On this day, 1639, Jewish physician Francisco Maldonado da Silva was burned on a stake at the height of the Spanish/ Portuguese Inquisitions, in an Auto-da-fe (“Act of Faith”) as a heretic, just because he was Jewish. He was burned alongside 11 other Jews in Lima, Perú, at the largest Auto-da-fe recorded in history.As a child, Francisco was always fascinated with the daily tasks he saw his father, Diego Nuñez de Silva, perform. Hence, Francisco, became an operating physician, like his father, in Argentina. Unaware of his Jewish roots, da Silva was known as a devout Catholic that practiced the faith of his mother. However, his theological studies led him to question religion and thus uncover the many layers of Judaism. This brought Francisco to ask his father about Judaism and whether or not they were indeed of Jewish descent. Although Diego married a New Christian to avoid persecution, he secretly held on to his Jewish identity. Once Francisco confirmed his Jewishness, he went on a journey to discover and reconnect with his roots. He proceeded to give himself the Hebrew name “Eliahu Hanazir”, got himself circumcised, and, through self discipline, grew a beard. Being a Jew in South America during this time period was no different than growing up as a Jew in hiding in Spain itself. Inquisitors were found in many villages, seeking to discover and root out hidden Jews known as “Marranos” or “Conversos”. Betrayed by his own sister, Dona Isabel Maldonado, Francisco was arrested in the dead of night in his own home on April 29, 1627. After six years of imprisonment and 14 attempts to convert him, Francisco was sentenced to death. You can read more about Francisco’s upbringing and journey in the biography, Against the Inquisition (2018), by Marcos Aguinis. An excerpt from the book quotes Francisco saying, "Señor, I am a Jew. I profess the religion - of Moses; I will live and die in it, and, if it is necessary to swear, I take my oath by the living God, who is in heaven and earth, the God of Israel; and by this oath, according to the religion of Moses, I vow to tell the truth, and say herewith: I am the bachelor Francisco Maldonado Silva [sic], graduate surgeon, born in the city of San Miguel de Tucuman, in the kingdom of Perú, and am 35 years old.”May Francisco’s valor inspire us to not hide our identity, but defend it!