Cache of Crypto-Jewish Recipes Dating to Inquisition Found in Miami Kitchen(timesofisrael.com)
timesofisrael.com
Cache of Crypto-Jewish Recipes Dating to Inquisition Found in Miami Kitchen
https://www.timesofisrael.com/cache-of-crypto-jewish-recipes-dating-to-inquisition-found-in-miami-kitchen
58 comments
There were many jews that, more or less sincerely, converted to stay. We that have a family name that references an animal, like Lobo, León or Aguilar, are probably descendents of jews.
Crypto-judaism was a damning suspicion for a long time. A prime minister from my hometown changed his name from Méndez to Mendizábal. Former sounds jew, while the later sounds basque. Also he didn't mention where he was from. Actually, almost nobody in my hometown knows he was a local, though it also might be because he confiscated most properties of Catholic Church:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_%C3%81lvarez_Mendiz%C3%A1...
Crypto-judaism was a damning suspicion for a long time. A prime minister from my hometown changed his name from Méndez to Mendizábal. Former sounds jew, while the later sounds basque. Also he didn't mention where he was from. Actually, almost nobody in my hometown knows he was a local, though it also might be because he confiscated most properties of Catholic Church:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_%C3%81lvarez_Mendiz%C3%A1...
>We that have a family name that references an animal, like Lobo, León or Aguilar, are probably descendents of jews.
If I remember correctly, that is an popular myth. Why should it be the case?
If I remember correctly, that is an popular myth. Why should it be the case?
I heard it from my History teacher [1]. Where did he hear from, no idea. But someone seems to think it's not so outrageous:
https://bloodandfrogs.com/2011/05/animals-and-name-pairs-in-...
Edit: I forgot to say that true jew names would have been impossible to keep. They had to change names when they converted, choosing sometimes an "old christian" name to blend in, or maybe something with some cultural meaning for them.
There are lists with names compiled from Santo Oficio trial records, that include those names indeed, but also other very common, just for the reasons I mentioned. I still believe the animal hint is true because most of these names are unusual.
[1] His name is Aguilar, but he's a communist with very little sympathy for anything Israel, so I doubt he was trying to spread "jewish propaganda" like other commenter said.
https://bloodandfrogs.com/2011/05/animals-and-name-pairs-in-...
Edit: I forgot to say that true jew names would have been impossible to keep. They had to change names when they converted, choosing sometimes an "old christian" name to blend in, or maybe something with some cultural meaning for them.
There are lists with names compiled from Santo Oficio trial records, that include those names indeed, but also other very common, just for the reasons I mentioned. I still believe the animal hint is true because most of these names are unusual.
[1] His name is Aguilar, but he's a communist with very little sympathy for anything Israel, so I doubt he was trying to spread "jewish propaganda" like other commenter said.
Replying to the dead comment: you're probably right about León, but López comes from Lope (as in De Vega).
They are a lot of "crypto" cases, essentially people back then took the faith of the ruler. Convert or die.
The case of the "Kakure Kirishitan" (lit: hidden Christians) in Japan is an interesting case. Essentially adherents to the Catholic faith during a period of persecution by the Buddhist/Shinto/etc in the 1600s.
They went so far as representing icons such as the Virgin Mary holding the baby Jesus with statues of what appeared to be Buddhas and Boddhisatvas in the same poses.
This variant ended up (as you might expect) slowly becoming something very distinct from traditional Catholicism. In general they merged back into the mainline Catholic faith when it was eventually permitted, but some remained separated, creating some really fascinating religious syncretisms.
They went so far as representing icons such as the Virgin Mary holding the baby Jesus with statues of what appeared to be Buddhas and Boddhisatvas in the same poses.
This variant ended up (as you might expect) slowly becoming something very distinct from traditional Catholicism. In general they merged back into the mainline Catholic faith when it was eventually permitted, but some remained separated, creating some really fascinating religious syncretisms.
That also reminds me of not hidden Lithuanian Tatars. Basically Tatars living in Lithuania for centuries. While mostly cut off from the rest of the Muslim world never adopted Catholicism.
Some Lipka Tatars immigrated to USA and still exist having built some of the oldest mosques in the country.
This is super interesting, never heard of them before! Led me down a Wikipedia rabithole.
