Sandra Toro, author of several historical novels including the recently published “Secrets Behind Adobe Walls” (Gaon Books), will shed light on the little known activities of the Spanish Inquisition in America in a lecture on Thursday, Dec. 20 at 7 p.m. The talk, hosted by Chabad of Tucson, will be held at Congregation Young Israel.
Toro’s new book explores the experience of being a converso, a hidden Jew, in the middle of the 18th century in what is now New Mexico.
“The Holy Office of the Inquisition was opened in Mexico City in 1620 and not closed until 1831. During those years it was dangerous to practice Judaism in the privacy of one’s home, even here in what is now the United States,” says Toro, who teaches creative writing at the University of New Mexico.
Toro also has worked as a journalist and producer for ABC-TV and PBS, was a staff member in U.S. Department of Energy during the Carter administration and was a consultant to the Department of the Interior during the Clinton administration.
Admission is $18 (free for students). For more information, call 881-7956 or e-mail info@ChabadTucson.com.
