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The Jewish immigration to Puerto Rico began in the 15th century with the arrival of the ''anusim'' (variously called ''conversos'', ''Crypto-Jews'', or ''Secret Jews'' and marranos) who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage. An open Jewish community did not flourish in Puerto Rico because Judaism was prohibited by the Spanish Inquisition, however many migrated to mountainous parts of the island, far from the central power of San Juan, and continued to self-identify as Jews and practice Crypto-Judaism. It would be hundreds of years before an open Jewish community would be established on the island. Very few American Jews settled in Puerto Rico after the island was ceded by Spain to the United States under the terms of the 1898 Treaty of Paris, which ended the Spanish–American War. The first large group of Jews to settle in Puerto Rico were European refugees fleeing German–occupied Europe in the 1930s and 1940s. The second influx of Jews to the island came in the 1950s, when thousands of Cuban Jews (most of Eastern-European descent) fled after Fidel Castro came to power, the majority immigrating to Miami, Florida, with a sizable portion choosing to establish and integrate themselves on the neighboring island because of the cultural, linguistic, racial, and historic similarities shared by both islands. Puerto Rican Jews have made many contributions in multiple fields, including business and commerce, education, and entertainment. Puerto Rico has the largest and richest Jewish community in the Caribbean, with over 3,000 Jewish inhabitants. It is also the only Caribbean island in which all three major Jewish denominations—Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform—are represented. ==First Jews to arrive in Puerto Rico== According to historians, the first Jews to arrive in Puerto Rico were ''conversos'', Jews who were forced to convert to Catholicism and were members of Christopher Columbus' crew during his second voyage on November 19, 1493 to the so-called "New World". Historians believe that Luis de Torres, who spoke Hebrew among other languages and who accompanied Columbus as his interpreter, was the first "converso" Jew to set foot in Puerto Rico.〔(Jewish Community )〕 The Jews who arrived and settled in Puerto Rico were referred to as "Crypto-Jews" or "secret Jews".〔Vazquez, Larizza, ("Judios en Secreto" ), ''El Nuevo Dia'', December 8, 2000, (Spanish), Retrieved November 12, 2008.〕 In 1478, the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile, established an ecclesiastical tribunal known as the Spanish Inquisition. It was intended to maintain Catholic orthodoxy in their kingdoms.〔Homza, Lu Ann (2006). ''The Spanish Inquisition, 1478–1614''; Page xxv, Hackett Publishing, ISBN 0-87220-795-1.〕 Hundreds of Jews were killed, and their synagogues destroyed. One of the consequences of these disturbances was the mass forced conversion of Jews.〔Kamen, Henry (1999). ''The Spanish Inquisition'', p. 17, Yale University Press, ISBN 0-300-07880-3〕 When the Crypto Jews arrived on the island of Puerto Rico, they were hoping to avoid religious scrutiny, but the Inquisition followed the colonists. The Inquisition maintained no rota or religious court in Puerto Rico. However, heretics were written up and if necessary remanded to regional Inquisitional tribunals in Spain or elsewhere in the western hemisphere. As a result, many secret Jews settled the island's remote mountainous interior far from the concentrated centers of power in San Juan and lived quiet lives.〔Ezratty, Harry, ("Crypto Jews in Puerto Rico Welcomed by Reform Community" ), ''Society For Crypto Judaic Studies'', Retrieved November 12, 2008.〕 They practiced Crypto-Judaism which meant that they secretly practiced Judaism while publicly professing to be Roman Catholic.〔Jacobs, J. (2002). ''Hidden Heritage: The Legacy of the Crypto-Jews'', University of California Press, ISBN 978-0-520-23517-5, OCLC 48920842.〕 Still, since Jews weren't permitted to worship, the Crypto Jews eventually intermarried with Catholics and therefore, Puerto Rico virtually had no Jewish history of which to speak.〔(Jewish Life Emerging ), ''Jewish News'', Retrieved November 12, 2008.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「History of the Jews in Puerto Rico」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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