Big Tent Judaism

Jewish Roots in the Southwest

We have written extensively about “lost” Jews, people who come from backgrounds where their ancestors, for one reason or another, were forced to abandon Judaism. Dozens of articles, books and scholarly essays have also been written in the subject – covering Jews from Uganda to Peru – but a journalist from Harper’s Magazine, Theodore Ross, wanted to take a closer look into this curious segment of the Jewish community, so he went on a journey to seek out the anusim, or Crypto-Jews, of New Mexico.

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Lowering Barriers for Jews-by-Choice

Rabbi Marc Angel, founder and director of the Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals, is troubled by the ever restrictive policies regarding Israel and converting to Judaism – particularly Orthodox conversion. Writing in The Forward, he says the new policies have had a profoundly negative impact on Jewish peoplehood. “These policies prevent and deter many people from converting to Judaism according to Halacha (Jewish law),” he writes. “They cause unspeakable pain and frustration to numerous individuals who want to cast their destiny with the Jewish people – but who are rejected, humiliated and threatened by the rabbinic bureaucracy.”

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