Jewish Studies

Crypto-Jews or Anusim (forced ones, Hebrew) are Jews who throughout history were forced to convert to another religion.  Many of them secretly maintained their Jewish identity and varying levels of observance of  Jewish laws and traditions, sometimes through generations of living as part of the surrounding Christian or Moslem community.  The most well-known and researched are the Marranos of  Spain and Portugal, who were forced to convert to Christianity in the fourteenth to sixteenth centuries.

For an introduction to the subject of Crypto-Jews, use the following subject headings to search for books on Crypto-Jews in the online catalog: 

Crypto-Jews 

Marranos

Conversos

Anusim

Free Online Resources

• Association of Crypto Jews of the Americas

• The Bancroft Library, Mexican Inquisition documents

• Casa Shalom - The Institute of Marrano-Anusim Studies

• Centro de Investigación y difusión de la cultura Sefaradí

• Conversos Judasaintes: Tried by the Mexican Inquisition 1528-1815

• The Dinur Center for Research in Jewish History  Search for Medieval Jewish History - Anusim

• Foundation for the Advancement of Sephardic Studies and Culture

• The Jewish Encyclopaedia - Marranos

• Kulanu Anusim

• Marranos Gateway to all sorts of sites

• Saudades - Portuguese Sephardic History A personal site

• Society for Crypto Judaic Studies See their publication Halapid

• Southwest Jewish Archive