Irish Crypto Rabbis with a Converso Twist
Sephardic Dynasties
Event — Lecture
Thursday, May 19 at 6:30 pm
— At The Center for Jewish History
A Lecture presented by the Ackman & Ziff Family Genealogy Institute at Center for Jewish History and American Sephardi Federation
Sarina Roffé, founder of the Sephardic Heritage Project and an expert on Brooklyn’s Sephardic Jewish community, traces the journey of the Kassins, a rabbinic dynasty with rumored Converso heritage, from Spain to modern Brooklyn, using traditional genealogy methodology as well as DNA testing. Roffé also explores the claims that some descendants are rabbis who serve a secret Jewish community in Ireland. The last descendant of the Kassins is currently serving as Chief Rabbi of Brooklyn’s Sephardic community.