Oy vey, olé! Everyone knows that most Jews in Spain were given the royal boot back in 1492, the same year Chris Columbus sailed the Ocean Blue, right? Well, yes and no. Some managed to hang on, and the story of how they did so in secret constitutes a fascinating slice of Jewish history.

But first, a little background: During the Balearic Islands’ medieval flowering before they became part of Spain,Sephardic Jews played an important and mostly welcome role in these islands’ cultural, social, and economic life. Conditions gradually started deteriorating for the sons and daughters of Abraham in the 14th century, finally culminating in their expulsion from all of Spain in 1492 by order of the so-called "Catholic monarchs" Ferdinand and Isabella. Unless, of course, if they converted...

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