Date: Sun Jul 28, 2002 12:41 am
Contents:
1. Manassas, Virginia very close to Washington, DC
2. Appreciation
3. Query on Celtic Art
4. Early Jewish colonists in the USA
5. Was Colombus Jewish?
6. Humor
1. Manassas, Virginia very close to Washington, DC
From: Vic Summerour
Subject: Re: "Brit-Am Now"-58
It is also interesting to note that Manassas, Virginia is located very
close to Washington, DC (about 20-40 miles southwest).
2. Appreciation
From: robert
I highly value getting Brit-Am Now and Jerusalem News, in fact I believe
it is the most important email I get.
Rob
3. Query on Celtic Art
From: Sandie B
<<One thing the Celts are known to have brought with them was a style
of
angular and curvilinear patterns and a technique of "symbolizing animals
and humans in a thought instead of physically drawing them" said Wallace.
>>
Yair - would this tie in with not making images of animals and birds as
understood anciently in the 10 Words?
Answer:
I doubt it but Celtic Art does derive in part from "Phoenician" and Ancient
Israelite sources.
4. Early Jewish colonists in the USA
From: susana mead
Subject: Re: "Brit-Am Now"-58
Dear Year,
According to the information I have read the early Jewish colonists in
the
United States were all Sepahrdic Jews that lived in Spain prior to the
Inquisition then moved on to other countries like Portugal, northern Africa,
England, France and Holland and later resettled in the American continent.
New York city was settled by these Sephardim. There were many name changes
in the process such as the Diaz in Holland became Hass, etc but these Jewish
settlers were Sephardic.
Shalom,
Susana
5. Was Colombus Jewish?
We have posted articles on this subject in the past. Here is some more
of
the same:
Source:
http://www.millersv.edu/~columbus/data/art/SABLE-01.ART
"On Columbus Day, do we celebrate a secret Jew? Historians weigh
in"
by: Martin Sable
in: "Jewish Exponent" (October 6, 1989)
Federation of Jewish Agencies of Greater Philadelphia
226 S. 16th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Some people believe that in observing Columbus Day Oct. 12--
a legal holiday in many states--we honor the discovery of the New
World by a Marrano Jew.
"Marranos" is a term referring to Spanish and Portuguese
Jews who professed to be Christian during the Spanish Inquisition
to avoid death or persecution. Many of them continued to observe
Judaism secretly and, in some cases, so do their descendants.
Although there is no definitive proof, a theory has existed
for centuries suggesting Columbus' Jewish origin. A number of
facts, many stated by Spanish Catholic historians desiring to
prove the explorer's Marrano origins and thus claim him for
Spain, are well known:
They explain his birth in Genoa, Italy, on the argument
that his parents were Marranos who fled Spain to escape
persecution.
It is known that Columbus' interpreter, Luis de Torres, a
scholar conversant in many languages, was Jewish; de Torres was
the first Spaniard to set foot in the New World. Some historians
believe the ship's physician and several seamen were also
Marranos, but this matter remains in doubt.
A myth exists that Queen Isabella of Spain pawned her
jewels to cover costs of Columbus' voyages. It is known that
Luis de Santangel, Gabriel Sanchez, Isaac Abravanel and Juan
Cabrero, all Jewish officials in the Spanish court, pleaded with
Ferdinand and Isabella on his behalf and that Santangel bore much
of the cost, according to the noted scholar, Meyer Kayserling, in
his book "Christopher Columbus."
No wonder there was a Jewish cry, "not jewels, but Jews."
A French-language book, published in the early 1980s,
purported that Columbus' wife was the daughter of a Portuguese
Jewish merchant.
A great mystery lies in the Hebrew letters drawn by
Columbus at the end of a letter addressed to his son, Diego.
What do they signify?
Columbus was acquainted with Jews, including the noted
mathematician and astronomy professor at the University of
Salamanca, Abraham ibn Zacuto, whose astrolabe, almanac and
tables Columbus used to navigate.
The same subject is brought up in Maurice David's "Who Was
Columbus?" published in 1933. Subtitled "A Sensational Discovery
Among the Archives of Spain," the book avers in its introduction
that Columbus was "a Spaniard and a Jew."
Moreover, David says, Columbus secretly remained a Jew
despite all the spying of the inglorious Inquisition and that
"his name was Cristobal Colon, and never at any time 'Columbus'."
