The Hebrew ones (pronounced [ˈones]) derives from the triconsonantal root א-נ-ס (Aleph-Nun-Samekh), and originally referred to any case where a person has been forced into any act against his or her will.
The term anús is used in contradistinction to meshumad (מְשֻׁמָּד), (literally "self-destroyed") which means a person who has voluntarily abandoned the practice of Jewish law in whole or in part.
We are all the sons of one father, the rebels (reshaim) and criminals, the heretics (meshumadim) and forced ones (anusim), and the proselytes (gerim) who are attached to the house of Jacob.
[7]Ben-Zion Meir Hai Uziel, the Chief Sephardic Rabbi of the State of Israel, stated in the mid-20th century: And we still have to clarify on the (subject of) Anusím, to whom the government forbids them to perform Halakhicly valid marriages, if it's necessary to say that their wives must have a Get to permit them (to marry another man), for the reason that, by force of the Law (Hazakah/חזקה), a man does not have intercourse for promiscuity (Zenut/זנות) ... (In our very case), we deal with those who converted and kept Torah in secrecy and hide their religion because of the gentile surveillance, we say that they do have intercourse for the sake of marriage.It follows that Uziel considered anusím as Jews, because only Jews can give or receive a get, a Jewish divorce.
Therefore efforts should be made to bring them back in repentance (לפיכך ראוי להחזירם בתשובה), to draw them near by friendly relations, so that they may return to the strength-giving source, i.e., the Toráh.There is much controversy regarding the status of conversions today.
In the United States Reform rabbi Jacques Cukierkorn is one of the leaders of the outreach movement to the descendants of those Crypto-Jews who wish to renew their ties with the Jewish people.