Venta Prieta is a small village which resembles thousands of other anonymous and sleepy Mexican hamlets one frequently sees from the vantage point of Mexic’s new, or newly improved highway system. A large market square where much of the village life is conducted, dominated by a large Catholic church, appears no different than any other.
Yet, there are significant differences. For among the 5000 inhabitants of the village, Venta Prieta is the home to more than 100 Mexican Indian families professing to be Orthodox Jews, tracing their lineage to the early Spanish conquests of Mexico almost 500 years ago, and to the Marranos, who were among the earliest families of Spanish conquistadors.
There are many similarities between Mexico’s Indian Jews and the Beta Israel (the Jews of Ethiopia). Both are proud peoples who trace back their Jewish origins many generations. The Mexican Indian Jews, like their Falasha brothers, have experienced a life of poverty, violence and discrimination. Nevertheless they have refused to assimilate and give up the basic tenets of their faith.
Recent research by rabbis and scholars has indicated the likeliness of the Marranos inter-marrying native women in Mexico shortly after their arrival in the country, who although outwardly practicing Catholicism, secretly passed on the faith of their fathers to their wives and children.
A RICH JEWISH SPIRITUAL LIFE
According to legend, Mexico’s Jewish Community enjoyed a renaissance in the late 1800’s. They trace their community enjoyed a renaissance in the late 1800’s. They trace their community to Ramon Girona, a descendant of a prominent Marrano family. Mexican Indian Jews, although poor in material possession, enjoy, nevertheless, a rich Jewish spiritual life.
A number of years ago they built their own synagogue, largely by hand, as they lacked modern machinery. Whenever possible, this unique Jewish community has attempted to reside in close proximity to the synagogue so that they would be able to walk to the synagogue on Shabbat, a day which all Mexican Jews revere.
A MAJOR PROBLEM
One of the major problems affecting the Mexican Indian Jews has been the lack of recognition and support from Mexico’s established Jewish community.
On a recent visit to San Francisco, one of Mexico’s most prominent Ashkenazic Jewish leaders and a major supporter of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, told this writer that there is considerable doubt, in his opinion, whether or not the Mexican Indian Jews were in fact “real Jews,” since their physical appearance is so vastly different from that of the 40,000 Ashkenazic and Sephardic Jews who presently live in the country.
The individual quoted stated that the Mexican Jewish community is deeply troubled by the thought of intermarriage and assimilation. “Jews in Mexico are very affluent,” he said. “Many of us reside in extremely large houses which require numerous servants to maintain. The Mexican Indian Jews, on the other hand, are closer economically to the majority of Mexicans, and frequently have great problems making ends meet.” Since the Mexican Indian Jewish community was “discovered” by Israeli emissaries, more than 20 young people from the village have visited Israel, with several of them currently serving in Israel’s Defense Force. Like Jews everywhere, the Mexican Indian Jews are concerned with the future of their children and their education. Many of them have left their humble origins behind and are now graduates of Mexico’s leading universities.
The current president of the community, Louis Perez Tellez, symbolizes the people’s aspirations. At the age of 33 he operates a successful electronic supply business and is a graduate electronic engineer.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
