In Cartagena today the sixth summit of the Americas, a city filled with racial hatred receives 200 years after an afro-american who arrives as it´s most honored guest, President Obama for two days comes to the former inquisition headquarters for all of the Caribbean, and stays in probably more comfortable rooms than the dungeons at the Castle of San Felipe were years before his fellows coming from Africa were chained by the Spanish conquerors.

As well the story of this city, where many jews who fled the cross of Torquemada if not willing to convert to Catholicism, not only chained but burned alive. Jews who live here today in peace where several new Jewish communities in the Carribean cities as; Cartagena, Monteria and Barranquilla have appeared, and their Christian churches have become synagogues, and many find in Judaism the answer to their spiritual quest.

Yes, the world changes, may we all open our eyes and see that history tells us, we should not stay focused in our obsessive thoughts of racial hatred.

I want to share in this post for all my Spanish speaking readers (or  those who wish to pass it through google translate) the interesting article from Dr.  Adelaida Sourdis Nájera, about the Jews in Barranquilla, part of a major study  about the Caribbean Jews made by the University Jorge Tadeo Lozano.

Sefaradim in Barranquilla Spanish language