Spanish Jews
In August of 1492, more than 300,000 Jews were expelled from Spain. This expulsion ended their five (5) century involvement in the Black hostage trade in that region. – Seymour Leibman, The Jews in New Spain: Faith, Flame, and the Inquisition (Coral Gables, Florida: University of Miami Press 1970), Pg. 32
During this five (5) century involvement in dealing slaves, the Jews amassed Large fortunes and became important within Spain’s hierarchy. – Harry L.Golden and Martin Rywell, Jews in American History: Their contribution to the United States of America (Charlotte: Henry Lewis Martin Co., 1950) Pg. 5
George Cohen
” The golden age of Jewry in Spain owed some of its wealth to an international network of Jewish Slave traders. Bohemian Jews purchased Slavonians and sold them to Spanish Jews for resale to the Moors.” -Pg. 39
M. Kaylerling
Due to the fact of the Spanish Jews gaining prominence in Spain, it led to them obtaining important offices and positions of trust among the rulers at that time. The Spanish Jews had a great amount of influence over regional trade, causing many to believe that the Jews had too much control and power over the economy of the region. –M. Kayerling, Christopher Columbus and the Participation of the Jews in the Spanish and Portuguese Discoveries ( New York: Hermon Press, 1984) Pg. 28, 29, 30, 31, 83.
Due to this dislike of the Jewish influence of the economy and trade of the region, the rulers ordered all Jews to convert to Christianity or get the hell out of Spain.
Many Jews did convert to Christianity, but secretly continued to meet in the synagogue, celebrate feast days and observed the Jewish Sabbath.
Cecil Roth
“It was not difficult for insincere, temporizing Jews to become insincere temporizing Christians. – The Jews in America: The Roots, History, and Destiny of American Jews (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1978) Pg. 23
Around fifty thousand (50,000) Jews converted to Christianity. The ones who did not convey, left or were just expelled. –The Jews in Spain, Pg 32
The Jews who left or were expelled did not leave because of religious freedom, but rather to become entrepreneurs in the search for economic opportunities. Most of these Jews fled Spain with considerable amounts of money. – The Colonization of America by the Jews,” PAJHS, vol. 2 (1984), Pg. 75
They brought with them few Torah scrolls and even fewer copies of the Talmud.
Cecil Roth
When asked what he thought most Marranos (Spanish Jews) knew of Judaism and their flight from.Spain and Portugal, Roth answered in one word
“Nothing”
Simeon J. Maslin
The Majority of the expelled Jews fled south and eastward to North Africa, Salonika, Constantinople, Aleppo, and Damascus. – Simeon J. Maslin, “1732 and 1982 in Curaçao,” AJHQ, vol. 72 (December 1982), pg. 158
Some of the other escaped Jews fled to the Netherlands, where they established synagogue s, schools, cemeteries and a high level of wealth and culture.” – pg 160
Although these Jews were scattered by political, religious and economic circumstances, they would later reunite in an unholy, no good, parasitic, devilish coalition of kidnappers and slave makers.
(To Be Continued)
Yasin 