Professor Sergio DellaPergola of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

JNS.org – An international conference seeking to enhance Jewish-Latino relations brought together a coalition of leading figures from both communities to emphasize mutual historical roots and raise awareness about Latino Anousim, descendants of forced Jewish converts to Christianity.

“Bringing this milestone conference to Miami is just a first step in the initialization of shared Latino and Jewish heritage,” Abraham Gross, director of Netanya Academic College’s Institute for Sefardi and Anousim Studies (ISAS), told JNS.org. “We are enthused about the continuation of this important dialogue.”

The Reconnection 2016 conference, which was held on September 7 and 8, was hosted by the ISAS and co-chaired by Betty Ehrenberg, executive director of the World Jewish Congress North America, and Henry Cisneros, chairman of the investment management firm CityView and a former secretary of housing for the Clinton administration.

Renowned leaders and experts who spoke at the event included Israeli Consul General in New York Dani Dayan, President of the Hispanic Israel Leadership Coalition, Pastor Mario Bramnick, Hebrew University’s Professor Sergio DellaPergola and keynote speaker Pastor John Hagee.