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ChabadU History History of the Jews in Exile

The End of Spanish Jewry

The Jews in Exile

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The End of Spanish Jewry: The Jews in Exile

This class covers the tumultuous period that included the Inquisition and the expulsion from Spain. Much of this class focuses on the life of Don Yitzchak Abarbanel.
Audio: Listen to Audio | Download this MP3
Topics: History, Black Plague, Abarbanel, Rabbi Don Isaac, Spanish & Portuguese Expulsion; Inquisition, Jewish History
By Mendel Dubov
Rabbi Mendel Dubov is the director of Chabad in Sussex County, NJ, and a member of faculty at the Rabbinical College of America in Morristown, NJ.
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Rachel Wisconsin via JewishTV iOS January 23, 2023

Thank You for this historical information and commentary. Reply

Anonymous February 5, 2019

I enjoyed the video, but you need to get some facts right: the marriage of Isabel and Fernando is 1469 (not 1475). The last Muslim kingdom conquered by the Catholic Monarchs was Granada (not Malaga, conquered a few years earlier in 1487). Fernando was everything but a devout Catholic. In fact, it is plausible that one of his ancestors was a a Jewish woman. It is great that you spend time with Sephardic Spain but you need to get some details right. Reply

Lynne Johnson Santa fe April 23, 2023
in response to Anonymous:

I have read that the Alhambra decree was actually signed in Granada. I have been studying our Sephardic ancestry and the Inquisition for years. Any new information would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. Reply

yaakov lexington,virginia,24450 January 20, 2017

I had read it was against the law in Spain not to be Catholic until 1968.
Evil. Reply

Lynne Johnson Santa fe April 23, 2023
in response to yaakov:

And now they want us to come back, but only if we speak Spanish??????? Reply

Mendel Dubov Sparta, NJ November 18, 2015

To jorge lance santelices The first thing would be to do a little work in tracing mother's family as much as possible. There are websites and organizations that are devoted to this. Your next steps should follow the results of your research. Reply

jorge lance santelices November 17, 2015

My mother although born in chile, was from spain, and apparently they were Spanish jews, possible they change their surname fron Eliseo to santelices, I will like to found out more about my heritage as I want to embrace Judaism.
yours sincerely jorge Reply

Jose Longoria October 22, 2014

Spanish series ISABEL shows that part of the Spanish history There is a very good TV series "ISABEL" forecast in the Spanish TV (rtve.es) which is actually showing that terrible episode of the Spanish inquisition and the movement against the Jews in Spain. Reply

Anonymous Virginia June 28, 2014

Early jews in America Have you read the articles and seen the pictures of the Los Luna Decalogue stone that is located about 35 miles outside of Albuquerque. It has ancient Hebrew script. Reply

Lynne Johnson Santa Fe, NM April 23, 2023
in response to Anonymous:

Can you tell me where this is? I live in Santa Fe and would like to see it. I know where Los Lunas is.
I Just discovered that my daughter's paternal grandmother is descended from the only survivor of Luis Carvajal's family, Alonso. He was 5 years old and saved by either a female relative or neighbor who claimed him as her own. Alonso's mother was the granddaughter of Dona Gracia. We will be going to Monterey when we can. Reply

Joyce C Ohio July 10, 2013

Thank you for this video class. Very interesting. My maternal grandmother's family came from Spain and settled in the Netherlands/Holland (in Zutphen and 'sHertogenbosch/Den Bosch), but in order to live in these towns, they had to pay a fee ... Reply

Gil Great Neck, N.Y. July 5, 2013

Spanish Jewry Christopher Columbus, family name Columbo was a descendant of Spanish Jews, his family were wool merchants from Genua , he was a "converso" and would have never received money from King Ferdinand and Queen Isobella, the stalwart Catholic monarchs of Spain if they knew he was a Jew. The ships logs were entered in Hebrew. Incidently the wool merchants of Genua at that time were predominantly comprised of Jews. Reply

Catherine ny ny July 5, 2013

Sicilian jews My family came to America from Sicily. My maternal grandmother's maiden name was Russo. Her family oral history recounted coming from Spain and Russia. They said they were originally Jews. Her sister had a hidden Menorah which she took out and lit in secrecy and a lot of their dishes were Jewish. So now as a Christian I am married to a Jewish man and have become very involved in mystical judiasm. I had my DNA done and entered the Russo study run by Mr. GREENSPAN in Texas Family Tree DNA. Turns out .....my DNA proves that my halpogroup J was primarily Jewish. So I was very interested in listening to your knowledge about this topic. Thank you. Reply

K Smith Southern Ohio July 5, 2013

Approximately 600 Spanish [Sephardim] Sent to Amsterdam Is it true the Spanish Sephardim [descendants of Maimonides] discovered the Dutch West Indies -- that approximately 200 made it up to discover 'New Amsterdam' [near Albany, NY] later?

Would these be the same Sephardim rumored to have later migrated East; inter-married w/ American Indians, Freed Blacks becoming the little known 'Black Dutch Melungeons' of Appalachia?

Personal research [and matrilineal oral tradition] has lead me to conclude this is indeed my heritage.

I rarely hear Sephardic history so this lesson is tremendously valued & appreciated.

Thank you very much.

Reply

scott chicago il August 9, 2017
in response to K Smith:

Add a comment...aaron lopez and moses levy owned 36 slave ships Reply

Lynne Johnson Santa fe April 23, 2023
in response to K Smith:

Ever since about 100,000 Jews fled Spain to Poland in the 1300's, the center of Jewish life has moved east. We need to acknowledge the Sephardim and end the exile of our own people from Jewish life in America. Remember the first synagogue in New York City was founded in 1653 by Jews fleeing Brazil once the Inquisition hit Portugal. I practice Ashkenazi tradition because my community does, but our heritage is Sephardic, too. Reply

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