Speculation over that Christopher Columbus may have had Jewish ancestry has been alive for generations — at least since the 1930s, when the Spanish scholar, Salvador de Madriaga, made a case for it.
But could it be true?
There are grounds to believe so, Italy’s ambassador to Israel, Alberto Leoncini Bartoli, said Saturday. He spoke at the opening of the Columbus Exhibition at the National Maritime Museum in Haifa.
Bartoli admitted that “nothing is settled” about Columbus’ origin. But “there might be something to the claim” that he was Jewish, the envoy said.
He noted that Columbus’ mother, “a daughter of the Fontanarosa family, was named Susanna, which is a Jewish name.”
The Italian port city of Genoa claims him as a native son and will celebrate the 500th anniversary of his voyages of discovery in 1992.
The envoy invited Israel to participate.
So has Spain, under whose auspices Columbus sailed.
Spain is planning a year-long celebration of the event, which coincides with the 500th anniversary of the expulsion of Jews from that country.
Spain will highlight the contributions made by Jews to Spanish culture and history.
Could Columbus have been one of them? Some scholars have pointed out that his family name, Colon, was one used by Marranos — Jews forced to convert to the Catholic faith who secretly practiced their own religion.
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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.
