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We concluded the last episode by discussing the distinctions between Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jewish traditions. This highlights an exciting development in our story of Samuel and Rebekah Nunes, formerly known in Portugal as Diogo and Gracia Nunez. We have two noteworthy things that transpired in our story. One is an Ashkenazi family from Prussia has immigrated to England to escape from mandates by the Prussian king who made it very difficult for Jews to earn a living. They came to England and were welcomed into Beavis Marks Synagogue, a Sephardic synagogue, one which traditionally served Spanish and Portuguese Jews. In this REVEALED episode, Dr. Papo speaks about how it was that an Ashkenazi Jew would end up finding refuge in a Sephardic synagogue. He also addresses the complex issues confronted by Conversos, who had great expectations coming to England with dreams of reverting to Judaism but confronted a reality that wasn’t nearly as welcoming as they expected.

In this second part of a three-part interview, Dr. Papo continues to explore the world of Sephardic Jewish culture and Conversos, how Jewish, Spanish, and Portuguese cultures impacted each other, and how Judaism, as practiced by Conversos in secret, was deeply affected by generations of living outwardly as Catholics.

In today’s episode, we start with part 1 of a 3-part conversation with Dr. Eliezer Papo, senior lecturer of Hebrew Literature at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Be’er Sheva, Israel. He serves as Chairman of the Moshe David Gaon Center for Ladino Culture and is the chief editor of El Prezente – Journal for Sephardic Studies. In this first episode, Dr. Papo unravels the story of the Jews in the period leading up to the expulsion of the Jews in Spain in 1492 and the advent of the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisitions, which attempted to suppress Jewish practices even after Jews residing in these countries had been forcibly converted to Catholicism. We hope you find Dr. Papo’s extensive knowledge of the world of Sephardic Jewish culture and Conversos enriching and illuminating.

Dr. Ariel Hessayon is an early modern historian who is a faculty member at Goldsmiths, University of London. He has written extensively on a variety of topics, including antiscripturalism, anti-Trinitarianism, anticlericalism, book burning, heresy, crypto-Jews, Judaizing, and religious radicalism. His work is based on extensive research and often draws upon many archival discoveries. We pick up the conversation as Dr. Hessayon discusses the increasing number of pogroms directed against the Jews before their expulsion from England in 1290. In this first part of a two-part interview, Dr. Hessayon traces the history of the Jews in England up to and after their expulsion and details the events that led to their absence from England for over 350 years.