Jewish Majorca

26/06/2026

Did you know one of Mallorca’s most famous pastries has a surprising connection to Jewish history?

The famous ensaïmada gets its name from the Mallorcan word “saïm,” which means lard.

After the forced conversions of Mallorca’s Jews, eating pork became a public way for many converts to prove they had abandoned Judaism. Over time, lard found its way into many traditional foods—including the island’s iconic ensaïmada.

When I first moved to Mallorca, I ate them all the time… for six months! I had no idea they were made with lard until someone finally explained what “saïm” actually meant.

Today, millions of visitors enjoy this delicious pastry without ever realizing the hidden history it carries.

History is often hiding in plain sight—even on your breakfast plate.

Comment MALLORCA and I’ll send you my free Mallorca Travel Guide.

26/06/2026

Returning to Judaism is not the same as converting to it.

25/06/2026

We all have a family history and an important story to tell. Where are your family roots from? Comment below. I’d love to know.

25/06/2026

Crypto-Jews. Families who practiced Judaism in secret for generations — hiding in plain sight in New Mexico. This isn’t ancient history. These are people alive today discovering who they really are. This clip will change how you see the American Southwest.

Here’s the link for the whole
program!

https://youtu.be/l4Jkd4jaU0c?is=eOHT9LdkNs2FPz06

24/06/2026

Full day tour with new friends from the States. They came on a cruise and enjoyed the city center and ate a delicious authentic mallorquín meal at a local eatery that our guide Biel took them to. Got to see the site of the public burnings in Plaza Gomila, as well as the stumble stones of the Heinemanns, and of course taking in an incredible view from the top of the Bellver Castle. With pickup and drop-off included in their full day package. It was a great visit!

24/06/2026

For six months after moving to Mallorca, I ate ensaimada almost every day.

I thought it was just a beautiful pastry. I even brought it home for Pesach.

Then someone told me what’s in it.

“Saïm” in Mallorquin means... lard.

From Arroz con Devorah with Devorah Ivel and historian Ronit Treatman.

Full episode: https://youtu.be/5CSFw7x2Wdw

Comment MALLORCA for our free guide to Jewish Majorca 👇

24/06/2026

Most people have no idea that New Mexico has a hidden Jewish history stretching back 500 years.

Not ancient ruins. Not a museum exhibit. Living families — people who kept Shabbat in secret, lit candles in the dark, and passed down traditions without knowing why.

We hosted a free virtual program about it this week and the response was overwhelming.

Watch the full recording here — it’s free, it’s fascinating, and it might change how you see the American Southwest entirely.

👉

Discover the hidden heritage of New Mexico's Crypto Jewish communit...

23/06/2026

Most visitors to Barcelona have never heard of Marian Aguiló.

But his story begins in Mallorca.

Born into a Xueta family at a time when descendants of Mallorca’s forcibly converted Jews still faced discrimination, Marian Aguiló went on to become one of the most important figures in the revival of Catalan language and culture.

Today, most people walk right past his monument in Barcelona’s Parc de la Ciutadella without knowing who he was or why he matters.

That’s what fascinates me about history.

The people who helped shape a culture are often forgotten, even when their work lives all around us.

For centuries, Xueta families faced social exclusion, prejudice, and barriers that limited opportunity.

Yet despite those challenges, Marian Aguiló left a lasting mark on Catalonia that is still felt today.

Sometimes the most remarkable stories aren’t about kings or politicians.

They’re about ordinary people who refused to be defined by the limitations placed upon them.

Had you ever heard of Marian Aguiló before?

Comment MALLORCA and I’ll send you my FREE guide to Jewish sites and hidden stories that most visitors miss.

23/06/2026

Most people who visit Mallorca's churches don't know they're standing in the middle of a Jewish story.

The neighborhood just outside those walls — the Call — was home to one of the most vibrant Jewish communities in the medieval Mediterranean.

Until it wasn't.

This is the history they don't put in the guidebook.

Comment MALLORCA for our free guide 👇

18/06/2026

These families go to mass every Sunday.

Their last names are on a list that everyone in Mallorca knows.

And their great-great-grandparents were burned at the stake by the Inquisition for being Jewish.

From my conversation on Arroz con Devorah with host Devorah Ivel and historian Ronit Treatman.

Full episode: https://youtu.be/5CSFw7x2Wdw

Comment MALLORCA for our free guide to Jewish Majorca 👇