In Portugal, there was a town that was totally Jewish until the Inquisition, when all of the residents were either killed or forced to convert. Many in the town-- conversos -- converted outwartly but continued to observe Jewish traditions in secret. Generations later, their grandchildren and great-grandchildren hung on to these strange traditions-- lighting two candles in the basement on Friday nights, baking bread for Saturdays, observing a lunar calendar-- without knowing why, other than the fact that their parents and their parents' parents did it. Every year, the town would slaughter lambs. 500 lambs were slaughtered in this town during the season of Passover, to commemorate the paschal lamb! Only when sites like 23&Me pop up did they realize that they were Jewish, and that Judaism was the source of their customs. 


haggadah Section: Koreich