An increasing number of people believe their ancestors were crypto-Jews or bnei anusim. As genealogists, we should base statements about our ancestors on proven facts.
Terms like ‘crypto-Jews’ and ‘bnei anusim’ are confusing as they can have different meanings to different people. It is better to use clearly defined terms such as New Christian.
Should having some Jewish ancestry be meaningful?
Probably most people of Portuguese ancestry and many people of Spanish ancestry have Jewish ancestors hidden in the family tree. It is for each person to decide what importance they place on the possibly that some of their ancestors may have identified as Jews rather than Catholics.
Professor Julia Creet is a notable critic of genealogy as a pursuit. Part of her critique is that it is foolish to develop an identity around some of our ancestors, when we may know nothing about most of the others.
To claim that ancestors were crypto Jews or Bnei Anusim goes one step further. We are not just saying who they were (people with Jewish ancestry) but what they thought. In virtually every case, it is impossible to know what our ancestors thought.
Start with what you know
Rather than starting with the claim that distant ancestors were bnei anusim or crypto-Jews, it is more rewarding to start with the relatives you know and trace back from there. I guarantee that what you discover will be far more interesting than any imagined history, because you will be proving your own family’s story.
Once they start research, most people who believe their ancestors “fled the Inquisition” or hid a secret Jewish identify will uncover a different but equally important history. It is better to follow the evidence where it leads rather than try to bend it to support a belief. The evidence may lead to the Sephardic community, or elsewhere.
Definition of Terms
New Christian
A formal designation for individuals of Jewish or Muslim ancestry who converted to Christianity in Portugal or Spain.
Converso
Refers to individuals whose ancestors converted to Christianity. Synonymous with New Christians.
Marrano
A derogatory term for a Jewish New Christian, implying swine. This word was used by historians in the 1950s but is no longer popular.
Jew
In the context of Inquisition-era Spain and Portugal, an insult directed at New Christians to remind them of their Jewish ancestry. There were no public Jews in those countries.
According to Halakha (Jewish religious law) someone is Jewish if they are the child of a Jewish mother or converted to Judaism according to Halakha (but check with a qualified orthodox rabbi).
Sephardic Jew
Jewish status is inherited from the mother. Lineage – whether a person is Sephardic, Ashkenazi or something else – is inherited from the father. The lineage decides the minhag (tradition) someone follows within Judaism.
On marriage a woman adopts her husband’s minhag. For an authoritative opinion, status of converts, etc., consult a qualified orthodox rabbi.
Sephardic status is inseparable from Jewish status. So, someone who is not Jewish cannot be Sephardic. People with Sephardic ancestry can obviously claim Sephardic ancestry but they only have Sephardic status if it has passed down the direct paternal line (with exceptions: speak to a qualified orthodox rabbi!).
We keep referencing an orthodox rabbi because most Sephardim see divisions between orthodox, reform, progressive etc as an Ashkenazi invention. This is not entirely accurate, but that is what is believed. If speaking with a rabbi, be aware that most of them have never heard of the Genealogical Proof Standard, let alone compliance with it, and may believe in the existence of Sephardic surnames.
Anus (plural: Anusim)
A Hebrew term meaning ‘forced one’ or ‘coerced’. It is both a legal category within Halakha (Jewish religious law) and a secular description. Those using the word in a secular context may not know if the Anus was forcibly converted or even Jewish.
Ben Anus (plural: Bnei Anusim)
Translates to ‘children/descendants of the forced ones’. Bnei anusim is a description used for or by people who have, or believe they have, a Jewish ancestor or ancestors who were forcibly converted.
Crypto-Jew
A Jew compelled to adopt another religion who secretly maintains a Jewish identity. In common usage, we also see people being described as a crypto-Jew even when their beliefs are unknown.
Historical Context and Usage of Terms
New Christian, Converso or Marrano describe or alude to someone’s legal status. Anusim, Bnei Anusim and Crypto-Jews ALSO make an assumption about the person’s situation or beliefs. Often in the absence of evidence, it is implied that someone was forced to convert or chose to maintain a secret Jewish identity.
In genealogy, every claim must be supported by evidence. This is what underlies the sometimes acrimonious dispute between Sephardic genealogists and advocates of crypto-Judaism. To make unevidenced claims is to part from reality.
Different Usages of Crypto-Jews and Bnei Anusim
My ancestors were New Christians who left Spain and assimilated into the Jewish community in Amsterdam. Some authors would classify them as Anusim or Crypto-Jews. I prefer the term New Christians because we lack insight into their personal beliefs. Evidence shows they lived as Catholics, endured the Inquisition, and later joined a Jewish community. Their thoughts on Judaism remain unknown.
Some people self-identify as Bnei Anusim or Crypto-Jews based on a belief in Jewish ancestry, even without concrete evidence. Thus, the same terms apply both to individuals with documented ancestry and to those who adopt an identity based on belief.
One of the challenges of studying crypto-Judaism is to establish precisely what is meant by a term.
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