First Spain got into the Great Navigations. Then expelled Jews. Most of them went to Portugal. Then Portugal got into the business. Then expelled Jews. A large number of them as Marranos. Most of them went to Netherlands and converted back to Judaism. Others to new lands lately called Brazil, never coming back to Orthodox Judaism. Then "Dutch" invaded Northeast Brazil and build a synagogue (a traditional Dutch building). Then they were repelled from there. Then those "Dutches" went to a little Northern island lately called Manhattan. During the WWII, most of Ashkenazi Jews went to New York and some to Brazil. Does it sound to you, dear Mr. Abramson, that there is a lot to be found in this history? Btw have you ever heard about the work of the historian Dr. Anita Waingort Novinsky about that saga? I do highly recommend it.
The "J" in Portuguese does not sound like the Spanish J. It is more like "zh". João has a nasal ending, since the tilde over the "a" is replacing an "n".
I'm curious about the university Zacuto belonged to, and early universities in general. How do we know they were indeed secular, as you say? Was their focus vocational, or were they geared more towards the wealthy?
One of these days, someone from the thriving Jewish community of Atlanta, should invite you to speak for three days and peddle all your self-autographed books. You would be a smashing success. Please.
hahahahaha.... Dr Abramson, I's knew that horse joke about the Gypsies, not the Jewish.... aham, aham; the strategy of convincing the sedentary locals that the passing nomadic community was really in holy penance by direct order of God - for sins committed in previous lives in distant Aegytus - and "still looking" for that ultimate award of land; NOW: there are some interesting cultural symbology, explanatory psychology... with administrative considerations.... as we know Jewish communities were not really nomadic, but have real homes in European Israel, Judah, and most importantly... Sepharad
