Dear Readers,

WE NEED

YOUR HELP

SOLVING

A MYSTERY

FROM

1494

Join our mailing list to be among

the first to know.

Dear Reader,

One of the substantive characteristics of the Society for Crypto-Judaic Studies (SCJS) may be found in one word intentionally included in the name of the organization itself.

That key word is STUDIES.

SCJS emerged over 25 years ago when a handful of people serendipitously found each other and formed the professional study group dedicated to the investigation and exchange of research about the existence and history of crypto-Jews.

Today, we continue studying, often on our own, sometimes together with a colleague or two.  We look forward to reading periodically about new works published in HaLapid,

and we gather each summer for the Annual Meeting and Conference to present papers, engage in panel discussions, and mingle with friends both old and new.

One year ago, this electronic newsletter La Granada was launched so that we could connect quickly with our members and subscribers when new developments surface. 

This issue brings to you the timely news that, while researching in Amsterdam, SCJS Vice President Genie Milgrom discovered something heretofore unknown to our colleagues. Read below for more about her recent discovery of the "four year rule".

We ask you, our readers, to please write in and tell us if you are able to shed some light on this obscure policy which dates back to the years immediately following the Edict of Expulsion in 1492.

Thank you for participating with SCJS as we continue to study together via the internet now connecting us far and wide.

Sincerely,

Debbie

Debbie Wohl Isard, editor

This email, reprinted with the permission of Genie Milgrom, was the start of a long trail of correspondence between some active members of SCJS.

 

 

From: Genie Milgrom
To: SCJS Board Discussion Group

Genie Milgrom

Sent: Saturday, February 1, 2014 6:48 PM
Subject: {SCJS Board Discussion} Question for the Board

 

I have been doing some massive research in Amsterdam Archives and of course in Spain as well. I have seen some notarial documents from Spain from 1496 or so where the Kings of Spain are granting safe passage back to Spain for people that left in 1492 and at the same time, letting them have access to their properties again if they convert or prove that they converted when they returned. The period to do this was four years. If you laid claim within 4 years of 1492, you could petition the King for your homes, etc. The thing is, I do not see this anywhere in the Inquisition Decrees. Does anyone know where this "grace Period" of four years is mentioned?

Below one such case:

 

 

 

Pares like this. ?

Thanks

Genie Milgrom

Rachel Amado Bortnick

Rachel Bortnick, Dallas TX, knew just

whom to ask when she contacted her friend Reid Heller, Dallas TX, for help answering Genie Milgrom's question! 

 

 

 

 

From: Rachel Bortnick
To: SCJS Board Discussion Group

Sent: February 3, 2014 at 7:01:55 PM MST
Subject: {SCJS Board Discussion} Question for the Board

 

  

I had never heard of this either.  My friend Reid Heller sent me the link for similar documents.

http://www.hum.huji.ac.il/units.php?cat=3994 

 

Reid Heller

And there, I found this one:

 

 Doc. 23. RGS 9 No 1571 fol. 345 Santa Fe, 12 May 1492

The Catholic monarchs order Pedro Vaca, maestresala and corregidor of Cuenca and Huete, to investigate the disturbances caused by a group of Jewish inhabitants of Huete who claimed that they were given a term of four years to leave Huete and join the expelled. 

 

Rachel

~~~~~~~~~~~

Later, in response to follow-up questions from the editor, Rachel wrote back again:

 

I have a list of all the references to the "four year" period ( there are eight) Reid and I found in the Hebrew U website of the Pares archives.  It is clear that there was such a period, but where was it written?

  

What strikes one is that the Jewish property was sold off in 1492 at half its value.

 

Of the 8 references:  4 are from Madrid, 2 are from Medina del Campo, 1 is from Segovia (all these are from 1494, and are within the Castille region)  but one, from 1492, is in Santa Fe, which is in Andalucia.

   

When I mentioned Genie's question to Reid, he knew where to find examples.  But Genie's basic question :"where is it written as a law?" has still not been answered.  One professor on LK did say that the law or ordinance (giving exiles 4 years in which to return if they would convert to Catholicism) came out in 1493.   But he didn't say where it is written.

R 

 

Finally, Genie Milgrom closed our conversation with the following:

 Dear Readers, please help us solve this mystery!

Write to:

editor.lagranada@gmail.com

Please indicate whether or not we may attribute your response to you OR if you wish to share what you know but remain "signed, a friend of SCJS".  

Thank you!

Ladinokomunita, a correspondence circle in LADINO with almost 1500 members from over 40 countries around the globe.

PARES, mentioned by Genie Milgrom, is El Portal de Archivos Españoles es un proyecto del Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte destinado a la difusión en Internet del Patrimonio Histórico Documental Español conservado en su red de centros. 

The Spanish Archives Portal is a project of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports for broadcast online Spanish Historical Heritage Documentary preserved in its network of centers.