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Fun read. I’ve never heard the term “crypto Jews” before — I’ve just used the special case “Marranos”.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marrano
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marrano
Footnote: Marrano in spanish is a colloquial term for "pig", (one covered in mud from head to toes) and by extension means a "very dirty people". Is another example of a word that is fair to use to denote a temporal trait but awful to use as a permanent trait. For example: "You were playing in the mud and acting like a pig, so wash you before dinner" is acceptable. "You are a pig" (always, therefore: cattle, subhuman, etc...) it isn't.
Is a derogatory word from a long time ago, happily surpassed. Would be very rude to use it in a spanish speaking context to describe a jew nowadays (except maybe as an historical reference or cite).
Is a derogatory word from a long time ago, happily surpassed. Would be very rude to use it in a spanish speaking context to describe a jew nowadays (except maybe as an historical reference or cite).
In Portugal they were called New Christians. Things were so crappy for these people. They trace their history both in Portugal and Spain for centuries. Frictions existed but things were mostly settled with whole villages professing Jewish creed. Hell even the kings were fine with this and took a very profitable tax from their difference for as long as there was portuguese kingdom(do not know about the Muslim occupation). Then something, which I still do not understand where it came from, all the Jewish people started to be prosecuted and were forced to convert. A shame and a disgrace that can still be studied in places like Belmonte or Reguengos de Monsaraz. As a heads up, you can get automatic portuguese nationality if you can prove that your ancestors were Jewish people exiled during the inquisition. This is special because portuguese nationality is only inheritable up to grandparent level and is not automatic outside portuguese territory. Remarkably there have been Israel citizens applying for in non significant numbers.
That's a derogative term though. Jewish term is anusim.
("anusim" being Hebrew for "forced"/"under duress")
It does mean "forced" or "under duress" in this sense, but in a very strong sense. It shares the same root as "raped".
The Hebrew term can also have a derogative meaning.
That title reminds me of "The Jewish-Japanese Sex & Cook Book and How to Raise Wolves" (https://www.amazon.com/Jewish-Japanese-Cook-Book-Raise-Wolve...)
What's even more interesting is that women of this family knew how to write for 15 generations.
Even more interesting is that the article claims this person managed to trace back her maternal lineage for 22 generations (!), and found out that it was an unbroken Jewish maternal lineage. What a curious combination for someone who previously "felt drawn to Judaism and converted to Modern Orthodox Judaism".
Of course, 22 generations means thousands of ancestors, who moreover, according to the article, have been living as Catholics for more than three hundred years. It's dumbfounding what kind of ethno-sectarian reasoning must be behind the claim that she's Crypto-Jewish.
Of course, 22 generations means thousands of ancestors, who moreover, according to the article, have been living as Catholics for more than three hundred years. It's dumbfounding what kind of ethno-sectarian reasoning must be behind the claim that she's Crypto-Jewish.
> and found out that it was an unbroken Jewish maternal lineage.
But I think any female who has a female ancestor who is Jewish would also have an “unbroken Jewish maternal lineage”, right? Or am I misunderstanding that?
But I think any female who has a female ancestor who is Jewish would also have an “unbroken Jewish maternal lineage”, right? Or am I misunderstanding that?
No, if the female ancestor is, for example, your grandmother on your father's side, the maternal lineage is broken. Basically Jewishness is in the mitochondrial DNA.
Sorry, I was unclear. What I meant is: if a female has a Jewish female ancestor as part of the female only lineage from which they get their mitochondria, then they definitionally have an “unbroken Jewish maternal lineage”, because it could be no other way. But it’s not really an interesting observation, since it’s true of most Jewish women that this line reaches extremely far back in time (since Jews generally don’t seek converts and, so, being Jewish is mostly a genetic matter, in practice).
¡Munchas! Descendent of Marranos (cryptojews) here, AMA.
This headline sounds like a Metal Gear mission brief.
Oh man, as a non native English speaker, this title was the hardest to ever read! I had trouble figuring out what is was about. Caching? Caching of cryptocurrency? Some Jewish cryptocurrency? Recipies? Jewish recipies stored in cryptocurrency? Dating? Dating for Jews? A recipe for dating, stored in cryptocurrency targeted at Jews? Jews dating during the inquisision?
And that was not even considering the Miami Kitchen.
And that was not even considering the Miami Kitchen.
I found the title easy to read, but then, I am familiar with non-technological uses of the word “cache,” what “crypto-Jewish” is, and how that directly ties into the inquisition.
