Re: Another from my archives.

"The Old Bear" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> "Leon" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
>

> At one time, I had become curious about the supposed Jewish presence in
> the New World at the time of Spanish rule.  There has been quite a bit
> written about the topic, particularly about Jews are rumored to have
> represented themselves as non-Jews ("conversos") to flee the Inquisition.
>
> Supposedly, a number of these Jews found their way to what is now New
> Mexico, it being a remote territory and about as far as one could get
> from the Spanish governor in Mexico -- and was less subject to strict
> enforcement of the Inquisition.
>
> There are many verified and even more unverified stories of these New
> Mexico "crypto-Jews" who masked their Judaism in the rituals of
> Catholicism.
>
> One of the most intriguing of things I found in my readings was a mention
> of rural communities where the local church celebrates a "Feast of Saint
> Esther" at roughly the same time of year as Purim.  (There is, of course,
> no Saint Esther in the canon of Catholic saints -- although Saint Esther
> is well-known as a Hispanic "folk saint.")
>
> So much of this material is ephemera and lacks documentation, so I do not
> know if this is true or just a clever story.
>
> See: http://www.forward.com/issues/2000/00.12.01/featherman.html
>
> Cheers,
> The Old Bear
>

Another source on this issue

The Jews of Mexico Emergence, Submergence, and Resurgence
Written by Dr. Benjamin Laureano Luna, 1975, and  updated for Kulanu
(Translated by Max Amichai Heppner)

(Translator's Note: At the moment, there is a resurgence of interest in
Judaism in Mexico, especially among descendants of Jews forced to convert to
Christianity more than 500 years ago. Dr. Benjamin Laurano is a leader of
one of those resurgent communities. His family was and is one of the
fiercest and most intransigent among those who resisted the Inquisition in
Spain and the Spanish colonies.
Dr. Laureano's history traces the ancestry of Jews in Spain back to the time
of Abraham and covers Jewish-Christian relations from the time of Jesus.
However, the central message of his historical essay shows that the
Sephardic community successfully resisted centuries-long persecution by the
Inquisition and meticulously maintained its heritage underground against
terrific odds. His work stands up solidly against allegations that the
Mestizo Jewish community has no true Jewish antecedents and instead derives
from Protestant conversions in the 19th century.

Dr. Laureano's own family history is interwoven with this general historical
review, showing the remarkable lineage of leadership that extends to the
present generation. He is not only a vibrant religious leader, but a
respected journalist and a leading member of the Mexico City liberal
intelligentsia. The following excerpts show some of Dr. Laureano's main
points.)

http://kulanu.org/emergence.html