New Mexico

New Mexico’s Conversos and Crypto-Jews

Program No. 11007RJ
Learn the history and experience the unique culture of conversos and Crypto-Jews — Spain’s Jewish citizens who were forced to leave their country for not converting to Christianity.

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At a Glance

In 1492, the Alhambra Decree forced Spain’s Jewish citizens to make an unthinkable decision: convert to Christianity or leave the country. Over the next 500 years, the saga of the conversos and Crypto-Jews — who practiced their faith in secrecy — brought them to the New World and finally to New Mexico, where their traditions melded with those of the peoples of the Southwest. In this land of canyons and desert, trace the struggle of New Mexico’s conversos and Crypto-Jews, and consider how their traditions have managed to survive against the odds.
Activity Level
On Your Feet
Walking up to 3 miles over uneven terrain; standing up to one hour, some stairs. Elevation up to 7000 feet. Due to the elevations during this program, physical activity may be more fatiguing than at sea level.
Small Group
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.

What You'll Learn

  • Meet New Mexico conversos for personal insight.
  • Visit Santa Fe and Museum Hill.
  • Enjoy field trips to the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center and the National Hispanic Cultural Center.

General Notes

Select dates are designated for small groups and are limited to 24 participants or less. For a more active version of this program, please see "New Mexico’s Conversos and Crypto-Jews in Santa Fe" (#22854). It includes similar and complementary educational content, but is based in Santa Fe.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Profile Image
Christopher Gibson
Christopher Gibson is an award-winning artist, writer, and arts educator who makes his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico. His work includes the Cuentos del Camino series on lower Cerrillos Road in Santa Fe and mixed-media installations at numerous museums in New Mexico and California. Over the years, he has written several articles on Hispanic arts and culture for the magazines "Tradición Revista" and "Imagen."

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Profile Image of Christopher Gibson
Christopher Gibson View biography
Christopher Gibson is an award-winning artist, writer, and arts educator who makes his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico. His work includes the Cuentos del Camino series on lower Cerrillos Road in Santa Fe and mixed-media installations at numerous museums in New Mexico and California. Over the years, he has written several articles on Hispanic arts and culture for the magazines "Tradición Revista" and "Imagen."
Profile Image of Maria Apodaca
Maria Apodaca View biography
Maria Apodaca’s family arrived in what is today's New Mexico in 1598. She is a descendant of the B'nai Anusim, Spanish and Portuguese Jews who were forced to convert to Catholicism in the 15th century. Maria is a member of Congregation Albert; a founder and board member of the Sephardic Heritage Institute New Mexico; a board member, Society for Crypto-Judaic Studies; and a board member, Jewish Genealogical Society of New Mexico.
Profile Image of Elizabeth Mesh
Elizabeth Mesh View biography
Elizabeth Mesh is an educator, artist and actor with a master’s and license in art therapy. She has led thousands of people at the SITE Santa Fe art museum. She has also been on over 20 film and TV sets in New Mexico. Biking, hiking, blue skies and clean air make New Mexico a place she loves to share. Elizabeth has been teaching traditional and expressive art for two decades and has been featured on the Home and Garden Network Television’s segment “That’s Clever!”
Profile Image of Schelly Dardashti
Schelly Dardashti View biography
Schelly Talalay Dardashti, a native New Yorker, has lived in Teheran, Tel Aviv, New Mexico. She is the US Genealogy Advisor for MyHeritage, and has traced her Ashkenazi, Sephardi, and Mizrahi families across Iran, Spain, Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine. An early proponent of DNA for genealogy, she created the award-winning "Tracing the Tribe - Jewish Genealogy on Facebook." She is a Board member of the Society for Crypto-Judaic Studies; founding member, Sephardic Heritage Institute New Mexico; and President, Jewish Genealogical Society of New Mexico.
Profile Image of Sheryl Russell
Sheryl Russell View biography
Sheryl Russell was born to a farming family in Kansas. At the University of Kansas, she studied education in theatre and English literature, followed by decades of work in retail and communications systems in Dallas, New York City, and the California Bay area. Sheryl felt that she had “come home" when she moved to Santa Fe. Here she found a cultural diversity, architectural style, and historic richness that supported the next 30 years of leading explorations and study of native Southwest cultures and their history.
Profile Image of Deborah Brin
Deborah Brin View biography
Rabbi Deborah Brin is an author, Jewish ambassador, and community builder. She is ordained by the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, and received her master’s in pastoral counseling from LaSalle University. With a long career in rabbinic, pastoral, and chaplaincy positions, Rabbi Brin led a thriving congregation in Albuquerque for over a decade. She now enjoys interfaith work, teaching about Judaism, and helping Jews find their own gateways back to their heritage while welcoming their non-Jewish partners, friends, and extended family.
Profile Image of Roberto Capocchi
Roberto Capocchi View biography
Roberto Capocchi was born in Brazil, where he studied classical guitar with Henrique Pinto and Brazilian jazz with Conrado Paulino. He later studied with Thomas Patterson at the University of Arizona and privately with Jorge Caballero. Roberto helped open the first Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival “Guitar in Our Schools” program at Kha’p’o Community School, and has recorded three CDs of solo and chamber music. He lives in Santa Fe, where he keeps a private teaching studio.
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Year
2024
  • 2024
  • 2025
Date
Oct 20 - Oct 25
  • May 05 - May 10
  • May 19 - May 24
  • Sep 08 - Sep 13
  • Oct 20 - Oct 25
  • Nov 03 - Nov 08
Please Note: The program differs on certain dates.
Please Note: The program differs on certain dates.
Select trip year and date
2024
  • 2024
  • 2025
Oct 20 - Oct 25
  • May 05 - May 10
  • May 19 - May 24
  • Sep 08 - Sep 13
  • Oct 20 - Oct 25
  • Nov 03 - Nov 08
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
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6 days
5 nights
13 meals
5 B 4 L 4 D
DAY
1
Check-in, Registration, Orientation, Welcome Dinner
Albuquerque, NM
D
Best Western Plus Rio Grande Inn

