The Marrano Who Found a Lost Israelite Tribe in the Colonial Andes

In the 17th century, a Portuguese Catholic of Jewish ancestry named Antonio de Montezinos described an encounter with a group of indigenous Andeans descended from the tribe of Reuben, one of the “lost tribes” exiled by the Assyrians in the 8th century BCE. These Reubenites were fierce warriors who had fended off persecution at the hands of their neighbors. In conversation with Nachi Weinstein, Ronnie Perelis recounts Montezinos’s life story, which involved travels across the globe and imprisonment by the Inquisition, and the new life given to his account by the 17th-century Dutch Jewish thinker Menasseh ben Israel. (Audio, 68 minutes.)

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More about: Latin America, Marranos, Sephardim, Ten Lost Tribes

A Jewish Obligation to Vote

On October 3, 1984, Rabbi Moses Feinstein—a leading figure among American Orthodox Jews, whose halakhic opinions are obeyed and studied today—wrote a letter encouraging Jews to vote in the upcoming elections. Feinstein, a talmudist of the old school, was born in a shtetl in the vicinity of Minsk, then in the Russian empire, before elections were known in that country. He came to the U.S. in 1937, at the age of forty-one, to escape the ever-worsening persecution of devout Jews in the Soviet Union. That experience no doubt shaped his view of democracy. Herewith, the letter in full:

On reaching the shores of the United States, Jews found a safe haven. The rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights have allowed us the freedom to practice our religion without interference and to live in this republic in safety.

A fundamental principle of Judaism is hakaras hatov—recognizing benefits afforded us and giving expression to our appreciation. Therefore, it is incumbent upon each Jewish citizen to participate in the democratic system which safeguards the freedoms we enjoy. The most fundamental responsibility incumbent on each individual is to register and to vote.

Therefore, I urge all members of the Jewish community to fulfill their obligations by registering as soon as possible and by voting. By this, we can express our appreciation and contribute to the continued security of our community.

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More about: 2024 Election, American Jewry, Democracy, Halakhah