Madrid, the Conversos and the deathly event of Auto Da Fe.

foreign yesterday we saw the choices of loyalty in Madrid today we look at the choices affecting life and death where the choice is so extreme that you almost wonder how that choice can be made electing to give up life to declare that there is something that transcends that is more important than life yet in every country in Europe in every Century for the past 1 000 years Jews ordinary Jews from all and any Walk of Life in France in Hungary in Italy in Holland made that declaration laid down their lives for Judaism made it absolutely clear that there is a value a calling enshrined in our DNA essential to our identity Madrid is the choice of the Soul the refusal to give in the decision to withstand torture and ultimately any demand so as not to betray family not to betray religion not to betray my fundamental belief in God with all my soul and we stand in wonder amazed but unbelievably proud of what our history has achieved in Madrid we will find the story of the Converses Jews who had become Christians in the aftermath of 1492. determined to retain some vestiges of their Judaism at any price and ultimately paid the highest price who carried out this determination not for a year or a generation but for over 300 years the greatest page in our nation's modern history but first we will learn more of the story that brought the Jews to Spain the centuries of Life under Muslim rule starting in the 8th Century which created a golden age in Spain because our history is made up of various pieces of a puzzle and we need to be aware of the four centuries where Jewish life flourished in Spain we need to see the Cradle that created Jews who would Outlast the Inquisition and then we will see where in 1680 the Inquisition brought Jews to a public trial in the plaza mayor an auto defeat over the next three centuries from 1492. those who were discovered to be secretly practicing Judaism were arrested their properties confiscated and servants family members Neighbors were persuaded or frightened into becoming informers and spies and these are documented stories meticulously documented by the Inquisition itself of those who went the way of true Martyrs who inspired not only generations of Jews but their own descendants today yossi Wallace writes of a conversation he had with his father a holocaust Survivor I remember as a child back in Poland an old Bible it was ancient passed down from father to son for Generations when you opened the cover you'd find a list of all the people who'd owned this every father inscribed his name on the inside cover and wrote down what country the family was living in at that time was a precious Farm family artifact that was to be preserved at any cost but in World War II our entire family was sent to the concentration camps and the hamash and most of the information contained therein was lost but there are a number of details that I remember the name of the first person on that list who began our improbable Journey Through History through Europe his name was Rafal vallis from Majorca in Spain what happened to him yossi asked his father Rafal vallis was put to death burned at the stake by the hands of the Inquisition a story that would have ended there were it not for the detailed records of the Inquisition who wrote down every part of the arrest torture and murder one thousand pages of coercion and as you read the trial transcripts you become aware that the conversos tried to refuse to betray their accomplices an example of unparalleled courage and integrity the valis family lived in Majorca rafal's line of work at Sea put him in touch with ships captains on a regular basis and made him a liaison between his community of conversos and the Jewish world that still existed outside of Spain valis had been placed under scrutiny by the holy Office of the Inquisition no one doubted that valis was breaking the law the only question was how with an entire team of Inquisition spies working full-time it wasn't long before the order was given for his arrest was interrogated as agents of the Inquisition attempted to learn everything they could about his sins the valis file now in the hands of his Israeli descendants reveal that Raphael under torture admitted having received instruction from rabbinical authorities abroad I was given to understand by the rabbis there that one particular commandment one Mitzvah was important for the Jews of Spain the fast day of Esther before Purim through this they will never forget who they are because Queen Esther was the first Murano in Jewish history on the surface she pretended to be like everyone else but on the inside she never ceased to be a daughter of Israel the file stated that Rafal vallis was charged with spreading Judaism to his male co-religionists including his relative Rafael Benito tarongi who was also held by the Inquisition tarongi's sister Catalina was arrested for doing the same among the community of female conversos all were sentenced by the holy Office of the Inquisition to be burnt at the stake however instead of binding them to the woods that would be set on fire the three were placed in close proximity to the Flames close enough for the Flames to burn them far enough for it to take a long time the church had their Priestly representative standing by cross in hand waiting for the prisoner to express a desire for repentance at which point they would be removed from the flames on the day of the auto defe 30 000 citizens of Palma de Mallorca gathered to watch the spectacle in the grand square situated directly in front of the local seat of government when they reached the square they were men handled onto the stage the pyre was made ready for kindling and they were tied to the pillars just adjacent to the fire the mayor of Mallorca was honored with lighting the fire after some time the Heat grew so powerful that was impossible to stand in close proximity but the population of Majorca watched and the priests waited at one point revolverless tried to lift his hand the heat must have become unbearable and he couldn't stand it anymore the merciful priest crucifix in hand had been waiting for the signal and came rushing over intent on saving Raphael's soul Catalina was tied to a neighboring pillar upon seeing vallis raising his hand she screamed with her final bit of strength don't give in they are only able to burn our clothing they will not be able to touch our souls the moment he heard those words motion for the priests to leave him alone the disappointed priest retreated and the three ended their lives in that manner in full view of the people embodying Kiddush Hashem sanctifying God's name so concluded the inquisitions 1000 page description today we visit the history of the stubborn Jew who served God the whole with all their soul to see what it means to be committed to the calling of Judaism we visit with Incredible Pride and some sadness those who made it clear that a Jew remains a Jew no matter what for whom giving up their identity was a price they were not willing to pay the courage of the ordinary Drew under extraordinary circumstances who gave our nation in our world today a message that outlives time itself foreign