Any mystery is tantalizing, and a Spanish-language article
titled "The Enigma of Christopher Columbus," published in a 1961
issue of the magazine "Sefarad," piques additional curiosity.
It deals with a document claiming that Juan Colom was the
true name of Columbus and that he was a Marrano Jew born on
Mallorca, an island owned by Spain.
The article, which includes an illustration from a plate of
the original document, claims that the explorer's father was a
sail-maker, Domenico Colom, and that his mother was Susana
Fontanarrosa. It adds that the explorer concealed his Jewish
origins so he could obtain assistance for his voyages from the
royal couple.
The article acknowledges the assistance of the outstanding
Spanish linguist, Dr. Jose Maria Millas.
Was Columbus Jewish? Despite the evidence, it is likely no
one will ever know because of the lack of specific and verifiable
documentation that would provide proof positive, leaving no
doubt.
Source: http://www.fortunecity.com/millenium/southwater/113/columbus.htm
Background on Christopher Columbus
The case for Columbus's Jewish origins is not presented solely by
Jews. The consensus of Spanish and Vatican historians seems to be for the
position, while that of Italian historians is against it. Weird, no?
Italian historians assert that Cristoforo Colombo was born in Liguria.
There position is that his father, Domenico Colombo, was a tower sentinel
in Genoa and later a weaver in Savona.
Spanish historians insist that Cristobal Colon was the son of Domingo
Colon, a wool trader, and Susanna Fontanarossa, both of Pontevedra, Spain.
Was Christopher Columbus Jewish? Some circumstantial evidence.
First some background. He was named Cristobal Colombo at birth. His parents
are believed to have been conversos.
1. His last name, as presented at the Court of Ferdinand and Isabella was
"Colon", a Jewish variation of the more common Spanish "Colom" or "Colombo".
2. His official report of his first voyage to America to Ferdinand and
Isabella began with the following words:" And thus, having expelled all
the
Jews from all your kingdoms and dominions, in the month of January, Your
Highnesses..." A strange beginning statement for someone that just returned
from a remarkable, supposedly impossible voyage. Of course the reference
to
January was just as strange.
3. Luis de Santangel, probably a Marrano or Converso, but certainly a
recent convert to Christianity loaned the crown 17,000 ducats for Columbus'
ships for the voyage in time to leave before August 2nd.
4. Columbus employed uniquely Jewish dates and phrases. Instead of
referring to the "destruction" or "fall of Jerusalem," he used the phrase
"the destruction of the second house." for the destruction of the second
Temple using a literal translation of the Hebrew "Bayit."
He also employed the Hebrew reckoning of 68 a.d. instead of 70 a.d.
5. Columbus is said to have used a unique triangular signature similar
to
inscriptions found on gravestones of Jewish cemeteries in Spain and South
France.
6. And perhaps most importantly, in the upper left corner of his letters
to
his son Diego, was the Hebrew letters "Bet Hey", which stand for the Hebrew
blessing "Be Ezrat Ha Shem," or "with G-d's help."
6. Humor
Source: Jewish Humor 1
http://www.fortunecity.com/millenium/southwater/113/
A pious man who had reached the age of 105 suddenly stopped going to
synagogue. Alarmed by the old fellow's absence after so many years of
faithful attendance the Rabbi went to see him. He found him in excellent
health, so the Rabbi asked, "How come after all these years we don't see
you at services anymore?" The old man looked around and lowered his voice.
I'll tell you, Rabbi," he whispered. "When I got to be 90 I expected G-d
to
take me any day. But then I got to be 95, then 100, then 105. So I figured
that G-d is very busy and must have forgotten about me ..... and I don't
want to remind Him."
Mr. Shwatrz goes to meet his new son-in-law to be, Sol. He says to Sol
(who
is very religious), "So nu, tell me Sol my boy what do you do?
"I study the Torah," he replies.
"But Sol, you are going to marry my daughter, how are you going to feed
and
house her?"
"No problem," says Sol, "I study Torah and it says G-d will provide."
"But you will have children, how will you educate them?" asks Mr. Shwartz.
"No problem," says Sol, "I study Torah and it says G-d will provide."
Mr. Shwartz goes home and Mrs. Shwartz, his wife, anxiously asks what Sol
is like. "Well," says Mr. Shwartz, "he's a lovely boy, I only just met
him
and he already thinks I'm G-d."