GUEST POST: Kiddush HaShem 1498

“In [year] 1498 [CE], at the height of the [Spanish] Inquisition,
the Portuguese king had ordered all Jews who refused to convert
to gather in Lisbon, and from there to be sent into exile by ship.
It was a mean, cruel trick. 

About 20,000 hopeful Jews gathered at the quay waiting for
the promised ships, which never arrived. Eventually, they were
herded into tight quarters intended for 5,000 people and starved
there for several days. 

The half-starving families, including the elderly and small children,
were repeatedly tempted with offers to convert, with the promise
of a life of luxury and ease [if they would convert to Christianity].

To their eternal credit, no one accepted the offer.

SOURCE:The Rav HaKolel and His Generation, 5^thEdition

(chapter 3, page 28) by Rabbi Yonah Landau, year 2014 CE,

68 Lee Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11211