Gracia Mendes was the most powerful Jewish woman since Queen Esther. Defying princes and Popes she amassed a fortune, supporting the poor, patronizing culture, and building an underground railroad to aid conversos escaping the clutches of the Inquisition. Here is her story.
![The Merchant Queen](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/landofisrael/soundcloud_960.jpg)
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