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 he New Mexico
Jewish Historical Society's Alvin H. Solomon Annual Conference
in Jewish History was held in Santa Fe in November, 2000 and
I am happy to report that something major has been accomplished
- depth! More than one hundred people got together at the Hilton
Hotel, broke bagels together, swabbed green chili -laced cream
cheese together and talked about questions of identity, self-definition
and spiritual community. The conference went way beyond the usual
boundaries of historical colloquial and engaged people in their
hearts as well as their heads.
One of the most articulate of the presenters
was Dr. Seth Kunin from the department of Divinity and Religious
Studies in Aberdeen. He spoke of identity as a fluid, changing
thing. At different times in your life, different things are
important to you. So today you may speak of yourself as an American,
ten years from now you may be more invested in your Jewish identity,
and then it may change again...and again. The implication is
that we can't assign identities to people and define them from
the outside. If a crypto-Jew defines herself as a Jew, do we
have any right to demand that she convert to be considered Jewish?
Kunin's mind probed even deeper. He said that people can juggle
multiple personalities; you can, for example, be a Jew, an American
and a woman. In addition, you can be defined as a Jew
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even if you do not engage in any religious
observances.
A panel discussion led by Dr. Kunin included
two soulful Anasim - Dr. Isabelle Medina Sandoval, a scholar
and a poet, and Orfa Salinas, a woman from Las Vegas, New Mexico,
who is undertaking serious genealogical studies. In a very personal
and touching way, Salinas described how her mother knew all along
that she was Jewish, but never revealed it. When Salinas began
to understand her Sephardic roots, her mother told her to "drop
it." But Salinas persevered. "My ancestors didn't have
the privilege of saying they were Jewish, so I am going to say
it and I am proud of it," she said. Sandoval, now a familiar
and cherished presence in the world of Crypto-Judaic studies,
revealed how she began the road that would lead her to understand
her Jewish identity and write about it. It was at the encouragement
of a friend that she became a writer and she penned the eulogy
at that friend's funeral. Sandoval stopped to thank the women
who helped her along her way. She was able to juggle the triple
identity of scholar, poet and sensitive Crypto Jewess in front
of an audience mostly composed of strangers. There was a moment
of tension when she read a letter from Lorenzo Dominguez. He
was supposed to be part of the panel, but opted not to participate.
He explained that he is aware of the controversies around Crypto
Judaic studies, and he has found his identity as a Jew. If others
don't accept it, that's fine with him. He wants to pursue his
Judaism privately and within his Jewish community. For him, it
is a spiritual journey, not an educational one. The applause
of the audience indicated an acceptance of Dominguez' feelings
and his self-definition.
Another panel (hosted by Dr. Abe Chanin from
the University of Arizona) was also very personal and moving
- the descendants of the Ashkenazi pioneers of New Mexico got
to tell their family stories. Dr. Randy Seligman, Robert Taichert,
Marian Silver and Amalia Longoria (whose identity is both Ashkenazi
and Crypto-Judaic) delighted the audience with a behind-the-scenes
look at the personalities who people the panels of the current
"Pioneer Jews of New Mexico" show at the Palace of
the Governors in Santa Fe.
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Melanie LaBorwit, of the Las Vegas Rough Rider
Museum, talked about the shortage of brides on the frontier in
New Mexico, and how the ratio of men to women was 25 to1.
Saul Cohen, a New Mexico lawyer and literacy
maven, read excerpts from a New Mexico book that dealt with Jews.
The audience members were taken on a tour of Jewish Santa Fe
and hosted by docents at the Palace of the Governors exhibit.
Of course, no conference on Jewish history in New Mexico would
be complete without a presentation by Dr. Stanley Hordes. In
his usual articulate, humorous way, he dispelled misconceptions
that most people hold - like the belief that the Inquisition
had jurisdiction over Jews. In fact, it only had authority over
converts to Christianity, and was an attempt to normalize and
formalize the Christian religion. He gave an update on some of
his research into the origins of New Mexican families with forcibly-converted
Jewish ancestors.
Friday, the conference attendees were entertained
by a concert of Ladino music with singer-songwriter Consuelo
Luz and percussionist Polly Tapia Ferber. In the spirit of the
weekend, both women performed and spoke from the heart - personally,
directly, generously.
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