Dr. Dell Sanchez began his journey into the lineage of his Latino family when it surfaced from his research of Jewish survivors of the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisitions of the 15th - 17th Centuries. The more Sanchez dug into historical record, the more he began to suspect his own Sephardic Jewish roots. The DNA of his mother and father served to prove his suspicions.

Presented as a personal yet factual narrative, Out from Hiding includes six crucial topics that prove the existence of Sephardic Jewish roots among Latinos:

- Historical and genealogical records
- DNA evidence corroborating Sephardic Jewish roots among Latinos
- Onomastics dealing with the Sephardic origin of surnames
- Material evidence found within the Sephardic Latino community
- Oral histories disclosing family secrets of thirteen Sephardic Latinos
- Sanchez's professional observations and prognostications of the Sephardic Latinos' future

Based on continued research, it has been estimated that there are tens of thousands of Hispanic/Latinos with Sephardic Jewish ancestry in America. The majority of these are not aware of their hidden Jewish roots, aren't aware of their hidden backgrounds. Out from Hiding is his journey through history, family genealogy, and personal faith. Perhaps it may be your journey, as well.

OUT FROM HIDING!

?Evidences of Sephardic Roots among Latinos?By Dell F. Sanchez

iUniverse, Inc.

Copyright © 2010 Dell F. Sanchez
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4502-5371-0

Contents

Preface..................................................................xiiiAcknowledgements.........................................................xviiIntroduction.............................................................xxiA note on the locations and sources of investigation.....................xxvOverview.................................................................xxviiChapter One ? Scriptural Evidence........................................1Chapter Two ? Historical Evidences.......................................6Chapter Three ? Material Evidences.......................................16Chapter Four ? Scientific Evidences......................................39Chapter Five ? Onomastic Evidences.......................................53Chapter Six ? Personal Evidences.........................................64Chapter Seven ? Synthesis of Personal Evidences..........................130Chapter Eight ? Implications and Projections.............................133Conclusions..............................................................136Appendix.................................................................140Notes....................................................................144Bibliography.............................................................150About the Author.........................................................153

Chapter One

Scriptural Evidence

The Hebrew Torah has stood the test of time for around 3500 years. It has been the basis and point of departure for various religions for over three millennia. It has also been the subject for inquiry not only in schools of theology but has also been read in the halls of history, literature and human origins.

In this case, there is no better standard, in my opinion, that relates to the existence and future of Sephardic Anusim than that of Holy Scriptures. These Scriptures can be seen as historical or they can be seen strictly as "inspirational." In either case, they provide an ancient reason for Sephardic Anusim's existence as well as their future role in human civilization. My intent is not the theology of the matter but to corroborate the origins and future of the people this book represents.

I shall quote only a few Scriptures which provide us with some precedence on this subject. The Scriptures I shall refer to are taken verbatim from the Massoretic Text of the Scriptures. The Massoretic Text reads like "Old English" and I do so because it is a reliable source for Biblical translation and is also the basis for the Jewish Bible.

Torah Precedence

In the Book of Deuteronomy it reads:

If any of thine that are dispersed be in the uttermost parts of heaven, from thence will the LORD thy God gather thee, and from thence will He fetch thee. And the LORD thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and He will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers.

Prior to his death, Moses foretold what would happen to Jews of every tribe and possibly from every age and generation. With accuracy, Moses foretold the future dispersions of the "Chosen People." History has revealed that the Sephardic Anusim have been in hiding the longest and separated the farthest from the rest of the Jewish family since they were expelled from Spain. No other group of Jews has suffered more severely for a longer period of time than these Sephardic Anusim Jews, as we shall see in Chapter two which surveys this history.

Despite their sufferings, Moses foretold that God would "fetch" and bring them into the land of their forefathers. And he also declared that God plans to do well to them and to multiply them "above their fathers." The Jews I'm referring, specifically the descendants of Inquisition survivors of Spain, Portugal and Mexico have been multiplying in every conceivable way.

Prophetic Precedence

The Prophet Jeremiah affirms the attitude in which God intends to return the Jewish people from the farthest corners of the world. He said,

Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land in truth with My whole heart and with My whole soul.

Jeremiah asserts that God will take good pleasure in (re)planting His children back in the land of their forefathers. He also says that God will do this transplanting "with all my heart and soul." There is no other Scripture that declares this more impassionedly.

The Prophet Isaiah emphasizes that God is going to "bring all your brothers, from all the nations, to my holy mountain in Jerusalem." And one of the nations cited is "Tarshish" which many scholars declare is a southern region of ancient Spain; in a location also known as "Tartesos." It is my persuasion that the location of ancient Spain goes all the way back to King Solomon, when he sent fleets of ships every three years to Tarshish in partnership with the Phoenician King Hiram.

The Prophet Zechariah said:

Thus saith the LORD of hosts: Behold, I will save My people from the east country, and from the west country; And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.

In his vision, Zechariah saw that God shall reach out not only to the nations in the Eastern Hemisphere but also to those in the Western Hemisphere. I believe this Western Hemisphere includes the land mass known as the "New World" of the Americas.

I believe the most relevant Scripture dealing with the Sephardic Anusim is found in the smallest book of the bible, the Prophet Obadiah as he foretells:

... and the captivity of Jerusalem, that is in Sepharad, shall possess the cities of the South (Negev). And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD'S.

In Hebrew Sepharad is Spain. This ancient prophet is foretelling that the Jews of Sepharad/Spain shall possess the cities of the South which is the Negev Desert in southern Israel.

Talmudic Corroboration

The Rabbis teach that he who builds the wall is great, But greater is he who stands in the gap.

There is a Scripture in the Talmud that speaks directly about the Sephardic Anusim. There are rabbis that choose to interpret it differently as is demonstrated in their attitude towards the Anusim but there is an increasing number that are taking a new outlook at this phenomena. The term I am referring to is tinnok shenishba beyin hagoim.

Dr. Rabbi Marc D. Angel of New York City revealed to me a personal concern I have held regarding the Sephardic Anusim whom I represent. The quotation below reflects his personal version of the term, tinnok shenishba beyin hagoim, and it reads:

This term refers to a (Jewish) baby who was captured and raised among non-Jews. Such a child cannot later be held responsible for not knowing the laws of the Torah, since he/she grew up without even knowing he/she was Jewish. Yet, when such a person later learns he/she is of Jewish parentage, he/she can (should) be considered part of the Jewish people and become subject to the laws of the...