Activity note: Hotel check-in available from 3:00 p.m. Remember to bring your nametag (sent previously).

Afternoon: The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. Transportation for program-related activities will be via motorcoach unless specified otherwise. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

Dinner: In the hotel meeting room.

Evening: At leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.

DAY
2
Converso and Crypto-Jewish History, Synagogue, Columbus
Albuquerque, NM
B,L,D
Best Western Plus Rio Grande Inn

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 15 miles, approximately 1/2 hour riding time each way. Walking a few blocks over the course of the day; standing up to 30 minutes hours at the synagogue.

Breakfast: In the hotel meeting room.

Morning: After breakfast, our instructor will introduce the fascinating history of conversos and crypto-Jews, dating back to the time of the Spanish Inquisition that began its “investigations” in 1480. In 1492, Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain signed what is known as the Alhambra Decree ordering Jewish residents in Spanish domains to convert or leave on pain of death. Many fled and some reached the New World. We’ll then ride to a local synagogue, known for its distinctive architecture, and hear from the rabbi about contemporary Jewish life in New Mexico.

Lunch: At a local restaurant.

Afternoon: After returning to the hotel, we’ll continue learning about crypto-Jewish history with a lecture on the Columbus question. Given the confusion about his life before the voyages, is it possible he was a converso?

Dinner: At a local restaurant.

Evening: At leisure.

DAY
3
Crypto-Jews in NM, Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, Old Town
Albuquerque, NM
B,L
Best Western Plus Rio Grande Inn

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 15 miles over the course of the day, approximately 1 hour total riding time. Walking up to 3 miles, standing up to 1 hour at a time.

Breakfast: In the hotel meeting room.

Morning: In the hotel meeting room, we will have a presentation on migration, DNA, and genetics. Then, we'll hear from a presenter who will discuss her Converso/Crypto-Jewish heritage and her voyage of discovery into her own personal history. These fascinating presentations will be followed by a Q & A panel with the presenters. We’ll then board our motorcoach and depart for the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center (IPCC). Operated by the nineteen Pueblos of New Mexico, the IPCC is dedicated to preserving and perpetuating Pueblo culture, highlighting the accomplishments and evolving history of the Pueblo people. During our self-directed exploration, we will get an overview of New Mexico’s many different Pueblos as we view the Pueblo-curated exhibits on the lower level.

