Jewish Heritage of Latin America

Today’s Jews in South America are mostly Ashkenazim descended from Jews who arrived in South America from Eastern Europe, and Russia. The Sephardic community is a bit more interesting of a story because it’s composed both, of descendants from early settlers from Spain and Portugal, and those whose Sephardic ancestors came later from Middle Eastern nations such as Morocco, Syria, and Lebanon. One of South America’s best kept secrets is that the Jews first discovered Latin America, having reached the Americas with Columbus’s voyages. It has even been alleged that Jews paid in part for Columbus’s voyages in order to ensure their transport out of Spain. The best historical facts have Jews first arriving with early settlers as Conversos (also called New Christians; Jews who were forced or agreed to convert to Christianity in order to escape expulsion from Spain and Portugal and persecution by the Inquisition)