Friday, March 4, 2011

Funny, You Don't Look Mexican: Latino Jews Keep Their Traditions Alive In Crown Heights


The next time you meet an immigrant from Mexico, he just might be a Lubavitcher chasid from Guadalajara, Mexico or from Argentina. Living in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, the Latino chasidim blend in with the locals.  But though they look and dress like most Chasidim, they're not forsaking their Latino traditions.

Chasidic Mexican-American Jews like Moshe Nunez can flip a mean tortilla with his hands (spatulas are off limits for real Mexicans, he says) and load it up with eggs, jalapenos, and three kinds of queso (cheese).

Nunez is proud of his Mexican roots and talks about maintaining his association with Hispanic culture and his sensitivity to the plight of the anusim or marranos, Jews in Spain who had to hide their identity for many years to avoid being forcibly converted to Christianity.  In this interview on CNN, he gives a tour of his Crown Heights neighborhood and demonstrates his Latino cooking skills. Enjoy!

2 comments:

  1. Great video! This is the ultimate meaning of "diverse"!!

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  2. I Love it, I'm from Guadalajara as well, Jewish and now I live in Texas.

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