Message from The SCJS President
Dr. Elisheva Irma Diaz
It is both an honor and a privilege to serve as President of the Society for Crypto-Judaic Studies. I do so with deep gratitude for those who have gone before us. Scholars, descendants, archivists, genealogists, writers, artists, and seekers whose dedication has helped bring hidden histories into the light. I am especially grateful to our immediate past president, Blanca Carrasco, and to the many individuals whose leadership and vision have sustained this Society for more than three decades.
We find ourselves in a remarkable season in the study of crypto-Judaism.
What was once a largely overlooked field of inquiry has matured into a vibrant, interdisciplinary area of scholarship. Historians, anthropologists, geneticists, literary scholars, theologians, genealogists, and social scientists continue to expand our understanding of the complexity of hidden Jewish communities and the varied ways in which identity is preserved, adapted, remembered, forgotten, and reclaimed across generations.
At the same time, this work remains profoundly human. Behind archival documents, Inquisition records, oral traditions, family customs, and genetic data are real people and communities wrestling with questions of memory, belonging, resilience, and meaning. For some, the study of crypto-Judaism is an academic pursuit. For others, it is deeply personal. The Society has long served as a unique meeting place where rigorous scholarship and lived experience can exist in respectful dialogue, each enriching the other without diminishing the integrity of either.
In an age increasingly marked by polarization and certainty, our work calls us to intellectual humility. The history of crypto-Jewish communities resists simplistic narratives. It invites careful research, thoughtful interpretation, and a willingness to engage complexity with both curiosity and compassion. It reminds us that identity is often layered and that the human story is rarely linear.
As we look toward the future, my hope is that SCJS will continue to foster excellence in scholarship, encourage emerging voices, support creative expression, and cultivate meaningful connections among all who seek to better understand this fascinating and consequential chapter of Jewish history.
The Hebrew word zikaron, “remembrance, is not merely an act of recalling the past. It is an invitation to carry memory forward with responsibility and purpose. May we continue to be faithful stewards of these histories, honoring those who came before us while creating space for future generations to ask new questions, uncover new insights, and deepen our collective understanding.
It is an honor to serve as your President, and I look forward to the work we will undertake together.
Kon salud i pas para todos.
(Ladino: “With health and peace for all.”)
L’Shalom,
Dr. Elisheva Irma Diaz
President 2026-2028
Society for Crypto-Judaic Studies
