Society for Crypto-Judaic Studies
 | |
| Formation | 1991 |
|---|---|
| Type | Non-profit |
| Purpose | Research on Crypto-Judaism |
| Website | www |
The Society for Crypto-Judaic Studies (SCJS) is an American non-profit organization that promotes historical research and contemporary developments concerning Sephardic Crypto-Jews and their descendants, who are part of the Jewish diaspora originating from Spain and Portugal that fled to the New World during the Inquisition. Founded in 1991, the organization hosts an annual conference and publishes a biannual journal.
History
[edit]The SCJS was founded in 1991 by Rabbi Joshua Stampfer of Portland, Oregon, and Dr. Stanley Hordes of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and playwright Rena Down of New York City.[1][2] The first SCJS meeting was held in Fort Burgwin, near Taos, New Mexico.[3] In 1994, the SCJS held an annual conference in several towns in Portugal.[4] This was the only time they held a conference outside of the US. The following year, they launched their current website. The first set of bylaws for the organization were approved at a conference in Pueblo, Colorado, in 2001.[3]
The organization's primary mission is to promote historical research and contemporary developments related to Sephardic Crypto-Jews and their descendants,[5] who are part of the Jewish diaspora originating from Spain and Portugal and now dispersed globally. Initially founded as a strictly academic and research-focused institution, the organization has since broadened its scope to become multidisciplinary. Its membership has also expanded to include non-academics from diverse cultural backgrounds, embracing both religious and secular circles. Some members belong to mainstream Jewish communities, while others are laypersons who follow non-Jewish traditions or faiths.[6][7] The SCJS serves as a major repository of resource materials related to the Sephardic Jews who fled Europe for the New World during the Inquisition.[8]
The organization hosts annual meetings that bring together both academics and non-academics to discuss recent research and narratives related to Crypto-Jewish studies.[6] A significant portion of attendees are from New Mexico and the broader Southwestern United States,[6][9] a region with historical ties to Sephardic Jews dating back to early colonization.[10] The conferences typically feature a keynote address, presentations on recent research, personal accounts from individuals reconnecting with their Crypto-Jewish heritage, and entertainment.[11] SCJS has investigated DNA studies related to Crypto-Jews, other European Jewish groups, and the broader Jewish community.[12]
In January 2013,[13] the SCJS affiliated with the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) to create a scholarly research program. The goal of this program was to promote interdisciplinary work between the school's faculty, the student body, members of the community, researchers, and the extended Jewish community. It was described as the "first university-based program in the United States" focused on advancing research in Sephardic Crypto-Jewish studies. The program also aimed to develop a dedicated curriculum to cover this topic.[14] Years prior, the UCCS hosted a SCJS annual conference on its campus.[15] The affiliate program with UCCS ended in December 2015.[13]
Publications
[edit]The SCJS publishes an biannual journal called HaLapid (Hebrew: The Torch), which features research articles and stories submitted by writers on topics related to Sephardim and Crypto-Judaism.[16][17] The journal was founded by Bob Hattem in 1992 and has remained active since its inception.[3] The journal mostly includes academic research articles and personal stories by descendants of Crypto-Jews.[18][19] The HaLapid used to be hosted on a different website called the The Sephardi Connection, which was active in the 1990s and early 2000s.[20]
SCJS also publishes a free online newsletter called La Granada for its subscribers.[21] It was founded in 2013 with Debbie Wohl Isard as its manager.[3] Unlike HaLapid, which is published biannually, La Granada is released several times throughout the year to provide updates and developments between HaLapid's issues.[22]
References
[edit]- ^ "Society for Crypto-Judaic Studies". eSefarad. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
- ^ Wheelwright, Jeff (October 2008). "The 'Secret Jews' of San Luis Valley". Smithsonian Magazine.
- ^ a b c d "The First 25 Years" (PDF). HaLapid, Society for Crypto-Judaic Studies. 2015. pp. 24–25. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
- ^ Herz 2007, p. 122.
- ^ Melammed 2004, p. 156.
- ^ a b c Kunin 2009, p. 24–26.
- ^ "Society for Crypto-Judaic Studies 28th Annual Conference". Jewish Heritage Alliance. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
- ^ Sloan 2015, p. 4.
- ^ Veciana-Sanchez, Ana (July 13, 2015). "Conference on Crypto-Jews Comes to Miami for First Time". Miami Herald.
- ^ Kunin 2023, p. 151.
- ^ "Society for Crypto-Judaic Studies Annual Conference Set for Denver in June". Boulder Jewish News. May 2, 2019.
- ^ Lavender, Abe. "DNA and the Sephardic Diaspora: Spanish and Portuguese Jews in Europe". Society for Crypto-Judaic Studies. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
- ^ a b "About Society for Crypto-Judaic Studies". Society for Crypto-Judaic Studies. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
- ^ "Historical Fiction –The Frontier between Imagination and Reality" (PDF). University of Colorado Colorado Springs. November 2013. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 3, 2024.
- ^ McGraw, Carol (March 1, 2011). "UCCS hosts conference on Sephardic Jew". The Gazette.
- ^ "HaLapid: The Official Publication of Society for Crypto-Judaic Studies". Society for Crypto-Judaic Studies. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
- ^ Liebman Jacobs 2002, p. 13.
- ^ Sloan 2015, p. 199.
- ^ Sloan 2015, p. 201-202.
- ^ "HaLapid: The Society of Crypto-Judaic Studies". The Sephardi Connection. Archived from the original on June 3, 2004.
- ^ "La Granada: Society of Crypto-Judaic Newsletter" (PDF). eSefarad. February 2023.
- ^ "La Granada: Society for Crypto-Judaic Studies Online Newsletter". Society for Crypto-Judaic Studies. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
Bibliography
[edit]- Liebman Jacobs, Janet (2002). Hidden Heritage: The Legacy of the Crypto-Jews. University of California Press. ISBN 9780520936614. OCLC 51822234.
- Herz, Cary (2007). New Mexico's Crypto-Jews: image and memory. University of New Mexico Press. ISBN 9780826342898. OCLC 124075008.
- Kunin, Seth D. (2023). Reflections on A New Mexican Crypto-Jewish Song Book. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9781666926583. OCLC 1378934911.
- Kunin, Seth Daniel (2009). Juggling Identities: Identity and Authenticity Among the Crypto-Jews. Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231512572. OCLC 1091532912.
- Melammed, Renée Levine (2004). A Question of Identity: Iberian Conversos in Historical Perspective. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195170719. OCLC 1014527259.
- Sloan, Dolores (2015). The Sephardic Jews of Spain and Portugal: Survival of an Imperiled Culture in the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries. McFarland & Company. ISBN 9781476615554. OCLC 680432065.
External links
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