Crypto Jews and Anussim

Many customs from their Jewish past have cret into the behavior of these people. A lot of them do not know why they do these things or may know that they have Jewish blood in theor families. Some have no idea they are Jewish but feel an identity or afinity to Judaism. Some customs are:


The following is an incomplete list of practices that may be indicative of Jewish origin among anusim in the New World today …
Told one is Jewish explicitly by parents, grandparents, or other relatives.

Having Jewish family names: Duran, Lopez, etc.
Coming from predominantly anusim villages in Neuvo Reyno de Leon, Santa Fe, San Elisario, etc.
Married los muestros.
Speaking Ladino.

Secret synagogues; secret prayer groups.
Saying: “Hashem (Tetragrammaton) es mi dio”
“El Sabado see el dia la gloria”
Avoiding church.
Churches without icons.

Lighting candles on Friday night.
Clean house and clothes for Shabbat.
Not allowed to do anything Friday night (not even wash hair).
El Dia Puro (Yom Kippur).
Celebrating a spring holiday.
Fasts: 3 days of Taanit Esther; every Monday and Thursday.
Venerating Jewish saints, with celebrations: Santa Esterika, Santo Moises, etc.
Eight candles for Christmas.

Circumcision; consecration on eighth day (avoiding circumcision because that would bind child to the laws of Moses).
Biblical first names, like Esther.
Women taught Tanakh and ruled on questions.
Married under “huppah.”
Rending of garments; burial within one day; covering mirrors; spigots in cemetaries.
Seven days, then one year, of mourning.
Tombstones bearing Hebrew names and Jewish symbols.

Posessing talit and tefillin, mezuzot, Tanakh, siddurim, other Jewish objects.
Sweeping the floor away from the door.
Possessing kabbalistic knowledge and practices.

Ritual slaughter (special knives, tested on hair or nails); covering blood; removing sinew.
Purging, soaking, salting meat.
Avoiding pork (called “unclean” “marrano”) and shellfish.
Avoiding blood; throwing out eggs with bloodspots.
Avoiding red meat in general.
Waiting between meat and milk.
Ate only food prepared by mother of maternal grandmother.

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