(Jewish Group) New Yorkers with Sephardic roots say Spain is breaking its promise of citizenship

After Spain announced it would offer of citizenship to families of Jews it expelled more than 500 years ago, Mark Tafoya, a personal chef living in New York City, filled out an application.

Originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Tafoya calls himself a “proud Sephardic Jew rediscovering my roots.” So from Inwood, in northern Manhattan, he tracked down all the required documents, created a genealogy chart and hired an attorney. He detailed his family’s heritage from their departure to Spain and arrival in New Mexico some 500 years ago. He even bought a small stock in Santander Bank to prove a monetary link — what the application requirement defines as a “special connection” — to Spain. The Jewish Federation of New Mexico certified his application.

Tafoya had seemingly done everything right. But for the last 25 months, he has been waiting for an answer from Spain that hasn’t come. He hasn’t gotten any indication that he’ll ever get an answer.

“The waiting is the hardest part,” he said. “If I knew I was rejected, I could start the appeals process.” Appeals can take four to five months.

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