Jews in Mexico have a fascinating 500 year old history that began in 1519 and witnessed the transformation of Mexico from a Spanish colony to a modern independent nation. Read on to learn more about Mexican Jewish culture and how to plan an exciting luxury trip to explore the Jewish history of America’s southern neighbor.
The Arrival of Sephardic Jews in Mexico
The first Jews to brave the Atlantic crossing arrived in Mexico during the early years of Spanish colonization. The Jews were Conversos (also known as Marranos or Crypto-Jews). They were converts, and the descendants of converts, who’d been received into the Catholic Church during the 14th and 15th centuries – often under threat of expulsion from their native Spain or Portugal. Anti-Semitism didn’t vanish with the mass conversions, it was simply transferred to the new Conversos who were regarded with suspicion and hostility and targeted by the Inquisition.
Adventurous Conversos moved to the New World hoping to find better opportunities and a more tolerant atmosphere. The first Conversos actually arrived with the conquistador Hernán Cortés, who had an aggressive evangelical mission and was determined to convert the indigenous American peoples to Catholicism. It took immense courage and commitment for the Conversos to continually risk their lives by practicing Judaism in secret.
Sephardic Jews in Mexico enjoyed mixed fortunes and had to contend with the Mexican Inquisition – and with fellow Conversos who fully embraced Catholicism and were willing to betray Crypto-Jews – but proved resilient and eventually outlasted the Catholic Church’s domination of Mexico. Their descendents are part of Mexico’s modern Jewish community.
The Arrival of Ashkenazi Jews in Mexico
The early Sephardic Jews in Mexico left a legacy of cultural resilience. A famous Mexican Crypto-Jew was the writer Luis de Carvajal the Younger (nephew of conquistador and provincial governor Luis de Carabajal y de la Cueva) who was executed by the Inquisition in 1596. The Inquisition formally ended in 1820 and was closely followed by Mexican independence. A new phase of Jewish history in Mexico began with pogroms in Eastern Europe. Fresh waves of immigration from the 19th and early 20th centuries brought Ashkenazi Jews to Mexico.
Russians, Poles and Lithuanians (known as Idish) established strong communities and established schools, synagogues and strong community organisations, contributing to a new Mexican Jewish culture. The Ashkenazis were joined by Shamis and Halebis from Syria (Damascus and Aleppo respectively) and Sephardi Turcos from the disintegrating Ottoman Empire. With the liberalisation of Mexican immigration policies after World War Two, more Jews settled in Mexico. They contributed to postwar economic growth and enjoyed the benefits of greater integration and acceptance into mainstream Mexican society.
Jewish Contributions to Mexican Society
Nobody is quite sure how big the Mexican Jewish community actually is, but top estimates are as high as 100,000 people who identify as Jewish. Jews in Mexico punch above their weight – to the extent that the country’s current president Claudia Sheinbaum is Jewish. President Sheinbaum is of mixed Ashkenazi and Sephardi descent and is also a respected scientist.
Another influential Mexican Jew was the media figure Jacobo Zabludovsky. The former anchorman hosted the 24 Horas news program for almost two decades. One of Mexico’s most successful businessmen was Isaac Saba Raffoul. His family origins were in the ancient Syrian Jewish community of Aleppo and his father established a business in the rag trade in the Mexican port of Veracruz. Raffoul built a net worth of over $2 billion and passed on the family companies to his sons.
Mexican Jews are well represented across the cultural spectrum in Mexico and are helping to shape the country through contributions in business, politics, arts, and education. Sephardic Jews and Ashkenazi Jews in Mexico continue to preserve their traditional heritages and community institutions, but the modern generation is more at ease in modern Mexican society than previous generations. Levels of intermarriage are extremely low compared to the US and the Jewish community is expected to continue to grow over the coming decade, further boosted by Jewish immigration from Latin America.
