| Welcome to HerndonDavis.com! Home of The Herndon Davis Diversity Reports Educational, Inspirational, Motivational |
| 30 Year Fashion Veteran Transcends Race, Sexual Orientation By: Herndon L. Davis |
So you think all Latinos and Hispanics are Catholic? Well think
again. As a result of one of the world’s ugliest examples of
spiritual and ethnic intolerance, a growing number of
Latinos/Hispanics are now discovering and embracing their lost
heritage; the fact that they are descendants of Sephardic Jews,
the priestly class from Aaron, the brother of Moses.
For many years scholars have been documenting this sorted tale
of fear, intolerance, torture, and murder in order to bring to light
a re-discovered truth of Latino/Hispanic existence.
The story began back around 900 BCE when Jews began settling
the Iberian Peninsula now known as Spain and Portugal. When
the First Temple of Jerusalem Temple was destroyed, more
Jews began to migrate to this area.
The new inhabitants named the area “Sepharad" by which the
name "Spain" was later derived. Jews were forced into
Catholicism and periodically tortured, beheaded or burned alive
for the “crime” of lapsing back into Judaism.
Eventually, the area was conquered by Muslim Rulers, the Moors
of North Africa in 711 CE. From that point, there existed what
is termed as “The Golden Age of Tolerance” where Muslim,
Christians, and Jews coexisted together.
Non-Muslims were allowed great freedom as long as they paid a
special tax which Jews gladly paid. It is also during this era that
the Jewish culture exploded into a renaissance and its population
flourished beyond belief. However, this era was still not without
its problems. There were at least three political Muslim
government upheavals and occasional eruptions of violence
against Jews.
In addition, emotional unrest among Christians continued as they
identified Jews with the death of Christ and imitated the
“Reconquista," or reconquest of the peninsula, as a holy
obligation. The Catholics eventually absorbed the Muslim
Kingdoms and regained control of the region in 1391. As
estimated 50,000 Jews were killed and tens of thousands more
converted to Catholicism.
For many generations, Jews were confined to ghettos with no
economic interchange with Christians, until The Spanish Edict of
Expulsion of 1492 which forced all Jews out of the country.
They were to leave the country or face the Inquisition, which
would more than likely would lead to death.
Although many Jews fled to other parts of the Europe, a large
number fled to the New World or what’s now known as the
Americas. They were forced to join either the Spain or Portugal
colonies upon their arrival and years later, the Inquisition
followed them to Peru, Mexico and Cartegna.
The entire experience forced many Jews to become Crypto Jews
which meant that they professed another religious faith why
secretly holding on to their Judaic belief systems and traditions.
In other words, Jews “passed” for Christians in order to
maintain their lives.
Generations later, many Hispanics/Latinos both in Mexico and in
western American states are re-discovering their lost heritage and
are openly expressing their Judaic faith. In fact, much older
grandparents of today can recall how certain Jewish traditions
were taught to them as children as the pieces of the puzzle are
now being put together.
Hence today many Hispanics and Latinos are now beginning to
reconnect with their lost faith and tradition. However, probably
what stands forefront this historical tale is the “Golden Age of
Tolerance” where Jews, Muslims, and Christians co-existed with
relative little tension.
What qualities, traits, and understanding can we learn from this
age? Can we replicate the positive aspects of this era of
tolerance? If so, how does it begin and where does it begin?
again. As a result of one of the world’s ugliest examples of
spiritual and ethnic intolerance, a growing number of
Latinos/Hispanics are now discovering and embracing their lost
heritage; the fact that they are descendants of Sephardic Jews,
the priestly class from Aaron, the brother of Moses.
For many years scholars have been documenting this sorted tale
of fear, intolerance, torture, and murder in order to bring to light
a re-discovered truth of Latino/Hispanic existence.
The story began back around 900 BCE when Jews began settling
the Iberian Peninsula now known as Spain and Portugal. When
the First Temple of Jerusalem Temple was destroyed, more
Jews began to migrate to this area.
The new inhabitants named the area “Sepharad" by which the
name "Spain" was later derived. Jews were forced into
Catholicism and periodically tortured, beheaded or burned alive
for the “crime” of lapsing back into Judaism.
Eventually, the area was conquered by Muslim Rulers, the Moors
of North Africa in 711 CE. From that point, there existed what
is termed as “The Golden Age of Tolerance” where Muslim,
Christians, and Jews coexisted together.
Non-Muslims were allowed great freedom as long as they paid a
special tax which Jews gladly paid. It is also during this era that
the Jewish culture exploded into a renaissance and its population
flourished beyond belief. However, this era was still not without
its problems. There were at least three political Muslim
government upheavals and occasional eruptions of violence
against Jews.
In addition, emotional unrest among Christians continued as they
identified Jews with the death of Christ and imitated the
“Reconquista," or reconquest of the peninsula, as a holy
obligation. The Catholics eventually absorbed the Muslim
Kingdoms and regained control of the region in 1391. As
estimated 50,000 Jews were killed and tens of thousands more
converted to Catholicism.
For many generations, Jews were confined to ghettos with no
economic interchange with Christians, until The Spanish Edict of
Expulsion of 1492 which forced all Jews out of the country.
They were to leave the country or face the Inquisition, which
would more than likely would lead to death.
Although many Jews fled to other parts of the Europe, a large
number fled to the New World or what’s now known as the
Americas. They were forced to join either the Spain or Portugal
colonies upon their arrival and years later, the Inquisition
followed them to Peru, Mexico and Cartegna.
The entire experience forced many Jews to become Crypto Jews
which meant that they professed another religious faith why
secretly holding on to their Judaic belief systems and traditions.
In other words, Jews “passed” for Christians in order to
maintain their lives.
Generations later, many Hispanics/Latinos both in Mexico and in
western American states are re-discovering their lost heritage and
are openly expressing their Judaic faith. In fact, much older
grandparents of today can recall how certain Jewish traditions
were taught to them as children as the pieces of the puzzle are
now being put together.
Hence today many Hispanics and Latinos are now beginning to
reconnect with their lost faith and tradition. However, probably
what stands forefront this historical tale is the “Golden Age of
Tolerance” where Jews, Muslims, and Christians co-existed with
relative little tension.
What qualities, traits, and understanding can we learn from this
age? Can we replicate the positive aspects of this era of
tolerance? If so, how does it begin and where does it begin?
Copyrighted 2006
Herndon Davis is an author, lecturer, and TV/Radio Host of The
Herndon Davis Reports. He can be reached directly at
http://herndondavis.com
Herndon Davis is an author, lecturer, and TV/Radio Host of The
Herndon Davis Reports. He can be reached directly at
http://herndondavis.com
| Returning in Spring 2006 to: The Dish Network, Channel 223 Time Warner Cable "The Healthy Living Channel" PRIME TIME Every Thursday evening 10pm Eastern, 9pm Central, 8pm Mountain, 7pm Pacific Additional Cable Outlets: Comcast, Adelphia, Charter |
| Empowering The World's Diversity |
| Jewish Latinos: A Life To Be Understood By: Herndon L. Davis |
| |||||||||||||
