The Prophet of the Andes: Graciela Mochkofsky with Judith Thurman

The dean of CUNY’s journalism school discusses her book about the true story of a Peruvian carpenter who converted hundreds of Christians to Judaism and sparked a wave of Latin American Jewish communities.

Segundo Villanueva was born in 1927 in a tiny farming village in the Andes; when he was seventeen, his father was murdered and Segundo was left with his Bible. After years of religious study, Segundo discovered a version of Judaism pieced together from his readings of the Old Testament, and his makeshift synagogue attracted crowds of fervent believers. Then, in a series of extraordinary events, the community converted to Orthodox Judaism and resettled in the West Bank. Fifteen years in the making, The Prophet of the Andes documents Segundo’s incredible journey that made him an unlikely pioneer for a new kind of Jewish faith, one that is now attracting masses of impoverished people across Latin America.

Graciela Mochkofsky researched and wrote The Prophet of the Andes during her 2013–2014 Fellowship at the Library’s Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers. She will discuss the book with award-winning writer Judith Thurman.

To join in-person | Please be sure to register for an In-Person Ticket. Doors will open around 5:30 PM. For free events, we generally overbook to ensure a full house. Priority will be given to those who have registered in advance, but registration does not guarantee admission. All registered seats are released shortly before start time, and seats may become available at that time. A standby line will form 30 minutes before the program.

To join the livestream | A livestream of this event will be available on the NYPL event page. To receive an email reminder shortly in advance of the event, please be sure to register!

COVID PROTOCOLS FOR IN-PERSON CONVERSATIONS FROM THE CULLMAN CENTER

The New York Public Library no longer mandates proof of vaccination at indoor public programs.

Patrons are strongly encouraged to wear a mask at Conversations from the Cullman Center events.

If you have symptoms consistent with COVID-19 or suspect you have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive, please stay home.

ACCESSIBILITY

In-Person | Assistive listening devices and/or hearing loops are available at the venue. You can request a free ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or CART (Communication Access Real-Time Translation) captioning service by emailing your request at least two weeks in advance of the event: email accessibility@nypl.org or use this Gmail template. This venue is fully accessible to wheelchairs. 

Livestream | Captions and a transcript will be provided. Media used over the course of the conversation will be accompanied by alt text and/or audio description. You can request a free ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation by emailing your request at least two weeks in advance of the event: email accessibility@nypl.org or use this Gmail template.

GET THE BOOK

• Borrow: NYPL Catalog


• E-Book app: SimplyE, available on iOS and Android


• Purchase: The Library Shop — proceeds benefit the New York Public Library

Don't have a New York Public Library card? Get one here!

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Graciela Mochkofsky is the author of six books of nonfiction in Spanish. She is a contributing writer for the New Yorker, and her work has appeared in the California Sunday Magazine, the Paris Review, the Forward, and numerous publications in Latin America and Spain. She has been a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University and a Prins Foundation Fellow at the Center for Jewish History. She is currently the dean of the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York. She lives in New York City.

Judith Thurman is the author of Cleopatra's Nose: 39 Varieties of Desire; Isak Dinesen: The Life of a Storyteller, winner of the National Book Award; and Secrets of the Flesh: A Life of Colette, among other works A staff writer at the New Yorker, she lives in New York City.

CONNECT

Please submit all press inquiries to Sara Beth Joren at least 48 hours before the event: email sarabethjoren@nypl.org or use this Gmail template.

For all other questions and inquiries, please email cullmancenter@nypl.org or use this Gmail template.

The New York Public Library's free services and resources are made possible thanks to the support of the Friends of the Library. Join this group of Library lovers and take advantage of special membership benefits, like invitations to members-only virtual events, discounts at the Library Shop, and more. Join now.

The Cullman Center is made possible by a generous endowment from Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman in honor of Brooke Russell Astor, with major support provided by Mrs. John L. Weinberg, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The Estate of Charles J. Liebman, The von der Heyden Family Foundation, John and Constance Birkelund, and The Samuel I. Newhouse Foundation, and with additional gifts from Helen and Roger Alcaly, The Rona Jaffe Foundation, The Arts and Letters Foundation Inc., William W. Karatz, Merilee and Roy Bostock, and Cullman Center Fellows.

Judith Thurman © Catherine Goodman