Cryptic Jewish Practice: Proving Identity from Communities with Hidden Traditions
Case Study: Miguel Santos Pereira, Age 40, Portugal
Background
Miguel Santos Pereira grew up in a small village in northeastern Portugal, in a family that maintained unusual customs that set them apart from their Catholic neighbors. His grandmother would light candles in a hidden alcove on Friday evenings, the family avoided pork, and certain prayers were whispered in their home that differed from standard Catholic prayers. When doors were closed, his grandmother would occasionally use strange words that Miguel later discovered were corrupted Hebrew phrases.
It wasn't until Miguel was in his thirties that his elderly grandmother revealed a carefully guarded family secret: they were descendants of "conversos" or "crypto-Jews"—Jews who had been forced to convert to Catholicism during the Portuguese Inquisition in the 16th century but had secretly maintained Jewish practices across the generations. This revelation explained the family's unusual customs, distinctive surnames, and their tendency to marry within a small circle of families with similar practices.
Fascinated by this discovery, Miguel began researching his family history and crypto-Jewish practices. He connected with scholars studying Sephardic diaspora communities and with other descendants of crypto-Jews who were reclaiming their Jewish heritage. He began formally studying Judaism, joined the emerging Jewish community in Lisbon, and eventually underwent a "return ceremony" (not a full conversion) under the guidance of a rabbi specialized in working with crypto-Jewish descendants.
At age 40, Miguel decided to apply for aliyah to Israel, hoping to fully embrace the heritage his ancestors had preserved at great risk for over five centuries.
The Challenge
Miguel's application for aliyah faced extraordinary obstacles:
He lacked conventional documentation of Jewish ancestry due to the deliberately hidden nature of his family's Jewish identity
His family had outwardly practiced Catholicism for generations, including baptisms and church weddings
The crypto-Jewish practices had been diluted and modified over centuries of secrecy
His "return ceremony" was neither a standard conversion nor a typical confirmation of Jewish status
Scholarly debates existed about whether crypto-Jewish descendants should be considered Jewish without formal conversion
His knowledge of mainstream Jewish practices was relatively recent
Questions arose about whether five centuries of Catholic identification, albeit forced, had severed the Jewish connection
Precedent Case: The Benveniste Protocol (2016)
Miguel's situation closely resembled the landmark "Benveniste Protocol" established in 2016, named after a prominent Sephardic family name. This protocol emerged from the case of Isabella Benveniste, a Brazilian woman with a similar crypto-Jewish background who sought recognition of her Jewish status for aliyah purposes.
The protocol stated: "The forced conversions during the Inquisition represent a unique historical circumstance requiring special consideration. When evaluating claims of Jewish heritage from descendants of crypto-Jews, the Ministry shall consider: 1) Evidence of family customs consistent with preserved Jewish practices, 2) Distinctive Sephardic surnames or naming patterns, 3) Community recognition from established Jewish authorities familiar with crypto-Jewish history, 4) Genetic evidence where available, 5) Historical research supporting the community's Jewish origins, and 6) The applicant's commitment to reclaiming their Jewish identity. The persistence of Jewish practices in secret, maintained at great risk for generations, represents extraordinary evidence of Jewish identity deserving special recognition."
Resolution Process
Working with a legal advocate specialized in complex status cases and scholars of crypto-Jewish communities, Miguel prepared a comprehensive application that included:
Historical and Genealogical Evidence:
Family trees tracing his lineage to regions with documented crypto-Jewish communities
Analysis of Sephardic naming patterns in his family history
Documentation of his family's residence in known crypto-Jewish enclaves
Historical records of forced conversions in his ancestral village
Scholarly attestations about the authenticity of his family's preserved practices
Cultural Practice Documentation:
Detailed inventory of his family's distinctive customs with rabbinical analysis connecting them to Jewish origins
Anthropological assessment of the modified prayers used in his family
Photographs of distinctive family artifacts, including a hidden candlestick similar to others found in crypto-Jewish homes
Architectural analysis of his family's ancestral home showing features common in crypto-Jewish dwellings
Linguistic analysis of the corrupted Hebrew terms preserved in family prayers
Genetic and Community Evidence:
DNA test results showing Sephardic Jewish genetic markers
Connections to other confirmed descendants from the same region
Recognition from the established Portuguese Jewish community
Letters from rabbinical authorities specialized in crypto-Jewish communities
Documentation of his "return ceremony" and subsequent Jewish practice
Personal Commitment:
Evidence of his formal Jewish education over several years
Documentation of his regular participation in Jewish community life
Hebrew language study certification
Testimonials from community members about his sincere embrace of Jewish identity
Detailed account of his journey to reclaim his heritage
Outcome
After an exceptionally thorough eight-month review process including consultations with historical experts, the Ministry of Interior approved Miguel's aliyah application, explicitly citing the Benveniste Protocol. The approval stated:
"In accordance with established protocol regarding descendants of crypto-Jews, we have evaluated this application with attention to the unique historical circumstances of forced conversion and secret preservation of Jewish identity. The comprehensive evidence presented—including documented family practices consistent with crypto-Jewish traditions, recognized Sephardic surnames in the applicant's lineage, genetic evidence, scholarly authentication, and community recognition—collectively establishes the applicant's Jewish connection with reasonable certainty. His deliberate return to Jewish practice represents the closing of a historical circle of persecution. The extraordinary persistence of Jewish identity in his family line, maintained at great risk across five centuries, merits recognition under the Law of Return."
Miguel successfully made aliyah in 2022 and settled in Haifa. He continues his Jewish studies, works as a translator, and has connected with communities of other descendants of crypto-Jews who have made aliyah. He has become involved in educational initiatives about Sephardic history and the crypto-Jewish experience. He reports a profound sense of completing his ancestors' interrupted journey and honoring their centuries of secret devotion to Jewish identity.
Key Principles Established
This case reinforced several important principles regarding aliyah approval for descendants of crypto-Jewish communities:
The unique historical circumstances of forced conversion require specialized evaluation approaches
The persistence of Jewish practices in secret over centuries represents extraordinary evidence of Jewish connection
Multiple forms of evidence collectively can establish Jewish identity when conventional documentation is unavailable
Genetic evidence can support but not independently establish Jewish status
Scholarly authentication of preserved practices carries significant weight
Recognition by established Jewish communities and authorities strengthens claims
The deliberate choice to reclaim Jewish identity completes a historical circle broken by persecution
The Law of Return can accommodate the complex realities of Jewish history, including forced conversions
Miguel's case is now referenced by Jewish Agency representatives working with applicants from crypto-Jewish backgrounds, particularly those from Portugal, Spain, and Latin America, demonstrating that despite centuries of forced concealment, the Jewish connection can be recognized when properly documented through multiple lines of evidence.