My dear, beloved prima, Rufina. People like you and many others I will list here deserve our respect and admiration. We are thankful for your support, that have been making us stronger to face the adversities. You are one of those who studied our people and knows why we claim for Teshuvá. I want to thank Professors and rabbis Avi Gross and Zecharia Dor Shov, who came to Brazil to meet us, hear us; journalists Shaul Kesslassi and Avner Hopstein for all the time lost with us; recognized academics who are still developping works on anussim: Professors Tânia Neumann Kaufman (coordinator of Kahal Zur Israel/Jewish Archives of Pernambuco), a friend I can count on, Helena Lewin (Interdisciplinar Group of Jewish Studies - Universidade Federal Fluminense) and Anita Novinsky (needs no introduction). Dr. Marx Golgher (Israeli Association of Minas Gerais), Prof. Uri Lam (CIP), and many others that I lack kindness for not naming them. Leonor Medeiros

Dear readers, this is just to say I am thankful for what many of you wrote here. From now on I will not make comments on any other message. I guess I am the focus of your curiosity and, unfortunatly, I don´t know with whom I am speaking, just nicks. One of our (anussim) fights is not be a kind of "exotic animal" . I believe you noticed I sign my name and add my e-mail for futher information. So, I am avaiable for those whose "faces", names and direction are also avaiable to me. Again, thanks for the positives comments and wishes of good luck. Leonor Medeiros

Yes, Yeshua is our history, and many of us are relatives....something that should be taught to Christians as a deterrant to prejudice and hatred.

I so agree, and reading your note made me happy. Aren't there enough people in this world who wish us harm? Shouldn't the Rabbis explain their position instead of just dismissing these people out of hand? I believe that in order to be a light unto the world, you must light a candle in the darkness.

Bravo, Sid....Emess Torah!!!! (LOL).

The Jews of origin anussim are deeply protected by responsas of great rabbis sefaradim. I advise for all verify responsas of rabbis and to learn what the Halakhah says abaout Anussim, as: Saadia Ibn Danan, Rambam, Eliau Mizrachi, Yitschak Bar Sheshet (Rivash), and Shimon Ben Tsemach Duran (Rashbats). Citing Rabbi Tsemach Duran, grandson of Rashbats, he say: "All anussim possess the guarantee (legal) that they are not married with women non-jewish, and this already became knowledge of all... generation after generation is known that they are married between them... and each anuss when returning (Teshuvah) to the judaism brings this guarantee; that your father and your mother were Jewish... " He said more: "the descendants of anussim until the tenth generation are Jewish, same the men who during the persecutions have not made the Berit Milah... The anussim, when returning (teshuvah), is demanded of them Berit Milah, nothing more, not needing the immersion the Mikvah, ritual bath for the converted one. Anuss is a Jew that return to your family and one not converted... "

Rabbi Eliau Mizrahi, Chief-Rabbi of Turkey (where diverse cases had been received of Iberian marranos). a) "does not have doubt that among they (marranos, anussim) exist many differences, however, the children, the grandsons, and the descendants (we currently), all will be Jewish if to desire to return for jewish life practice, not needing this to investigate if thus had been forced or if they had moved away as voluntary from the judaism. For they the ritual bath in the Mikvah is not demanded (only used for the converted ones)" b) "... (anussim) is resembled to the Talmudic concept of Tinok SheNishbah, or either, abducted children to be educated for another religion, are exempt of the penalties foreseen in the Jewish Law". c) "... we have the obligation of rescues them spiritually and to return them to the genuine judaism..."

i am form brazil and there is some problem on bringing this jews back. i dont know about other countries, but this crypto-jews cannot confirm if their family was jew or if they married in the family. unfortunatelly the reformism here in judaism is so strong that a lot of people convert easily and like we know, the jews are dont want to bring more and more people.. if they want to be jews they need to follow te rules of convertion and it cant be done here because of the people that tought judaism was catolic church...

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All know that Hitler and nazi government, functioned as a machine, and had given of all Jewish, not mattering the jewish status of Halakhah. If any one had any one of the grandmothers Jewish, this person would be jewish for nazi-facism. So, that during the years 30-40 half of the marriages of Jews was mixed. Or either, at least half of the German Jewish population was not consider jewish for Halakhah. However, after war, not was demanded, that half of the survivors of the Holocaust if converted. It seems that had forgotten the principle Talmudic that says: to judge benevolently. All had judged benevolently to the survivors of Holocaust, but they heavily judge the survivors of the Inquisition.

