Blanca Carrasco
“Convert or DIE!” Crypto-Jews & The Spanish Inquisition
What happens when you grow up Catholic in Mexico — and discover you’re secretly Jewish? In this riveting episode of Being Jewish with Jonah Platt: 30 Minute Mensches, Jonah sits down with Blanca Carrasco, a descendant of Crypto-Jews who only discovered her family’s secret heritage at age 50. Now the president of the Society for Crypto-Judaic Studies, Blanca unpacks the unknown history of Crypto-Jews — descendants of Jews who secretly maintained their faith after being forced to convert during the Spanish Inquisition. Blanca shares her extraordinary journey to discover who her true family is. She’s a leader in the global movement helping descendants of forcibly converted Jews reclaim their heritage.
From Monterrey to El Paso, from the Church to the shul, Blanca’s story is a global tale of discovery, identity, and reconnection. Her life proves that history isn’t just in books — it’s in your blood. Hit play to discover how centuries of hidden history came full circle, and what Blanca’s story means for all of us.
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Host & Production Team - Host: Jonah Platt; Produced by Rainbow Creative (Executive Producer: Matthew Jones; Story Producer: Sasha Nelson; Content Director: Alexandra Fugère; Associate Producer: Emma Webb, Nathan Wheatley, Valerie Patterson); Consulting Producer: Bethany Mandel; Executive Assistant: Josie Rothschild; Graphic Designer: Noah Bell
