What is Judaism without Rabbis and Books? A look at Portuguese Crypto-Jewish Prayer 

As a son of crypto jews from Portugal here in Brazil it is fascinating for me to see such an endeavor into the history of the Iberian jews and their path through such a dark time. Thank you Professor Henry may HaShem bless you! Kind regards.

My religious past led me from a Dutch Reformed upbringing in South Africa to becoming an atheist, which lasted 40 years. I left my country for Portugal and here discovered who the God of Israel is. I discovered God in this very country you speak of. There is an irony in there or just the intervention of a Higher Hand.

You shouldn't feel bad about remembering the "Lord's Prayer" because it is a quintessentially Jewish prayer even if universally adopted by Christians. All its phrases can be found in the "Old Testament," in particular in Deuteronomy, Isiah, Ezekiel, Obadiah, Samuel, Proverbs, Psalms. Some phrases are also used in the present day Hebrew prayers. It's quite possible that it was known and said in Jesus time outside of his circle. He might have picked it up during the 30 years of his life about which we know nothing.

Good morning, Professor. Shalom, from Lisbon.

Absolutely wonderful. I remember after being in a Latin American country for a few years, then the Cantor candidate in an American synagogue singing “Nuestro Señor,”, I actually sent the temporary Rabbi a note hoping he wasn’t messianic. Little did I know that version in Spanish preceded the Christian one by numerous years. Thank you.

Another great talk. I should be asleep but a talk is just too tempting and always one thing to be learned!

Shalom my dear professor. I look forward to your lessons as you continue to educate us with the rich and diverse history of our people- we are certainly survivors. Side note:I recently purchased Tehillum from Artscroll and discovered a richness found in the Psalms that blessed me to my core and enhanced my own prayer life.

Thank you again, Henry, for this fascinating look at Portuguese crypto-Jewish prayer. This shows that persecution of religious minorities often brings a stronger deeper faith. This is certainly true as well for Chinese Christians who the communists have tried hard to obliterate. Speaking of the Lord's Prayer which you memorized in public school, I too remember the reciting of the Lord's Prayer in our Winston Churchill High School in Oakridge, Vancouver, which was perhaps 40% Jewish. My experience was even though I self-identified as a Christian/Anglican, I resented the Lord's Prayer as boring. It was never explained to me, so meant very little until years later. I like how you unpack the meaning and beauty of some of the Portuguese prayers. Prayer means a lot more when the historical context is understood.

You make me want to study Portuguese. Respectfully (42) NHG

Thank you

Without Rabbis and Books, are you lobbing me a softball ?

Thank you so much for sharing with us! Such rich beautiful history and so human

Fascinating as usual. I’m listening to The Jewish annotated translation of the New Testament, one of your recommendations. Thank you.

500 years, that's incredible that these prayers and devotions endured in such an environment....speaking to your personal experience of having Yiddish speaking grandparents, but you yourself not retaining much of that language....I have heard it said that when non-English speaking immigrants arrive in a country like Canada (excluding Québec obviously) they learn "survivial skills" English....they learn enough to get by. The children of the first generation immigrants then become fluent in English through schooling and friendships, but they often attain a high degree of fluency in the heritage language. By the time we get to the grandchildren of the first generation immigrants however, by this time the grandkids can typically understand "some" of the heritage language, although they're often not comfortable speaking it.....and then the 4th generation comes and the heritage language is gone. There is something supernatural in my eyes to the Jews of Iberia maintaing even a remanent of their prayers and traditions for 25 generations as you point out. Blessings as always sir....and you might not be "A" rabbi, but I consider you one regardless.

Thankyou for this video. This is of great interest to me as one side of my family were crypto Jews. I did quite a bit of research on it and it is so interesting.

Other places to look for Judaism without rabbis are Karaites and Ethiopian Jews, at least before they made aliyah. But the best place to look for Judaism without rabbis is the Torah. And if we do that, there would be much less 'meshugas' and probably more people would have remained Torah observant. How would we interpret it? Look for the paradox in the Torah. Then you have a thesis, an antithesis and merge them into a synthesis. Each person, each generation does it anew, and then the Torah lives within us and doesn't become a bunch of empty actions and words recited by rote.

I'm looking for my great-great-grandparents Anna Esmeria Nogueira and Antônio Manoel de Oliveira, estimated date of baptism in 1830 to 1840. They were from Baependi MG. It is known that the inquisition in Brazil lasted until 1891. The family story is that my great-grandmother, Maria Augusta D'Oliveira (baptism 1877), daughter of the couple, was very rich and I had fine crockery, which was theirs, with a frieze of gold, and suddenly lost everything, only a few pieces remained as souvenirs and a range of Jewish customs came to me (including a recipe for shakshuka that my mother learned from her parents, all from Minas Gerais - Conceição do Rio Verde and Baependi) , which makes me suspect that they may have suffered some kind of lawsuit, as nothing else is known about them. How do I find any documentation regarding these inquisition processes? I tried to find it in the tombo tower but I can't access it. Do I need to be a genealogist or historian to be able to access such files in the Torre do Tombo? Thank you very much, your classes are excellent! Shkoyach!

Thanks!

You give some great examples of crypto Jews from Portugal professor but as you know, many of these spread to the hinterlands of the Danube river after the expulsion from Portugal. I have written a book about the Artist Albrecht Durer from this region who can almost certainly be identified from his "melencholia I" artwork as a crypto Jews. He produced this work at a time when the Jews had there books confiscated prior to burning in Nuremburg, Germany (Holy Roman Empire in 1514 CE). The artwork is produced as kabbalah linking it to Hebrew scripture and astronomy but what you will find most interesting is that the kabbalah changes the title of the artwork from "melencholia I" to " Chameileon 40" - which perfectly describes the artwork of both a crypto Jews and a kabbalist (chameileons were the only invertebrates on the kosher foods list and there were 4 different types listed just like the 4 fruits of knowledge from the kabbalah garden of paradise or PRDS) The artwork contains 8 fundamental concepts of being a Jew and could be said to summarise the Torah as an artistic way to complete mitzvot 613 ( to write your own Torah). There are 29.5 items contained in the artwork which as you know was the period of the lunar molad from Ptolemy times up until the medieval times and beyond. Obviously there is much more hidden knowledge contained in this artwork such as prayers and blessings but not enough space here to go into fully. Try to see if you can spot the kabbalah code written in the magic square that the author Dan Brown missed in his novel - the lost symbol.

Henry sir, do you know how the Jews of Spain lived in the Pyreneese Mountain and what Basque shared with them?? I don't know enough of the customs to guess the similarities. But after reading a few young adult non-fiction books I understand the hidden friendships they're able to have.

the Lord's Prayer was taught by a pre-Christian Jewish Rabbi to his followers, Rabbi Jesus of Nazareth

Was I the only one trying to figure out the middle letter on his name tape? ס ? ו

😊😀🕎🇮🇱

2 In amidah.........my drash (connect) : Is support as idf soldier with to give a spiritual book/thing the right stap by the world with antisemitsm, other form hate an also the chase sa against Israel/idf.............what do you give (not special history) or what can you see from out your level, basic with teachers.....as a hint, advice for human with a litle bit or bigger room for to do something for a soldier, idf.................current. If you give a answer in later time, i can understand this an it is alright.

Sjalom. To think, that as narcismm can be in the mind (human), it isn't stop for as title, status, books..........I know, you are not a rabbi. I have seen that you show meanless, connect to rabbi......maybe for give lesson's on that way for give encouragement to grow, to be who we are an also, not to run away in arrogance? Who knows, your avodah is an special site road of rabbi??

Thanks!