SEMITIC MARKS / STAINS
by Rufina Bernardetti Silva Mausenbaum

A well documented connection between the Portuguese and their Jewish cousins is the Machado/Joseph Disease. A fatal genetic disorder of the nervous system. Commonly found along the Portuguese "converso" routes of discovery and trade...and Israel...connecting their Jewish and Portuguese history forever.

Less well known or documented is what was until recently known as the Mongolian Spot. First documented in 1885 by an anthropologist, Baelz, a German, in an anthropological journal, calling attention to a hitherto unrecorded feature.

He called the stain "Mongolische Flecken," Mongolian Spots.These blue black stains are better described as Semitic marks/ stains. It is NOT exclusive to Mongolian people and the name is unsuitable as it has NO relationship to mongolism. (Down syndrome).

It is hardly ever a spot, but rather a flat naevus, a smudge and confused as a "birthmark." Often referred to as "a family mark or birthmark" that fades between a year and often up to 30yrs. It is Not malignant or been found to cause any illness.

These marks, referred to from now as the Semitic mark, is often blue black at birth. Mostly found near the sacral area, legs or upper back (to date no documented case of being found on the face ). Found mostly amongst Sephardic and Oriental Jews. It is extremely common among the Portuguese and once again the trade routes of China, Japan, Africa, and the Americas.

My family from Calheta, Madeira all have these markings, as do my family from Lisbon and Porto. Although my husband ~not being Portuguese ~ has no markings, both our children had them. My sisters, both married to non-Portuguese, have also passed this markings/spot on to all their children.

I have come across Israelis, Angolans, Mocambicans, Cubans, but most prominent to date are the Madeirans.

This is by no means a scientific finding Abracos, your prima Rufina

E-mail: Rufina Bernardetti Silva Mausenbaum