Ruth Reyes, "Sephardic Family Names from Puerto Rico", The Casa Shalom Journal, Volume 10, Published by The Institute for Marrano-Anusim Studies, Gan Yavneh, Israel 2008. Many Sephardic Jews from Bulgaria and Greece carry this surname. When you really think about this, it makes perfect sense. Hello, My mother is Rodriguez Torres, My grandmother's name was Del Valle Torres, my grandfather's name was Rodriguez Torres. Prefixes such as Aben, Ibn, Aven, Avin, Ben and etc. Subscriptions are available. Hello! My Mother's maiden name is also Pi. The 15 surnames you mentioned is a good point and a much discussed topic. My grandmother cooked very kosher abd meats with cheeses never touched at her house. I'm a Sephardic Jew. I my self have great love for Israel and would certainly like to know if I also have jewish ancestry. are in alphabetical order. In 1970, Raphy Leavitt organized a band with an original sound and style that became one of Puerto Rico's greatest salsa orchestras, "La Selecta". I have met other Jews who know Aldeas of Spain and they are of Jewish heritage. My grandparents are original from Lares. (~), Apellidos de los Portugueses de Cordoba. Hi, my name is Marcos Rodriguez, from Puerto Rican parents born in Lares, P.R. Eastern Sephardim still often carry common Spanish surnames, as well as other specifically Sephardic surnames from 15th century Spain with Arabic or Hebrew language origins (such as Azoulay, Abulafia, Abravanel) which have since disappeared from Spain when those that stayed behind as conversos adopted surnames that were solely Spanish in origin. be purchased form Seaview Press. It was the final destination of the terrible and notorious "Middle Passage". Los Apellidios Biblicos De Mallorica (Biblical Names of Mallorca) by Miquel Both from Puerto Rico and we were told that we are Sephardic. We are seven in this immediate family and to convert by a Rabbi cost thousands of dollars according to some I have spoken to online. QuickHistorical BackgroundTo write a historical background on the Sephardic Jews and their diaspora could take forever! Only those names recognizable and labeled as Jewish or converso are This also leads me to next consideration names! Society of England. Portugal e no Brasil.. Names from the Cristbal Coln (Christopher Columbus) arrived on the island in 1493. My email is jasminsmakeupspot@gmail.com contact me if anything I have a lot of info on our Sephardic lineage. So sorry I did not check these posts again. It was taken up and amplified by Tracing the Tribe blog, which later evolved into a prominent Jewish genealogical Facebook group. Be prepared I grew up in the island with my mother and her family.One day my mom's boyfriend call me at his house to find out how I was doing. Therefore, the documents are clear, without misinterpretation, verbatim and with minimal chance of error. Each name is (~), Sephardic names I've read that having a strong desire and being drawn to search out these things is a strog indicator of the possibility (I'm speaking from a biblical/spiritual standpoint in this regard). I have Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jewish Relatives showing all through Eastern and Northern Europe, into the Middle East, possibly in Asia, as well as Mexico, throughout the Caribbean and throughout South America. My mother's side of the family is from Juncos, P.R. that returned to Portugal and Gibralter after hundreds of years of expulsion. If you only have the certificate of Sephardic origin of your surnames, that does not guarantee to be sufficient all the documentation needed for you to submit your file, in order to obtain the Spanish nationality. The authors If not, Im learning along the way as well! Found this discussion really cool! Just in case, this study never (nor will be) intended to determine if a tester is Jewish. We are of Sephardi race meanomg that we are the people of God. Hola me he mirado el tema, que es muy interesante, pero el planteamiento me parece catico.Hasta finales del siglo XVIII los mallorquines no emigran, significativamente, a America y para entonces la Inquisicin ya no pintaba nada.Efectivamente en Mallorca habia un grupo converso bien conocido, los xuetas que solo portan 15 apellidos distintos, el resto de descendientes de judios, que seguro que los hay, hace siglos que no tienen ni idea de ese origen, as que dificilmente se fueron a ningn lugar para huir de la persecucin, y si lo hubieran hecho habrian practicado libremente su religin oculta, no? Pages in category "Sephardic surnames" The following 83 pages are in this category, out of 83 total. year old names. Diciionario book is a fine reference for those interested in learning Jewish genealogy Puerto Rico's common surnames are listed below. [14] Rabbi Adolph Spiegel, was among the serviceman who stayed in Puerto Rico.He led services from 1899 to 1905 in Ponce. Claims that these and other alleged Sephardic surnames qualify you for Portuguese citizenship can even be found on some lawyers websites. Please inform me what can I do. can anyone tell me?????? So much so, that now a days Christians dont even know they have Jewish traditions within their family due to these dark times. As a result of the program, many Jews migrated to the city of Ponce located in the southern region of the island and worked in the agricultural industry. (~), Jewish names Reform Jewish Congregation. They are fair skin with green and blue eyes. The Sephardic Jews are said to have lived in Spain since the second temples destruction in Israel. My oldest sister married a Torres, my other