Diary of a Black Jewish Messiah

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By Alan Verskin *10

Published March 27, 2023

Jewish political activist and adventurer David Reubeni (1490-1532), was hailed as a messiah by many wealthy Jews and Iberia’s oppressed conversos. Diary of a Black Jewish Messiah (Stanford University Press) is the first English translation of Reubeni’s diaries, which were written in Hebrew. The book details his travels and personal travails, as well as the dramatic desperation of Renaissance Jewish communities while Reubeni tried to save them.

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PAW's July/August 2025 issue cover, featuring a photo of people dressed in orange and black, marching in the P-rade, and the headline: Reunions, Back in Orange & Black.
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July 2025

On the cover: Wilton Virgo ’00 and his classmates celebrate during the P-rade.