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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The October 2025 cover of PAW, featuring an illustration of a woman dressed like Superman, but the S on her chest is a dollar sign.
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