The Woman Who Defied the Inquisition
- Gedaliah Borvick
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
My company’s Netanya maven, Ruthie Yudin, texted me from Dona Gracia Street in Netanya. After googling the street name, she was blown away by Ms. Gracia’s life and wrote: “Her story must be told!”
Although streets in Tiberias and Haifa are also named in her memory, I was surprised that Dona Gracia’s accomplishments are unfamiliar to most people. Her biography reads like a best-selling novel, replete with espionage, adventure, intrigue, and high-stakes finance.
In the 16th century, Dona Gracia, affectionately known as La Señora, was considered the richest Jew in the world. She viewed her financial strength as a responsibility, using her immense wealth and global network to save thousands of persecuted Jews during the Inquisition. Let’s explore the extraordinary story of this heroic, trailblazing woman.
Dona Gracia Mendes was born in 1510, nearly two decades after her family fled Spain to Portugal in 1492. A few years later, Portugal decreed that all Jews must either convert or be expelled. Those who converted but continued practicing Judaism in secret became known as Marranos.
At age twelve, Dona’s parents revealed the family’s hidden Jewish identity and began teaching her Jewish customs. At eighteen, she married her uncle Francisco Mendes (born Tzemach Benvenisti), heir to a global trading and banking empire dealing in silver, gems, and spices. The Mendes Banking House was the world’s second-largest bank, with branches throughout major commercial centers. When Tzemach died nine years later, Dona Gracia - at only 27 - inherited a vast fortune and an international business empire.
She did not merely preserve the business - she expanded it. She broadened trading operations and acquired a fleet of ships to transport spices worldwide. Her strategy to control the distribution pipeline was a precursor to modern giants like Amazon, which reached similar conclusions centuries later.
Gracia’s role was highly unusual: in the 16th century, a woman could independently manage her affairs only as a widow. Before marriage, a woman legally belonged to her father; during marriage, to her husband. This brilliant, determined woman had no intention of relinquishing control of her empire - and therefore never remarried.
Throughout the Inquisition, Gracia lived on the run - relocating from Portugal to London, Antwerp, Venice, Ferrara, and finally Istanbul - always one step ahead of authorities eager to confiscate her assets. Even while fleeing danger, her focus remained on the Jewish people. She operated an extensive network that clandestinely aided Marranos escaping the Inquisition, and her banking houses secretly transferred their funds so they would not lose their life savings.
In Ferrara, Gracia lived openly as a Jew and poured significant resources into supporting Jewish life. One creative example: with the invention of the printing press, she established printing houses that published the Bible and other sacred texts, countering the book burnings of the Christian Inquisition.
A few years later, Gracia moved to Istanbul, where the Sultan welcomed Jews and allowed Marranos to practice Judaism openly. She embraced her Hebrew name, Hana Nasi, opened synagogues and schools, and supported scholarship and communal institutions.
Toward the end of her life, Gracia appealed to the Sultan to lease her cities in the Land of Israel. He granted her control of Tiberias and several surrounding villages. She invested heavily in rebuilding the community as a refuge for Jews fleeing persecution. Although the community dwindled after a generation, her vision foreshadowed later efforts to restore Jewish life in Israel.
Dona Gracia passed away in 1569 at the age of 59. Her legacy - courage, generosity, leadership, and unshakable commitment to her people - reminds us that even in the darkest periods of Jewish history, extraordinary individuals arise to protect and uplift our nation.
Gedaliah Borvick is the founder of My Israel Home (www.myisraelhome.com), a real estate agency focused on helping people from abroad buy and sell homes in Israel. To sign up for his monthly market updates, contact him at gborvick@gmail.com.
