The Secret Society: Descendants of Crypto-Jews in the San Antonio ...

46 47
Figure 1: Metal hand bought in the
Mercado in downtown San Antonio.
Figure 2: Picture of Jewish hamsa from
Israel.
Also downtown, one can purchase a toy top similar to a Jewish dreidl, but referred
to as a “toma todo.” (See figures 3 and 4) This top used in the gambling game toma
todos has written on its sides “toma todo, pon 1, pon 2, toma 1, toma 2, todos ponen”
(translating to take all, put in one, put in two, take 1, and take 2) which is similar to the
Jewish gambling game of dreidl played during Chanukah. Despite this similarity there is
some doubt as to whether this was truly influenced by the descendants of Sephardic
Jews. 48 True, the dreidl is not found in Sephardi custom books, but it is so similar that
this author thinks it still holds some significance. 49
50 51
Figure 3: Toy top called toma todo bought in
the Mercado in downtown San Antonio.
Similar to the Jewish dreidl.
Figure 4: Jewish toy top called a dreidl.
46 Amanda Lipsitt, Hamsa Found in San Antonio Mercado, 2006, photograph.
47 Amanda Lipsitt, Hamsa From Israel, 2007, photograph.
48 Barbara Ferry and Debbie Nathan, (December 2000) “Mistaken Identity? The Case of New Mexico’s
“Hidden Jews,”” [electronic version] The Atlantic Monthly, 93.
The critic Judith Neulander states in the Atlantic Monthly article that the theory is flawed because “the
dreidl does not exist in Sephardic culture- it is an Ashkenazic object that postdates the Inquisition.”
However it is her interpretation that is flawed; a book titled The Encyclopedia of Jewish Symbols dates the
dreidl to the time of the medieval inquisition not the Spanish Inquisition. As a side note, the Atlantic
Monthly article is derogatory and an unnecessary slur to all current and past scholars on the subject. At one
point the authors even poke fun at the clothes and appearance of the respected historian Stanley Hordes. In
this author’s opinion the article should have been edited more closely or not have been published.
49 Rabbi Herbert C. Dobrinsky, A Treasury of Sephardic Laws and Customs, (New York: Yeshiva
University, 2001).
50 Amanda Lipsitt, Game of Toma Todos Found in San Antonio Mercado, 2006, photograph.
51 Amanda Lipsitt, Dreidl, 2007, photograph.
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