Lunch: At the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center.

Afternoon: We’ll board the motorcoach for a short drive, then set out on a walking field trip with our Group Leader in the plaza and surrounding area of Albuquerque’s aptly named Old Town, the focal point of community life since 1706. About 10 blocks of historical adobe buildings surround the central plaza, including San Felipe de Neri Church that dates back to 1793. The city’s settlers built their homes, shops, and government offices here; many of these historical structures have been converted into the restaurants, art galleries, and shops that we see today.

Dinner: This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Evening: At leisure.

DAY
4
History lecture, Hispanic Cultural Center, Holocaust Museum
Albuquerque, NM
B,L,D
Best Western Plus Rio Grande Inn

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 10 miles, approximately 1/2 hour. Walking up to 3 miles, standing approximately 2 hours.

Breakfast: In the hotel meeting room.

Morning: We’ll begin the day with another expert-led lecture expanding our knowledge of the lives of conversos and crypto-Jews. We’ll then ride to the National Hispanic Cultural Center, where we’ll learn more about the area’s Hispanic history and culture. Dedicated to the preservation, promotion, and advancement of Hispanic culture, arts and humanities, the National Hispanic Cultural Center celebrates Hispanic traditions through a variety of exhibits including a performance center, art museum, and a library. The permanent collection features Frederico Vigil’s “buon fresco” Mundos de Mestizaje depicting thousands of years of Hispanic and pre-Hispanic history, and ¡Aqui Estamos!, a rotating exhibition of art from the Center’s permanent collection.

Lunch: At a local restaurant.

Afternoon: We will visit the Holocaust and Intolerance Museum of New Mexico where we will have an expert-led exploration of this important site. Founded in 2001 by Holocaust survivor Werner Gellert, the Holocaust and Intolerance Museum’s mission is “to combat hate and intolerance through education.” Although many of the museum’s exhibits focus on the European Holocaust and World War II genocides, there are also exhibits documenting the Armenian, Greek, and Native American genocides. Then we’ll ride along the historic Route 66, now replete with community art and murals dedicated to local justice workers, to Albuquerque’s Civic Plaza, the local gathering place for communal education and civic protests for decades. Here we’ll see the Holocaust Memorial, designed by renowned artist Jake Lovato, which serves as a permanent reminder of the grim realities of the Holocaust and a commemoration of its victims. This plaza has other large works of art to appreciate which celebrate community, as well.

Dinner: In the hotel meeting room.

Evening: At leisure.

DAY
5
All-Day Field Trip to Santa Fe
Albuquerque, NM
B,L,D
Best Western Plus Rio Grande Inn

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 135 miles, approximately 2.5 hours riding time over the course of the day; walking and standing at the museums; extent and duration of independent exploration according to personal choice.

Breakfast: In the hotel meeting room.

Morning: We’ll board our motorcoach and travel to Santa Fe where we'll stop first at Museum Hill where we’ll explore the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture and the Museum of International Folk Art. The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture features pottery, jewelry, sculpture, baskets, and other objects made by Native Americans from the earliest times to modern day, scrupulously documented and beautifully displayed. The Museum of International Folk Art focuses on indigenous populations from around the world through their art – ranging from ceremonial dress and masks to furniture. The museum hosts the largest collection of international folk art in the world, including wings featuring some of the 106,000 pieces donated by collectors Alexander and Susan Girard and Lloyd Cotsen's Neutrogena collection.

Lunch: At a local restaurant.

Afternoon: We'll then board the motorcoach for a short ride to Santa Fe's Plaza area, the historic heart of the city. We'll visit the impressive Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, the Palace of the Governors, and other sites as time permits. Then, we'll have some free time for independent exploration. We will return to the hotel in the late afternoon.

Dinner: Our group will enjoy a final dinner together in our hotel meeting room. Share favorite experiences and enjoy camaraderie with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.

Evening: We’ll gather for a wrap-up session to review the program and what we’ve experienced together. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.

DAY
6
Program Concludes
Albuquerque, NM
B

Activity note: Hotel check-out by 12:00 Noon.

Breakfast: In the hotel meeting room. This concludes our program.

Morning: If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!






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