New York Times I had been warned by Dr Stanley Hordes it would not be easy to interview these descendents of Spanish and Portuguese families who fled from the Inquisition 500 years [...]

Given At The 2002 Conference of The Society For Crypto Judaic Studies In San Diego My paper this morning will be divided into five sections I will first examine existing rabbinic responsa Second I will turn to elements of the laws of conversion as they affect the anusim Third I will examine two status [...]

Presentation of Steve Gomes at the Conference of the SCJS San Diego August 2002 Shalom Today marks the celebration of my first Rosh Hashanah as a Jew! When I entered the mikveh or ritual bath at the University of Judaism in Los Angeles before a Beit Din or rabbinical court it was the single defining [...]

Portuguese Jewish Heritage Conference Tour: Those who gathered on June 9 in Lisbon were taking part in something very new and at the same time very old Without the modern phenomena known as cyberspace and the Saudades website this probably could not have taken place at all or at least been delayed many years and [...]

Descendants of Spanish Jews in South Texas? Yes we’re there and we still use some Spanish Jewish words (Ladino) all the time! First I’ll discuss research on the Cadena Jewish genealogy then my most recent Sephardic traditions discoveries and hidden Jewish practices among some family members Next I’ll describe related events in the PostAmerican Civil War [...]

St Vicente Ferrer (13501419) was a Dominican preacher (Orden de Predicadores) from Valencia Spain who played a critical role during the events of the late 1300’s and early 1400’s that led to the forced conversions of thousands of Jews and the massacres of others When Ferrer was forty years old he launched a campaign against Judaism [...]

Over the past couple of decades this music has enjoyed a timely and muchdeserved renaissance But there is a good deal of confusion about what it is called how old it is who sings it and how it should be sung For Halapid readers here is a general outline to try to clear this up The [...]