14 Friday, December 3, 1982
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Jewish Community of Portugal Is Dwindling
By ELAINE and
ROBERT ROSENTHAL
For more than a decade
observers have lamented
that the Jewish community
in Lisbon, which is, in fact,
the Jewish community in
Portugal, is headed for ex-
tinction. In a recent study,
based upon information
gathered in 1976, the
author suggested that this
would happen in 10 years or
less.
Although formal Jewish
communities existed in Por-
tugal for 1,000 years, their
• number has never been
large. Nevertheless, Por-
tuguese Jews were always
among the important mem-
bers of the community. And
as in so many other coun-
tries where they became a
successful and visible
minority, persecution, dis-
crimination, and pogrom-
like riots became part of
their existence.
When Spain expelled its
Jews in 1492, some 100,000
sought refugee in nearby
Portugal. But the status of
these and native Jews was
to change upon the ascen-
sion of King Manuel I to the
throne of Portugal a few
years later.
To please his bride-to-
be, Princess Isabella of
Spain, and to impress the
reigning Spanish
monarchs, King Manuel
agreed to expel the Jews
from his country. How-
ever, when he realized
the economic and cul-
tural void such an expul-
sion would leave, he de-
cided that the wiser solu-
tion would be to convert
them, forceably if neces-
sary, to Catholicism.
These conversos or "New
Christians" were a group
apart. Their prominence
and success produced envy,
and, in many cases, heir
suspected practice ,) of
Judaism aroused distrust.
Finally, in 1547, Pope Paul
III authorized an Inquisi-
tion, modeled after the
dreaded Inquisition which
had functioned in Spain for
decades, to stamp out heret-
ical practices.
Some 30,000 in the Ibe-
rian Peninsula, mostly the
"New Christians," became
the victims of its star
chamber proceedings. It
was not until the late 1700s
upon the succession of the
Marquis of Pombal to
power, himself decended
from "New Christians,"
that the Inquisition lost its
legal basis.
In the nearly three cen-
turies of its existence, how-
ever, the Inquisition had
done its job well. By the end
of the 18th Century Por-
tugal had no synagogues
and Judiasm as a formal
religion had ceased to exist.
Today's Portuguese
Jewish community has
its roots in the early 19th
Century from Jews living
in British-owned Gibral-
tar. They were
encouraged to settle in
Lisbon to create com-
mercial outlets to im-
prove the country's eco-
nomic decline.
Although only the state
The Portuguese National Theater building in Lis-
bon is built on one of the major sites of the Portuguese
Inquisition. Pious Jews still say Kadish when they
pass the building.
religion, Catholicism, was
We returned that evening
permitted to be practiced by before the start of the serv-
its citizens, as British sub- ices. In front of the gates
jects the Lisbon Jews were were several uniformed
permitted to meet for policemen. We learned that
prayers in their own homes. the authorities insist that
A corner of the British local police be present
cemetery in Lisbon was whenever the synagogue
alloted to them, and Hebrew has services. We were the
tombstones dating from only worshipers.
1804 can still be found
Hopefully, awaiting a
there. Later, Jews from minyan, we had time to
Tangiers and Morocco set- admire the synagogue's
tled in Portugal.
impressive interior: the
In 1859, the Jews of Lis- handsome marble col-
bon voted to build a umns which supported
synagogue and a plot of land the women's balcony; the
was purchased. By a royal vaulted ceiling; the
decree in 1868 the commu- Moorish light fixtures;
nity was permitted to con- and the blend of architec-
struct its own cemetery, the tural styles.
We also were impressed
Cemeterio Israelita on Av-
enida Alfonso III. But the with the 400 empty seats,
community was not granted most with brass name
official recognition by the plates. The bima, typical of
Crown until 1892. Thereaf- those found in Sephardic
ter, the community could synagogues, was directly
employ Shokhtim, adminis- opposite an artistically de-
ter charity funds, and regis- signed ark with the inscrip-
ter births, marriages, and tion in Hebrew: "Know be-
fore whom thou standest."
deaths.
In 1902 the synagogue
There was also a massive
Shaare Tikvah (Gates of candelabra, an eternal light
Hope) was built ,at 59 Rue burning for the Holocaust
Alexandre Herculano, then victims, and on the wall a
and now Portugal's only memorial plaque marking
active synagogue. The new the anniversaries of de-
Portuguese republic gave ceased members. Within
the community statutory the synagogue were many
status in 1912. At that time historical documents and
the community had 500 religious objects dating
from the 14th and 15th Cen-
members.
The synagogue can eas- turies.
Finally, around nine we
ily be missed. Number 59
is two 20-foot-high heard some American
wooden gates with con- voices and eight vacation-
crete walls on either side. ing dentists from Philadel-
Behind the gates and the phia, a few accompanied by
wall is a tree-shaded their wives, entered. At
courtyard. The last, a minyan. Soon, there-
synagogue, almost paral- after, five locals joined the
lel to the street, is barely group. In all, there were 14
visible.
men and five women. The
In 1902, when the latter, all tourists, sat in the
synagogue was built, non- women's balcony.
The service was led by
Catholic places of worship
could not front a public a young man with a
thoroughfare. Although strong melodious voice
this requirement was and a commanding
abolished after the estab- presence. Although few
lishment of the republic in in number, the chanting
1910, the Lisbon commu- was loud and the singing
nity has been content to joyous. After the service
we learned that the
leave well enough alone.
The gates are lockedat all young hazan was the
times. To be admitted you rabbi's 17-year-old son.