I agree with both of you on various aspects especially that both our governments are extremely slow in accepting newer immigrants or even refugees. But acceptance from society itself is even slower and that is sad for both of countries. Andre, when the spilt blood of war cools and we get over our unnecessary stubornness, we would be honored to have our neighbors visit us and us visit them just to see how similar we are to one another. After all, we are Middle Easterners, renowned for our hospitality, our generosity and our passion (which sometimes can lead us to our craziness lol). Shaka, the reason Lebanon keeps the Palestinians from being official citizens is the hope that at one point they will be able to return to their homes, just as the Jews were in their Diaspora and were able to return. No one deserves to be a refugee, you and I know that very well. As u said, "Aam Yisrael Chay" and so is are the Palestinians...that we cannot deny.

a person's faith is a person's own choice. the catholic church has shown time and time again its intolerance for any one to believe other than its dogma. it is not to say that Jesus Christ is not my salvation. it is to say that my acceptance of Him is a matter of God's grace bestowed upon me personally. the catholic church IS NOT christian. it is a pagan cult of pesonality dressed up in a biblical skin that has seduced and deceived the world for the past 1500 years. they pray to may, the queen of heaven. their council of trent condemned salvation by grace through faith. they have intervened in history. wherever the catholic church has gone, misery and destruction have followed. i follow Jesus Christ as He is shown in the Bible. i follow noi one else. i owe a debt that cannot be repaid to all the jews that kept the Word of God alive so that i could come to saving faith and love YHWH with all my heart, soul, mind and strength and my neighbor as i already love myself. God bless you all.

Mr Steven, I deeply respect your belief, but I guess you made a statment that could give opportunity to lots of comments here about anussim beliefs. First of all, anussim are not criptojews, they reveal their condition, unlesss they don´t know which are their roots, in this case they cannot be considered Jews. It´s not a case of living Judaism in a "hidden" way, but just a lack of knowledge or aceptance. In other hand, those who are returned to Judaism never, never acepts Jews as a god (still, with all respect for your faith). I guess you are talking about MESSIANIC, and anussim are far from being it. We only believe in ONE G´d. The one we pray for: "Shemá Yisrael, Adonai helohênu, Adonai echad..." Note: I said I would not answer any comment posted on here, but I couldn´t resist, it sorry. Leonor Medeiros

Nowadays the street is called "Rua do Bom Jesus", (=Good Jesus Street), but it was formerly known as "Rua dos Judeus" (=Jewish street, or street of the jews). When the portuguese reconquered Brazil from the dutch, they managed to "catholicize" every jewish reminiscent, as they did in Portugal and Spain building churches over ancient synagogues. Thus that's why they changed the name of the street.

It´s just to correct mistakes on message nº 73: " (...) In other hand, those who returned to Judaism never, never acept Jesus as a god (still, with all respect for your faith). I guess you are talking about MESSIANIC, and anussim are far from being it.. (...)" Leonor Medeiros

Thank You for telling it like it is. Jews the world over are beginning to study their Laws and become aware of our commitment to the Laws. This is what makes us different than all other people. This is what makes us Jews. I saw a professor explain that Judaism has changed greatly over the years. He explained that the Levite priests were replaced by Rabbis, and that the blood sacrifices were substituted with prayer. This happened after the fall of Israel to Rome. So, we have been somewhat confused by our own changing of our own religion for over two thousand Years. According to the book of Exodus, we have all the laws, ordinances etc. also described in the Torah. Have we followed them? Not always. Unfortunately, many Jews DID NOT know they were Jews. Many, many lost tribes, why? We were ignorant of the law and teachings as many Jews 'converted' to other religions in order to save their lives. This was never acceptable to the G-d of Israel. When we are in the dark, we cannot see. We know of Israel being "The Promised Land". Yet, how many Jews have had the first teachings of Judaism? How many of Russias Jews knew of true Judaism when it was forbidden to worship or study? This is a war of truth versus non truths. For Jews, we must have knowledge, we must know the laws and the consequences when we err. Thank G-d for G-d the G-d of Israel, there is no other. Shalom and Braca.. ISRAEL FOREVER!! Petra

Listen, Petra, I admire you position and really thing you have sincere ideas concerning our people and our Faith. Neverthless, however very beautiful when pronnunced correctly in a proper manner, the words compare with life seems in a way a little diferent. I myself can tell you that what really improve a Jew is learning the holy texts with an observant teacher, because otherwise you're gonna not to follow and will not be able to understand the new changes when they should appear; furthemore, if you come to refuse no matter by which reason, you'll probable have chosen to be a loser - when the advances are an opportunity in Judaism to give you a change to be a winner. I can tell you, that every time a born Jew refuses to get introduced to Jewish studies seriously, unfortunatly, he's going to be overdue. A nice shabbes to all of you who came to these lines, David de Andrade

