Artist · Author · DNA Detective
Katherine
Appello
The Work
Uncovering the hidden threads of Sephardic, Romani, and southern Italian heritage that official records tried to erase.
Through years of archival research, genetic analysis, and collaboration with European genealogists, I trace the Converso families, Inquisition survivors, and Crypto-Jewish lines that shaped the Mediterranean diaspora. My work combines rigorous documentation with personal narrative — exploring what it means to reclaim an erased identity in the 21st century.
I write nonfiction for readers who want historical depth, genetic evidence, and the human story behind the data — whether you're researching your own roots, studying Sephardic history, or drawn to the intersection of DNA and identity.
"
Reclaiming erased identity — one record, one gene, one story at a time.
— Katherine Appello
Areas of Focus
Ancestral Research
DNA testing and genetic analysis combined with archival documents, church records, and Inquisition-era sources to build an evidence-based picture of Sephardic and Converso lineages across Southern Europe.
Writing & Books
Nonfiction that blends historical depth with personal narrative — from the culinary memory in Exiled Flavors to the Romani and Morisco heritage examined in Beyond Stereotypes and Echoes of the Morisco.
Art & Music
Original songs weaving Italian, Spanish, and Hebrew traditions — and digital artwork that translates genealogical stories into visual form, giving voice to ancestors who could not speak openly.
The Journey
Based in New York.
Heart in the Mediterranean.
I'm currently based in New York with plans for extended research time in Italy — to work alongside European genealogists and access the archival records that can only be found in the regions where these stories lived.
This research is not merely academic for me. I'm currently completing my Noahide studies as part of my own personal return to Jewish practice and community — bringing the scholarly and the spiritual together in a single, deeply felt path.
For Readers & Researchers
Who This Work
Is Written For
Researchers tracing their own Sephardic, Romani, or Italian roots
Historians and students of Sephardic and Converso diaspora
Anyone drawn to the intersection of DNA evidence and human identity
Readers who want historical depth alongside personal narrative