This is less a bad headline and more a mismatch between the audience’s knowledge level of Jewish history and the editor’s expectations.
Then again, an Israeli readership’s average level of Jewish history knowledge is likely not the same as HN’s level of knowledge.
This is less a bad headline and more a mismatch between the audience’s knowledge level of Jewish history and the editor’s expectations.
Then again, an Israeli readership’s average level of Jewish history knowledge is likely not the same as HN’s level of knowledge.
> A recipe for dating, stored in cryptocurrency targeted at Jews?
I'm going to go build this!
I'm going to go build this!
Not specifically targeted at Jews...
https://whooo.dating/
https://whooo.dating/
> this title was the hardest to ever read!
A couple of commas, after recipes and inquisition, would easily solve the ambiguity
A couple of commas, after recipes and inquisition, would easily solve the ambiguity
I'm not a native speaker, but I found it easy to understand. (I haven't even opened the article yet, but I am fairly sure it's about people who are Jewish in secret.)
It helps, if you are vaguely familiar with the history in question.
It helps, if you are vaguely familiar with the history in question.
Native speaker here, I had no idea what the title meant at all until I looked at the article. It just would not fit into my head. Kind of like a crash blossom or something.
Oh good, I was not the only one.
I did not read the article or comments yet and still do not know what this is about so it will be a surprise.
My guess: someone found, in a cache made in a kitchen in Miami, a book with Jewish recipes (food) written in an "encypted" way so that they stay secret. The recipes date back to 13th century.
It sounds like the title of a Cluedo game.
I did not read the article or comments yet and still do not know what this is about so it will be a surprise.
My guess: someone found, in a cache made in a kitchen in Miami, a book with Jewish recipes (food) written in an "encypted" way so that they stay secret. The recipes date back to 13th century.
It sounds like the title of a Cluedo game.
"crypto" jewish means jews living in secrecy about their religion because of persecution.
Yes, I found that out when reading the article. I never heard that expression.
I was 40% wrong but the read was interesting.
The part about dishes being too eggy when done with today's eggs is a sign of times.
I also read a bit recently about kushrut after listening on a Jewish radio in France a discussion about whether a Jew can have a coffee in a in a bar (in France). The dissecting of the various components of the act (coffee, water, milk, the kind of cup,...) was fascinating.
The part about dishes being too eggy when done with today's eggs is a sign of times.
I also read a bit recently about kushrut after listening on a Jewish radio in France a discussion about whether a Jew can have a coffee in a in a bar (in France). The dissecting of the various components of the act (coffee, water, milk, the kind of cup,...) was fascinating.
I rather like the term "Crypto-Jewish" as a means of describing myself (although I don't profess to be part of any faith whatsoever).
Swede who has only been in London once here and the only thing that I don't understand is "Crypto-Jewish". A cache of items is a quite common word or phrase to use. Like cache of weapons, something you'd learn just by playhing modern video games. Or reading scifi.
I assume crypto-jewish has something to do with mythical, as in cryptozoology.
I assume crypto-jewish has something to do with mythical, as in cryptozoology.
"Crypto-" means "hidden" - the name "cryptozoology" was coined by people who think all of those mythical creatures actually exist and are just hiding/hidden from the rest of us.
Crypto-Jews were Jews that could not identify as such because they would be persecuted. I think there is a very interesting museum of Crypto-Jews in Córdoba, Spain.
> I assume crypto-jewish has something to do with mythical, as in cryptozoology.
The definition was already mentioned elsewhere in the comments -- crypto-Jews are (in the Inquisition context) Jews claiming to be Christians.
The definition was already mentioned elsewhere in the comments -- crypto-Jews are (in the Inquisition context) Jews claiming to be Christians.
Aka as “marrano” (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marrano) I’ve been told a telltale sign you might have such ancestry is having a surname named from a city.
ferongr(5)
antpls(1)
antpls(2)
> Crypto-Judaism is the secret adherence to Judaism while publicly professing to be of another faith; practitioners are referred to as "crypto-Jews" (origin from Greek kryptos – κρυπτός, 'hidden').
> The term is especially applied historically to Spanish Jews who outwardly professed Catholicism, also known as Anusim or Marranos. The phenomenon is especially associated with renaissance Spain, following the 6 June, 1391, Anti-Jewish pogroms and the expulsion of the Jews in 1492.
[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crypto-Judaism