Did crypto-Jews invent the modern tarot deck? – The Forward
The recently reissued Jean Noblet tarot deck, which Stav Appel argues was created as a crypto-Jewish educational tool. Photo by Nora Berman
By Nora Berman
November 7, 2025
Imagine you were a Jewish converso, secretly living in Italy or France after King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella had expelled your family from Spain. You could not affix a mezuzah to your door or light Shabbat candles. If you were caught avoiding treyf, or if you were a male converso and someone discovered you were circumcised, your life and that of your family were in immediate danger. In these circumstances, how could a secret Jew living in antisemitic medieval Europe learn about Judaism?
Enter tarot — the deck of…