Jewish Life in Mexico Today
Education and youth movements play a big part in preserving and developing Mexican Jewish culture. An estimated 90% of Mexican Jewish kids attend Jewish schools and youth groups like Maccabi and Bnei Akiva are popular. If you’re planning to travel to Mexico with kids or grandkids, Gil Travel can arrange for opportunities to meet up with Mexican Jewish kids and make some new friends. The Beth Israel community center caters for English speaking Jews and the Jewish Sport Center is a great place to burn off some excess energy or watch a game.
Around three quarters of Mexican Jews live in Mexico City (home to over nine million people). A customized luxury tour of the city can include guided walks through the old Jewish neighborhoods and a chance to sample amazing kosher Mexican food – think Central and Latin American with input from Eastern Europe, Syria, the Mediterranean, modern Israel and a dozen other influences. You can also try some kosher tequila made from 100% agave juice or kosher wines and beers from local Jewish delis and supermarkets.
Mexican Jewish food definitely falls into the category of creative cuisine. Try gefilte fish in a spicy tomato sauce or homemade Syrian Kibbeh served with a guacamole sauce. If your tastes are more conventional, there’s a wonderful choice of kosher Mexican salamis and other meat dishes (stuffed lamb is a favorite), bean-based dishes and sweet desserts. The best Mexican fruit and vegetables are also top quality. Gil Travel can offer some excellent suggestions for gourmet dining and will arrange chauffeured trips to kosher restaurants.
Celebrate Shabbat and Jewish Holidays in Mexico
If you intend to keep Shabbat when you travel to Mexico, your itinerary can include luxury kosher or kosher-friendly hotels. Depending on your requirements, Gil Travel may also be able to arrange a warm welcome for you in a local synagogue (there are over two dozen in Mexico City). It may also be possible to organize some local hospitality and a home cooked Shabbat meal if you want to meet a Mexican family and forge some links with the community.
Exploring Mexican Jewish Cultural Sites
Five centuries of Jewish history in Mexico has produced some outstanding cultural sites. The Monte Sinaí Synagogue was built in 1918 as a place of worship for Jewish immigrants from Syria and the Levant. A guided tour will tell you more about the community effort that led to its creation and will showcase the wonderful wooden carvings and painted domed ceiling that decorate the synagogue. The chance to attend a traditional service can be a memorable experience for US Jews.
When Ashkenazi Jews arrived in Mexico they also attached a high priority to building synagogues. The Nidje Israel Synagogue design was inspired by an old synagogue in Lithuania. The unassuming Neo-colonial facade blends into the neighborhood and hides a beautifully decorated and light filled interior. Religious observance aside, Nidje Israel is also a focal point for the community. It’s a great starting point for a walking tour of the La Merced neighborhood and the Zócalo main square.
If you have a deeper interest in Jewish history in Mexico, a guided tour of the Jewish Documentation and Research Center of Mexico (CDIJUM) can be a thoroughly rewarding experience. Adjoining buildings comprise a synagogue, museum and archive. Artifacts go back at least to the 17th century and include old passports and immigration documents and historical items that offer fascinating and poignant insights into the past experiences of Jews in Mexico.
Plan a Luxury Jewish Heritage Tour of Mexico
Mexico is a very popular destination for Americans and the high end of the Mexican tourist sector excels at providing luxury accommodation and a world class service standard. Gil Travel will help you to devise a tailored itinerary that combines luxury kosher friendly hotels, gourmet dining and private guided tours of Mexico’s Jewish heritage sites and old Jewish neighborhoods.
Gil Travel can also arrange for you to explore Mexican Jewish culture through visits to community centers and cultural events, and to meet members of the Mexican Jewish community. A customized tour of Mexico is a wonderful opportunity to explore five hundred years of Jewish history and discover a unique community with roots across Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean and the Levant.
Talk to us today about creating the perfect itinerary for you and your family, or about arranging a group tour for your shul, book club or a circle of friends.
