anusim

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Pronunciations

anusim (ah-noo-SEEM) listen

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Definitions

  • n. Jews who were forced to convert to another religion.

Example Sentences

  • “The most famous and important of Jewish anusim, of course, were the Marranos of Spain.” (Rosten)

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Languages of Origin

  • Textual Hebrew

Etymology

  • אֲנוּסִים anusim 'coerced, forced'

      • Who Uses This

      • Jews: Jews of diverse religious backgrounds and organizational involvements

      Regions

      • North America

      Dictionaries

      • The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words, by Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic, (Philadelphia, 2001).
      • Dictionary of Jewish Usage: A Popular Guide to the Use of Jewish Terms, by Sol Steinmetz (Lanham, MD, 2005).

      Alternative Spellings

      anuseem, anooseem, anoosim

Notes

  • Anusim often tried to preserve their Jewish culture and teach it to their children.

    Alternative terms include Marrano, conversos, Critaos Novos, chuetas, and crypto-Jews.

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