sister married a Vazquez and my youngest sister married a Rodriguez. (~), From the book, My mother last name was Lafontaine from Utuado P.R. And her last name was Lafontaine and I do not know who my father is but I know he was from Bayamon P.R.. cannot find the name in this list, I recommend to attach a prefix and look for My grandmother last names are Maldonado Medina. In 1953, Governor Luis Muoz Marn appointed him Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico, the first appointment that a Puerto Rican governor made to the court, addressing the nomination to "A. Cecilio Snyder". There is no such thing as a Sephardic surname. There was a Puerto Rican genealogy group addressing Seph origins, but it seems to have gone inactive. Thank you so much for writing :). This list may not reflect recent changes . He is from the original Chuetas. Trial by Haim Bienart. [20] Puerto Rico is the only Caribbean island in which the Conservative, Reform and Orthodox Jewish movements are represented. research. All of the names on this thread show in my DNA Relative List and I was told that my closest DNA match is in Puerto Rico. Harry Stein 8/14/01. The Jeff Malka Sephardic Collection Sephardim.com Namelist. This led him to become a believer in the cause of the Puerto Rican independence movement. (~) My grandfather was fair,blonde with blue eyes and over 6 foot.I do not understand why he took a Sephardic name, perhaps he wanted to blend in.My grandmother on my father side is a Perez. I suspect most surnames were probably adopted from godparents at the original baptisms, but I dont know. An open Jewish community did not flourish in the colony because Judaism was prohibited by the Spanish Inquisition. Most of these names, if not all, Hebrews of the Portuguese Nation, by Miriam Bodian. The letter P - Sephardic surnames, Sephardim.com, Sephardic names, Sephardic Jewish names, Sephardic genealogy at Sephardim.com - see our list of names My family converted a while back well most of them or they just acknowledged their Jewish ancestry. Contact Us Our law offices specialize in immigration law. [3], In 1478, the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile, established an ecclesiastical tribunal known as the Spanish Inquisition. Their contributions can be found, but are not limited to, the fields of education, commerce and entertainment. There are no pure races or religions on the face of this earth. Several people in my group match you as well and we are all discussing possible Jewish ancestry. assigned to Jews by the Holy Office (la Santo Oficio) of Spain. Ruth Reyes, "Sephardic Family Names from Puerto Rico", The Casa Shalom Journal, Volume 10, Published by The Institute for Marrano-Anusim Studies, Gan Yavneh, Israel 2008 | This list is compiled from a catalogue the author found on a visit to Puerto Rico in the Museum of San Juan. of many Sephardic families in Spain, England and The Netherlands. Many vignettes. Let us also not forget that the Moors/Arabs were also expelled from Spain, I think a lot of people forget that part of history when we talk about the year 1492. My dad is Maldonado and Marquez. Sephardic Jewish Genealogy Family History of the Spanish and Portuguese Jewish diaspora. A Abecassis Abergel Abravanel Abreu (surname) Abulafia (surname) Alhadeff Amaral (surname) Andrade Arruda Assayag Astruc family Azoulay B Bassano (surname) Benady Benasayag Benayoun Bensad Bensoussan ties to Ciudad Real. Suerte! I find this forum really interesting, seeing where my Puerto Rican ancestry is originally from would be amazing. She did however said that she liked my father grandmother because she was a sweet Jewish lady. am I Jewish.? Finding out what it means to be Boricua through a genetic & genealogical journey through my family history. The majority of them fled to Miami, Florida; however, Puerto Rico also received a large influx of Jewish emigres from Cuba. Sephardic surnames are ancient. My grandfather Diego Romero Pi was from the Canary Islands. On my Grandmother's side (mom's mom) name Irrizarres also from Spain. appear to be original Sephardic names not changed by conversion. judia o judeoconversa. (~), From the I have recently just read Genie Milgroms My 15 grandmothersand Doreen Carvajals The Forgetting Riverwhich I recommend to any interested in learning more about Sephardic Jews and their journey to countries such as Cuba and Costa Rica. So, whats the truth? My surname is Delgado. The Spanish government, believing that the independence movements would lose their popularity, granted land and initially gave settlers "Letters of Domicile". otras fuentes que indican claramente que la persona portadora del apellido es (~), Sephardic names So no wonder that 5,309 medieval spellings of names were found as related to 679 surviving root names . Hi I have a very big problem. Sephardic Surnames (www.sephardim.com) The Sephardic names listed on this site are taken form the references listed below. Do not compare us with the Jews of Europe because we are not. Therefore, its hard to tell! My yahoo group is https://groups.yahoo.com/group/PRGENEALOGY-NW. Another thing to keep in mind are traditions and customs dealing with things such as food, burial, marriage, etc. For most hispanic genealogist, at one point during our research, the question: As you research your genealogy, there have been a few tips and tricks that other Sephardic Jewish genealogists have said you should keep an eye out for. Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings. Yes really, your Bisabuela probably had three last names.