Luis De Carvajal What It Means For Be A Jew Essay

Nayla Basma Essay Topic #1 ENGL BC3092 Professor Laura Leibman October 17, 2016 Luis de Carvajal: What it Means to be a Jew In the Luis de Carvajal reading, the idea of what it means to be a Jew is explored. To provide some background, Luis de Carvajal (the Younger) was a crypto-Jew, or a secret Jew, who lived in New Spain during the time of the Inquisition. He was burned at the stake in December 1596, after being convicted of observing Jewish religious practices. The reading as a whole fundamentally delineates Luis’ desire to embrace his religion during a time in which people of the Jewish faith either had to either convert to Christianity or suffer persecution. Ultimately, Luis de Carvajal’s memoirs entail the concept that being a Jew involves the following: being loyal and devoted to the religion; carrying on Jewish traditions; feeling or developing a community with fellow Jews; and believing in one God and having a personal connection with Him. One concept critical to defining what it means to be a Jew in the Luis de Carvajal reading is the characteristic of being loyal and devoted to the religion. One must be dedicated to truly learning and understanding Judaism in order to be Jew. As mentioned in the text, Luis committed to his memory to the Ten Commandments, the Thirteen Principles of Maimonides, and various quotes from the books of Aprocrypha. His vast knowledge is noteworthy and quite remarkable, for Luis was situated in New Spain, â€Å"far from the European seats