Reyna Simnegar: Her Family Hid Their Judaism for 500 Years

From Meaningful People by Meaningful Minute.

Published: Sat, 24 Jan 2026 12:30:00 +0000
Duration: 01:22:33
Audio: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/meaningfulpeoplepodcast/Meaningful_People_236._Reyna_Simnegar.mp3?dest-id=1900811
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She grew up Catholic in Venezuela, never knowing Jews still existed, yet her family quietly lit candles, covered mirrors, and placed stones on graves. Centuries-old Jewish practices survived in her home without explanation, passed down in secret since the Spanish Inquisition.

In this episode, Reyna Simnegar shares her extraordinary journey from Venezuela to Judaism: uncovering crypto-Jewish roots dating back over 500 years, discovering her family's hidden mesorah, living through political collapse under Chávez, and ultimately converting Orthodox and building a Jewish life and family. From Schindler's List to UCLA, from Taco Bell to Jerusalem, this is a powerful story of identity, faith, exile, and return.

A rare, deeply personal conversation about Anusim, survival, and what it means to come home, even when it takes generations.

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