INTRODUCTION In 1496, king Manuel of Portugal ordered all jews to leave the realm in 10 months, but instead he forcibly baptized them in 1497. Thereafter these Jews were labelled New Christians. Those who secretly continued to observe the essentials of Judaism became known as Marranos. In Hebrew Marranos are known as Anousim, "the forced ones". For 500 years Marranos were Jews in their hearts but had to pretend to be Christians for fear of their lives. Thousands died in the fires of the Inquisition which lasted 250 years in Portugal. Two to four thousand were massacred in Lisbon during Passover in 1506. Up to two thousand children were forcibly baptized and shipped off to the island of St. Tome off Africa where many died or became slaves. Today, their descendants are longing and struggling to return to their ancestral heritage. The Portuguese Friends of Marranos want to help. It has the following objectives:
OBJECTIVES
1. To strengthen the Jewish identity of Marranos through education.
2. To encourage and support the translation and publishing of important texts by and about Marranos.
3. To work together with other organizations dedicated to helping Marranos regain their Jewish idendity.
OBJECTIVOS 1. Ajudar os Marranos (Crypto-Judeus/Anousim) fortalecendo a sua identidade Judaica e validando as suas tradições e costumes, que foram brutalmente suprimidos pela Inquisição. 2. Fortalecer a identidade Judaica das comunidades Marranas e os seus elementos facilitando a educação Judaica. 3. Apoiar a tradução e publicação de textos importantes escritos e sobre os Marranos.