History of the Jews in Panama

[2] The governor and founder of Panama City, Pedro Arias Dávila (known as Pedrarias), had Jewish ancestry on both his paternal and maternal lines.

His paternal grandfather, Ysaque Abenazar, was an influential member of the Jewish community in Segovia, who later converted to Catholicism and adopted the name Diego Arias Dávila.

Although his religious beliefs remain unclear, it is known that he protected Judeo-conversos from the persecution led by Franciscan bishop Fray Juan de Quevedo.

Although not all Crypto-Jews bore the surname "de Pisa", the author uses it as a reference, given its significance as a common ancestral trunk of several converso families in the region.

During this time, Portuguese Crypto-Jews, who were better organized and had greater resources, managed to establish a prayer house on Calafates Street, located behind the old Cathedral of Panama la Vieja.

They played a crucial role as intermediaries and translators, acting as liaisons between the local population and foreigners arriving or passing through the region, thanks to their proficiency in multiple languages such as German, Spanish, French, English, Dutch, and Papiamento.