Marrano

Now, most actually left Spain.

They went to Eastern Europe and the Ottoman Empire, but there were some who stayed, and they were called the Conversals or the Morenos, okay? Maranos means new Christians, conversos just means those who converted.

But because at this time in history, sin is the major obsession and in the Jewish world, the worst thing you could do, the worst thing you could ever commit was to convert and betray your religion and your people.

These Jews who converted, they still practice their religion at home.

And in addition to all the physical humiliation, the Jewish community was forced to finance the cars of all, paying a tax of 1100 florins.

And then we have an event which took place in a different country but impacted Jews of Italy down to this day, the Spanish expulsion, because you have waves of Marranos who fled to Italy and refugees from Sicily, from Provence, from Tunis, and it dramatically transformed the structure and the numbers and minhagim and culture of the Roman Jewish community.

There was initial resistance from the local Jewish community because they were scared of the economic dangers of a sudden massive population influx.

And they initially appealed to the Pope not to grant the Spanish refugees permission to settle in Rome.

The question at once suggests itself.

How did this document arise in France? Will the example of Holland account for it? Even in Italy, it may be the case of Murano influence, Studendolo in Venice, Giudetti in Milan.

2.

A very great significance in the development of modern credit instruments is the Antwerp Custom of 1582, wherein it is the first time admitted to the holder of a note has the right of suing in a court of law.

As for Holland, it is well known that at the end of the 16th century, a sudden upward development in the capitalistic sense took place there.

The first Portuguese Marranos settled in Amsterdam in 1593, and very soon their numbers increased.

The first synagogue in Amsterdam was opened in 1598, and by about the middle of the 17th century, there were Jewish communities in many Dutch cities.

In Amsterdam at the beginning of the 18th century, the estimated number of Jews was 2,400.

Jews from Spain.

So you had some who were Marranos who pretended to convert to Christianity but kept Judaism in secret.

You had some who were Conversos who were real converts to Christianity, but they were persecuted by the Inquisition.

And then there were some who were just hidden, and there were some who left the country altogether before this happened.

And Holland had freedom of religion.

A lot of Marranos ran away to Holland.

Hamburg.

People don't realize the Jekim, mainly from Spain.

The Jekim went to Hamburg.

Biggest concentration of Marranos in Europe.

Hamburg, Germany.

The Jekim.

[laughs] It seems like they've, that's been, that was tried throughout the last 2,000 years is, um, sure you can stay as long as you convert.

[laughs] And then y- you know, of course, Spain had the Marrano, the Marrano problem.

[laughs]

Well, yeah.