Who Was Benvenida Abravanel? The Sephardic Diaspora pt. 1 Dr. Henry Abramson 

I am a descendant of Samuel Abravanel. 20th generation !!!’ 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 So proud of my jewish ancestors!!

I am not Jewish at all but have been fascinated by the history of the Jews. I have listened to some of those lectures and learn a lot

Professor Abramson. I would like to congratulate you for this wonderful series of lectures about the history of the Iberian Jews and the Sephardic diaspora. I think someone has already commented that during the late 1500s to mid 1600s in New Spain (Mexico) Portuguese became a synonym of New Christian or Crypto-Jew. As you have explained, hundred of thousands of Spanish Jews crossed to Portugal after the great expulsion of 1492. When Spain annexed Portugal in 1580, the Spanish king Phillip II allowed his new Portuguese subjects to migrate to the New World. For 60 years Portuguese New Christians were able to migrate to the Spanish American territories. As a result the European population already settled in New Spain began to identify the Portuguese newcomers as Jews. The last name of my grandmother from my mother's side is Cano. Although Cano is a Spanish surname in origin, it was bear by many New Christians that arrived from Portugal during the 1600s; therefore the surname Cano became a synonym of Portuguese Jew in Colonial Mexico. Finally, you don't need to worry about the jokes. Your lectures are fantastic anyway. Cheers.

Another Terrific lecture. I am fascinated by my Sephardic ancestors they used the names Gomez and Eastman but all had Hebrew Names like Isaac Jacob etc. And they arrived in the New world in the 1690s.

From Spain to Portugal to Mexico to the Philippines to Macao / China .... Thank you for giving me understanding of the past... I am from the Philippines my great great grandfather on my father's side is said to be a Spaniard or Portuguese Ship's Captain

As a descendant of the Jews of Sepharad who emigrated to Latin America and later became crypto/jews, I found these lectures , an incredible manner to know more about my family history. I am greatful for this project to document the precious history of the Jewish and Spanish community. Now with the new law "Retorno to Sepharad"by the Spanish government , many descendants are able to become Spanish citizens.

Shalom Dr. Abramson.Thank you for these videos, i have learned a lot. I live in Portugal, i am from a village older than 1000 years (sorry for my bad english) in northern Portugal interior called Semitela. All these region call us jews still today. Our family house from the 14/15 century has some inscriptions and images formed by distorted hebrew letters in a distorted way, like to hide. I cant speak hebrew but i know the aleph,bet. The inscriptions /images are very eroded/destroyed but i could see some letters. I put them in a online dictionary and the result was: Yigal Zar Rav and other words. I have pictures. There is a deep pain in my soul since i was very young. When i was young as my sister we use to have the same nightmares, at the entrance of the "judiaria" meaning jewish quarter we dreamed roman soldiers coming at night with the sounds of drums coming and hurting us. I since very young felt a deep sadness and opression.I would like to ask what "zar rav" mean. Thank you for the attention and God bless you very much.Flávio Jacques

So glad your back.

Excellent at last people are talking about us Sephardim.

Professor many thanks for your lecture.

Henry Abramson: The endnote in your office does resonate with me as being someone of mixed Ashkenazic and Sephardic ancestors. Mainly, with how I have experienced acceptance and rejection among the two major branches in Judaism. There was forced conversion on both my father's Ashkenazi side and my mother's Sephardic side, I have always been made to feel more welcome as a Jew by the Portuguese side of my family than the Germanic side. So at least in my own personal experience I think that your distinction is valid.

My grandparents maternal and paternal were from spain but went to Sicily. You don't have that on your map unfortunately. I did person geneology by an Italian Jewish geneologist in Florence. Over 50 relatives were conversos killed in Palermo in the 1520-30s....burned and property convisgated by the church. For 500 years my family were without judaism or christainity. ..I have come back to judaism...and am proud to do so.

The use of "Portuguese and Spanish" is probably derived from the fact that between 1580 and 1640 Portugal and Spain became one united kingdom (União Ibérica) and in those year many Jews and crypto-Jews went to the colonies in America (the continent, not USA). In fact, that very the synagogue and cemetery in New York were found by the jews expelled from Brazil in the context of the Dutch Expulsion from Maranhão (a provincial colony in Brazil).

I learn so much from your lectures. Thanks.