Saturday morning we ar-
must first ring a bell and be
observed. The woman who rived a few minutes before
answered our ring spoke ex- nine. Again, we were the
cellent English and told us, only worshippers. Each
proudly, that the rabbi and hour until around noon,
the synagogue officers were some men and a few women
being received by the Pope, straggled in, and finally we
who was visiting Portugal. had more than a minyan.
We were also told that eve- We were told that most of
ning Sabbath services the men, who were not
would begin at eight and the youngsters, as pious Jews
still insisted upon walking
morning service at nine.
to services. Each year the
walk took longer and
longer.
Monday was the day we
were to visit the Jewish
Community Headquarters
and meet with Joshua Levy,
the English-speaking secre-
tary, who we were assured
by friends in America,
would be able to answer all
our questions about the
community. To our dismay,
both the Jewish Commu-
nity Headquarters and Cen-
ter were closed and had
been for some time, and
Levy had another job.
We decided to return to
the synagogue and we spoke
to Yvette Davidoff, the rab-
bi's secretary, for three
hours.
Miss Davidoff was born
in Vienna and came to
Lisbon with her mother
as a refugee in 1942. Al-
most as an atonement for
the Inquisition, before
and during World War II,
Portugal, unlike Spain,
admitted thousands of
refugees from Nazi occu-
pied countries — an esti-
mated 60,000 to 70,000 in
all.
Through the efforts of the
late Dr. Elias Baruell, a dis-
tinguished medical doctor
and officer of the
synagogue, the government
was persuaded not only to
allow the continued flow of
refugees into Portugal, but
to permit the American
Jewish Joint Committee
and the HIAS ICA Emigra-
tion Association to operate
within Portugal to aid the
refugees and move them
into the Free World.
The organizations helped
most of the refugees, a
gigantic humanitarian op-
eration. Miss Davidoff was
Dr. Baruell's indispensible
administrative assistant in
his work with the JDC.
After this task was com-
pleted, Miss Davidoff
worked with the Jewish
Community Headquarters
which served to link the
older Sephardic and the
more recently arrived
Ashkenazic Jews.
After World War II the
Jewish population in Lisbon
stood at about 1,200, the
first significant increase
since its 19th Century re-
birth.
In 1949 a second bal-
cony and additional seats
were added to the
synagogue and the house
of worship was re-
dedicated in a public
ceremony attended by
religious leaders from
other countries, which
included 500 members of
the community marching
through the streets of
Lisbon with Sifrei Torah,
a spectacle never before
seen in Portugal.
The Ashkenazim also es-
tablished their own
synagogue Ohel Yaacov,
(Tent ofJacob), no longer in
existence. Now all the
Ashkenazim belong to the
Sharre Tikvah, and make
up half of the membership.
Today, the community
has 300 members, but only
130 families. With the ex-
ception of three Jewish
families in Oporto, this is
the total Jewish
population of Portugal. A
decade ago there were 600
members. It appears this
downward trend will con-
tinue. Fifty percent of the
community is over 60.
When we mentioned that
the demographics were not
encouraging, Miss Davidoff
agreed that the community
had an aging population,
but optimistically added
that it has learned to live
within its means.
Services are no longer
held weekdays, only on
the Sabbath evening and
morning. An excellent
Jewish hospital was
forced to close. For a time
it was used as an old age
home, but for the two or
three occupants the
community could not af-
ford to maintain the
building.
There is no longer any
Hebrew school or full time
community center, and
weekly community dinners
are now held but once a
month. Few members keep
kosher, and kosher meat is
available only once a
month.
Although financial needs
are a continuing problem,
more serious problems are
the lack of Jewish migra-
tion to Portugal and the
bled. But not one Cohen
was Jewish 10 years ago
and not one Cohen is
Jewish today. Similarly,
only two or three Levys
are members of the com-
munity.
Obviously, at one time,
the male members were
Jewish, but they inter-
married, and Lisbon's Co-
hens and Levys have been
Catholics for several gener-
_ ations. In a country where
the Jewish population is too
minuscule for meaningful
anti-Semitism, there is no
compulsion for converted
Jews to change their names.
The present Israeli am-
bassador, Doz Halezy-
Milman, participated in
community functions, and
attends the synagogue on
the major holidays. The first
ambassador, Ephraim El-
dar, was devoutly Orthodox.
The members of the
community were always
ardent Zionists, and now
are even more so. Over
150 have migrated to Is-
rael; an impressive
number in proportion to
the size of the commu-
nity. Every member of
any means has visited Is-
rael, and most have rela-
tives or friends there.
El Al has a Lisbon office
,
•
The gates of Shaare Tikvah (Gates of Hope), Por-
tugal's only synagogue, remain locked except on the
Sabbath and holidays.
conversions by Jews to and operates regular
weekly Tuesday flights to
Catholicism.
Since Portugal is a coun- Israel. More important;
try of limited economic op- most of the community's
portunities, emigration not young people are employed
immigration has been its by El Al as security person-
history, for Jews and non- nel, an important contribu-
Jews. The recent colonial tion in a country where un-
wars and political instabil- employment has been
ity have accelerated that chronically high.
trend.
Miss Davidoff pointed
As for assimilation, out, however, that the
Miss Davidoff noted that recognition has had nega-
although the community tive factors. Her major con-
has declined, the listing cern is that young people
of Cohens (from 14 to 26) working for the Israelis
and Levys (from around have taken on "Israeli
20 to 41) in the Lisbon ways" — many no longer
telephone book has dou- attend the synagogue.
<±.
,z,