Rave reviews continue to pour in from speakers and attendees of the 25th Anniversary Conference of the Society for Crypto-Judaic Studies (SCJS) held in Miami, Florida in July 2105.

The Society was formed over 25 years ago to help facilitate the study of Jews who left Spain and Portugal or converted during the time of the Spanish Inquisition, as well as their descendants. That study includes academic research, genealogical research, and myriad personal narratives of those on the trail of family history or personal discovery.

These conferences draw brilliant academic minds and fascinating speakers from every walk of life. Focusing this year on the crypto-Judaic history of the Caribbean, Florida and South America, the event was the largest in the society’s history.

Speakers included a mix of academics, independent scholars and others, as passionate as they were informative. The strong Miami area attendance proved how demographics have a strong bearing on participation. In particular, the arts related to crypto-Judaic studies were successfully blended, featuring visual and musical artistry. As always, the personal stories were inspiration for outstanding work by academics and scholars, while academic presentations inspired artists and others to learn and study more extensively.

The event, held Sunday through Tuesday, began with a workshop/presentation by SCJS president and author Genie Milgrom on genealogical research followed by a look at understanding the role of DNA by Bennett Greenspan, founder of Family Tree DNA. The evening keynote presentation by Ainsley Cohen Henriques, a celebrated expert on Caribbean Jewish history, examined the essential question of what it means to be a Jew. Other speakers were noted academics David Wachs and Ruth Behar.

The next two days included panels covering a wide range of fascinating topics. Noon entertainment on Monday featured composer/recording artist Neil Manel Frau-Cortes who led us in Sephardic music and song. Monday night’s annual Judy Frankel Memorial Concert featured Susanna Behar, whose remarkable voice in Kanto a Sefarad, and rich sounds of her flamenco musicians, was complemented by the surprise addition of a flamenco dancer.

For those looking for a highly accessible, fascinating and entertaining look into crypto-Jewish history and research, this was the definitive conference. SCJS welcomed its new first vice president – Dr. Joseph Maldonado of New York – who will assume the society’s presidency at the next conference, to be held June 26-28, 2016 in Santa Fe, New Mexico – the heart of the Crypto-Jewish experience in the American Southwest. Mark your calendars now.

All Photos by Jeffrey Worthington