Tuesday, March 07, 2023
Elder of Ziyon
Times of Israel has an interesting article about how crypto-Jews in Mallorca would continue to celebrate Purim by calling it the "Feast of St. Esther."
A brave woman named Ana Cortés admitted to the Church that she was still celebrating Jewish holidays and studying (illegal) Jewish texts.
The crypto-Jews of Mallorca paid a heavy price for clinging to their Jewish faith. Pedro Onofro Cortés was burned at the stake. Ana Cortés was sentenced twice for the crime of “Judaizing” or secretly practicing and teaching Judaism, once in 1677 and again in 1688.Indeed, historical works about the Inquisition mention the "Judaizing" charge brought against crypto-Jews.
Today, the same term "Judaizing" is still being used as an epithet - when referring to Israel "Judaizing" Judaism's holiest city.
Just as it was then, the term is used by antisemites to make it moral crime to keep Jews or the Jewish capital - Jewish.
It was an insult then and it is an insult now. And in both cases, it is only antisemites who use the term as an epithet.