So, who's a Jew? By blood? By birth? By faith? Anyone can convert to Judaism. So many Jews aren't educated in the Torah. This was by design, look at Russia where to worship was forbidden for 70 years. Then, there are those Jews who are instructed who disreguard the law, and the teachings.. Again to remind us, there are also many Jews who have no idea that they are Jews. Their 'religion' was substituted for their lives. A hard price to pay to remain a Jew. So, who's a Jew? In the beginnings of Judaism, we were to have Levite priests. Where are they? Why were the Rabbis ( non Levites) substituted instead? We know there were blood sacrifices, no more. It is WE who have changed or reinterpretted our own majestic laws and ordinances. The more we learn the better chance we have of being 'real Jews, righteous with knowledge - wisdom and directives from a Higher source. If not for the directions of life, are we not then all gentiles? What makes us Jews is the Law, the Commandments, the God of Israel. Simple, yet complex. No one has the right to say who's a Jew or not. We know many Jews have many differing opinions yet, the laws and rules of life are clearly spelled out in black and white. Don't need a Rabbi to read, or think, or pray. Thank God. Shalom, Petra

Again I congratulate for a such high level exchange of points of view. But with your permission, I would add some more few words, in order to make it clearer. First, I can recognize that the world is not the same as it used to be. Jews can live with freedom and openly. If someone suspect he is a Jew, he sould search for an observant teacher and rabbi, just because we are Holy among the secular, and a Jew has to learn how to be a Jew. A woman or a man born from a Jewish mother inside any admitted Jewish community is supposed to have the basic skills to manage herself/himself in live. However, a woman or a man born from a Jewish mother inside secret communities are suppoed to be for a while handcap untill they come to the Rabanut and get a certificate that they too are considered by law like any others Jews. Second, the levite are still here, close to the Torah and the holy people. The rabbis are just teachers and leaders, who are ready to help when demanded: ready to help learning, reading and also to argument for a good reason. finally, my point is: a Jew is supposed to be a learned man in the holy texts and in Jewish modern problems, just because she/he comes from Avraham, Isaac and Jacob. When somebody claim to be a Jew, he should first of all acquire a friend and find an observand master, like Moshe our master teach us. If not for that, why to take for grant one is Jew? A Jew who proclaim she/he are directs granddaughters/grandsons of Avraham Avinu, who took his only son Isaac Avinu the the Har Hamoriah, to perform the Akeidas Itzcok, should also be prepared to perform some sections of learning from an observant teacher. That's my point. A very good week for these conspicuous public, David de Andrade

Brazil is not a underdeveloped country, it is a developing nation... now get your words right... you don't want to come across as ignorant.

Anussim without proof (acording to Halacha) needs what it is called giur Teshuva. Sorry Luciano, but you got to go to the Mikvah(with Beit din) to be accepted as Jew by the rabbinical authorities. Too bad you're too proud to do it... You would be a great Jew.

Since the days of the Sanhedrin, no body or authority has been generally regarded as having the authority to create universally recognized precedents. . Generally, contemporary Halakhic arguments are effectively, yet unofficially, peer-reviewed. When a rabbinic posek ("decisor") proposes a new interpretation of a law, that interpretation may be considered binding for the posek's questioner or immediate community. Depending on the stature of the posek and the quality of the decision, an interpretation may also be gradually accepted by rabbis and members of similar Jewish communities. That reality was very different from the Anussim's reality in Brasil or other parts. Therefore, all the responsas do not apply.

If you can prove (proof according to Halacha) that any of your women ancestors (mother's side) was Jewish, that you do not need conversion and you will accepted as a Jew. That is just the way it goes... Sorry... and besides, the Mikvah does not hurt...

torah is every jews birthright

The ashkenazi jews from Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, Brazil's richest states, whose families arrived in Brazil in a much more favourable era than the sephardic crypto-jews, won't accept us "nordestinos", since the prejudice against northeast people, seen with all the stereoptical way that is so sadly common in Brazil. Simple as that. Or even a "real" jew (meaning, ashkenazi one) from Recife (my birthtown) like #29 who assumes that "we just want financial status and getting money from the state of Israel". This attitude against anusim helps to throw many of us in the claws of "messianical churchs", pentecostals dressed as jews mixing our traditions with teaching from Yeshua... And "the rabbinate", well, take a look at how hard was the acception of the falasha and tell if they'll have any interest on poor brazilian jews...

I am Brazilian, and discovered that I have Jewish ancestry, I had heard about, but could not understand the relationship. To immigrate to Quebec and researching my family ancestry was that I began to understand that all the superstitions of my mother, my grandmother and excessive suspicion of people who are not our people (the Brazilians will better understand this expression). It is very painful awakening and not be welcomed by people who are our neighbors ... I know it was not easy for our ancestors, the way they tried they could keep the flame Jewish accesses their descendants in spite of all the persecution Is isolation. I took a trip in Brazil - Sobral / Ceara in search of my Jewish past and I was thrilled to see that despite the time still exists evidence of Jewish practices and this is due to the Jewish practice of oral transmission. teaching and recite the Shema every day for my daughter and I count whenever I have opportunity about our family and where we came from. I try to keep the embers burning. I would contact someone in Quebec.