Shalom, son of the exalted father. Baruch HaShem one and all. I was raised Pentecostal Christian, but I have always venerated Judaism and am currently a student of Judaic studies at the University of Central Florida, as well as a congregant of Kol Mashiach in Melbourne, Florida. My choice to convert to so called Messianic Judaism is largely due to a personal quest for a purer form of worshipping HaShem, while remaining an adherent to the Messianic teachings of and belief in Yeshua. My maternal grandmother's mother was of Ashkenazi stock and this is another reason that I am drawn to Judaism in general, in order to connect with my Jewish roots. I hope you take a tolerant view of my faith, especially in light of my pursuit of Hebrew language and history. That being said, superfluous though it admittedly is, I want to address your use of jokes in your lectures. As an attendant of many churches and synagogues through the years, I have seen many a pastor and rabbi incorporate this practice. Though your jokes may not often "kill," as a comedian might say, even seeming to "bomb," if you will, at times, I enjoy the practice. Occasionally, you have me laughing out loud. Invariably, I equate your humor with dad jokes. I also appreciate your frequent mention of your children. As shepherds and exalted teachers, I see clergymen in general as fathers of their congregant children. In brief, I would like to encourage you to continue your humorous anecdotes. That is all.

on his deathbed, Voltaire, when asked to return to the faith of his fathers and renounce the devil, responded with, “This is no time to be making new enemies.”

I'm so curious about your pushka. What is it?

Very interesting story, thank you very much.

The word Iberia comes from the Anukim word Ibiru (Hebrew). The word Sefarad/Sefardi has it's roots in the hebrew word sefer [ ספר ] meaning 'of the book'.

Very good.lecture today i see the trail of my lineage

Personally, I love your jokes. Keep them coming. 😊

Samuel abravanel Was my 12 generation..a small tree in Colombia

I must applaud you on this, and last semesters Subject Mater. It is a pleasure to hear the history of my Mothers family. While I have a lot of information and have studied this subject mater a great deal, it is always great to find more sources of information. The only issue i have, has to be your Pronunciation of my mothers Family name. While it can be spelled and pronounced differently, either Abarbanel or Abravanel, it kills me to hear your pronunciation.

Rabbi Dr. Abramson - one note on Samuel Abravanel. I believe he was likely called King of the Jews also because the Abravanel traced their lineage to King David (or at least claimed to)

Can you speak or lecture about sicilian jews during the inquisition.

I had Basque blood in Gipuzkoa ,Northern Spain for both parental sides. My father's Navarrese kingdom of Veneto-Catalan from Bassano del Grappa, Venice some Sephardic Jew found in Deuteronomy 3:11 the house of Ephraim beyond Manneseh. And my mother's Viscayan of Portuguese maternal origin. And I am an Ophirian, descendant of Rechabites,Joktan's descendant when King Solomon's days and his ship of Tarshish when he rode and went to East, the end of Earth and God's chosen land specially and this is my birth nation as a lost tribe of Israel, the pearl of Orient Seas.

Dear Dr. Henry Abramson: My understanding of the phrase "Estos Portugueses" written in documents between Spain and Nueva Espana (Mexico), usually between the Nueva Espana Viceroy and the Spanish crown or its leading church leaders meant that these individuals they were referring to as "Estos Portugueses" were Spanish Jews or Portugese Jews hiding in the new world and were demanding that the inquisition be sent to Nueva Espana (Mexico). It was a coded word used specifically for JEWS in the new world. The phrase was used in such a way as to convey contempt on those jews that had made it into the new world. Church leaders in Nueva Espana (Mexico) claimed that Nueva Espana was full of "Estos Portugueses" as an argument for the inquisition in Nueva Espana.

Yasher Koach Dr Henry, Blessings from Melbourne Australia. Quick question: She was an 'Eishes Chayil" Woman of valour correct? AFter samuel Arabanel's death she inherited his estate and became well known as a successful businesswoman and gave much Tzedoka charity to the poor and supported Torah scholars correct?

The J in Portuguese is pronounced as a "zh" not an "h": ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Xa7OkPMrdiI.html

yay!!! class is back :)

An ilustrious ancestor.

If it ends in a consonant other than N or S, every Spanish word is accented on the last syllable, hence AbravaNEL. Other than that detail driving me crazy, loved the lecture.

i think the jews that lived in portugal adopt a very strong portuguese identity, that may explained why after that, they always liked to distinguish that identity. remember they were among the more richest and educated in the portuguese kingdom. confident if kings. portugal was always a sort of paradise lost to those families, when they had to leave.

Thank you very much

Thanks so much for this lecture, so much info in one hour, fascinating,!! Your chidush for the term Portuguese used is also eye opener , as I never understood why the Portuguese Synagogue in Amsterdam is so named . It was founded by the Anussim

Hold on!! A joke cannot be complete if it doesn’t have a camel in it. As Sephardic Jew myself I will like to hear one of a camel as it relates more to the Middle East old times. 🐪

Please more jokes who cares if they are repeats it’s part of your charm!

Thank you very much, Professor Abramson, for these videos dealing with the Jews of the Iberian Peninsula. Being Portuguese, I am especially concerned because I have strong suspicions of being a descendant of "Cristãos Novos", former converted Christians. I discovered, for example, that my father, who had died a few years ago, was circumcised by tradition on his village, although nominally professed Catholicism.

So who was Benvenida? Someone's sister?

I’m a descendant of Samuel Abravanel

It is pronounced AbRAVanel

Maybe stick with horse jokes?