Secret Genealogy Quotes

“Families would name their children religious names such as Jesus, Mary Magdalene, etc. to keep the authorities off their backs, much the same way the Crypto-Jews of Spain and Portugal put swine in their food when it was against their kosher laws.”
― Suellen Ocean, Secret Genealogy

“In the beginning, there were desert people who recorded their genealogy”
― Suellen Ocean, Secret Genealogy

“I’m sure I’m not the only one to notice such a striking similarity between the attire of the Amish and New York’s Orthodox Jews. It would not surprise me to find that Jacob Ammann (the Swiss Mennonite, who in 1620 began the sect of Mennonites now called Amish) had Jewish ancestors.”
― Suellen Ocean, Secret Genealogy

“when they had an opportunity to regroup, was that they tried their best to return to the old ways and the customs of the ancients.”
― Suellen Ocean, Secret Genealogy

“The lion became the symbol of the Israelite tribe of Judah.”
― Suellen Ocean, Secret Genealogy

“One can only imagine the conversation our ancestors had when they made a pact to not tell the next generation they were Jewish.”
― Suellen Ocean, Secret Genealogy