FOUR LESSER KNOWN AMERICAN JEWISH COMMUNITIES
Join us for a live online exploration of four lesser known American Jewish communities.
NEW MEXICO
Wednesday, November 20, 7:00 pm EST
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ABOUT THE COMMUNITY
The northern portion of New Mexico and southern part of Colorado became a refuge for Jews expelled from Spain beginning in 1492 with the Alhambra Decree. Many Jews, like Esteban’s ancestor Alonso Rael de Aguilar (the ancestor from which all Raels descend) were able to hide for a while, but various waves of antisemitism and religious intolerance forced them to eventually leave Spain. Alsono lived as a Crypto Jew (a person who appears to be Catholic, but in reality is secretly practicing Judaism) in Spain as well as New Mexico, handing down traditions and customs to subsequent generations. Some of these descendants know nothing of their Crypto Jewish background, some know of this background but are afraid to acknowledge this connection, some embrace this background and choose to combine Judaism and Catholicism in varying degrees, and some like Esteban, have chosen to embrace Judaism as their sole religion. The constant feelings among all of the Northern New Mexicans of Crypto Jewish descent are fear of being found out and an internalized antisemitism.
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Esteban was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, a place that his father’s people have called home for centuries on the Spanish Crypto Jews side and millennia on the Indigenous American Native side. Esteban is honored to now be the Director of his community, Congregation Nahalat Shalom in Albuquerque. He looks forward to exploring the internalized and generational fear of being discovered as Crypto Jews, and also the ways in which some Crypto Jews have come to accept their heritage and integrate this into their identity.
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ALASKA
Wednesday, December 18, 7:00 pm EST
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ABOUT THE COMMUNITY
Alaska was purchased from the Russian empire only 154 years ago but the Jewish contribution for the development of Anchorage and Alaska in general is remarkable. in fact, the first mayor of Anchorage was Jewish and more so the idea to purchase Alaska was a Jewish idea.
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Rabbi Levi Glitsenstein was born in the warm and beautiful city of Eilat, Israel. He received his education in Israel and at a rabbinical college of New York. Nine years ago, Rabbi Levi joined the team of the Alaska Jewish Campus and Museum in Anchorage, a home for Jewish life, history and culture in Alaska that serves the growing Jewish community.
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HAWAII
Wednesday, January 15, 7:00 pm EST
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ABOUT THE COMMUNITY
Jews are first mentioned in Hawaii in 1798, with notable early sugar plantation and commercial activity, and King Kalakaua’s German Jewish Attorney-General. Dating back to the pre-World War I era, many Jewish military have served in Hawaii, but until after World War II no formal organization survived. Temple Emanu-El was organized in 1950 by a vibrant Jewish legal and commercial community. They are affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism) and they dedicated the first synagogue and school building in 1960. Aloha!!
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Larry Seth Steinberg, originally from Hartford, Connecticut now splits his time between Honolulu and Silver City, Nevada. Larry moved to Nevada in the 1970s as an archaeologist at the Nevada State Museum. There he was enthralled by the little-known Jewish activity during the height of Virgin1a City’s Comstock Silver Rush (1850s-1890s) and later found subsequent ties to Hawaii’s post-1880s sugar rush. At Temple Emanu-El, he oversees its historic records, the personal Sefer Torah of King Kalakaua, and a Prestice (Czech) Holocaust Scroll for the Levinson Hawaii-Jewish Archive.
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PUERTO RICO
Wednesday, February 19, 7:00 pm EST
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ABOUT THE COMMUNITY
In 2019, Ernesto began collaborating with a group of Anusim in Ceiba, Puerto Rico. This group originated in 1994 when a few families, connected by shared customs and a profound spiritual bond to Torah, came together. Their goal was to reclaim their Jewish identity, and this effort laid the foundation for a thriving Anusim community dedicated to self-education and a deep passion for Jewish learning.
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Ernesto Rivera Pardo was born and raised in Puerto Rico, where he knew of his Jewish heritage from a young age. In 2007 he embarked on a journey with his family to return to Judaism and reclaim their Anusim (“forced ones”) heritage. Their path led them to Philadelphia in 2011, where Ernesto and his family formally returned to the Jewish faith and embraced his heritage with renewed passion. In 2016, Ernesto and his family moved to Dover, Delaware, where they continued to strengthen their ties to the local Jewish community. During their time in Dover, Ernesto had the distinct honor of serving as the Jewish lay leader for Dover Air Force Base, a role that allowed him to contribute meaningfully to the local military Jewish community. In 2019, Ernesto began collaborating with a group of Anusim in Ceiba, Puerto Rico. After spending 13 years in the United States, Ernesto has now returned to his native island to continue his dedication as the leader of Abraham Shalom Synagogue in Ceiba. Ernesto’s journey reflects a profound commitment to preserving and celebrating Jewish heritage, and his efforts are making a significant impact on the cultural and spiritual landscape of Puerto Rico.
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Four Lesser Known American Jewish Communities
SPONSORS
This series is made possible by a grant from the Congregation Ahabat Shalom Religious Fund and other generous donors.
GIVING OPPORTUNITIES
Sponsorships for Four Lesser Known American Jewish Communities are welcomed at all giving levels. Donations made me made through either using the form below or by following the DONATE ONLINE link below. Donors may be recognized on this page by category unless a preference for being listed as Anonymous is provided. We greatly appreciate donations at any level!
Our mailing address is:
Walnut Street Synagogue
PO Box 505265
Chelsea, MA 02150-5265
Please direct any questions to – central.walnutstreetshul@gmail.com