Hidden Heritage: The Legacy of the Crypto-Jews

by Janet Liebman Jacobs

This study of contemporary crypto-Jews―descendants of European Jews forced to convert to Christianity during the Spanish Inquisition―traces the group's history of clandestinely conducting their faith and their present-day efforts to reclaim their past. Janet Liebman Jacobs masterfully combines historical and social scientific theory to fashion a brilliant analysis of hidden ancestry and the transformation of religious and ethnic identity.

Genres: Judaism, Jewish

212 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Luis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommended to anyone interested in learning about Crypto-Jews and their identity mainly in Latin America. Having read about and studied crypto-Jewish identities before allowed me better understand the book. I really enjoyed the research aspect of the topic and how well it mixed with personal testimonies and stories from various people with Latin American backgrounds in regards to Judaism. I only gave it 4 stars because at times I felt like it was lacking more details of the stories, though the testimonies were intentionally anonymous, some of them left me wanting more to better understand that person’s connection to their crypto-Jewish identity.

[Carol Keefer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book because the religious goal was restoration of what had been lost and the spiritual transformation was achieved. The writer is a social psychologist and I like the inclusion of a theory by William James. The writer is also a teacher. She teaches Social Science and works as a Psychologist. I was a Women's Studies student enrolled in her Women and Religion course at CU Boulder when I read this book.

[Adina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clearly it took me a while to finish this book. It was an interesting subject, but not interestingly presented. I would be interested in the future of the subject of crypto-jews, Jews primarily from Spain and Portugal who hid or lost their Jewish heritage during the Inquisition. It's definitely interesting to read about the varying ways this religious legacy has or has not been continued, but the author has somehow managed to make it drier than the sahara. Onward.