THE PORTUGUESE JEWISH/ISRAEL CONNECTION

 

For many years, the Portuguese government did not recognize Israel and actively supported its enemies. It wasn’t until 1977, three years after the revolution toppled the dictatorial government, that relations were established, and both countries have maintained ambassadors in each other’s countries ever since – although, sometimes not in the friendliest of terms. After all, a former Portuguese prime minister is now secretary general of that shithole in New York. On the other hand, an Israeli won the Eurovision Contest when it was hosted by Portugal in 2018. So as with Britain, Israeli relations with Portugal was love/hate. But in all fairness, that country did blame Hamas for starting the present war. However, all sympathies stopped there as it would often lean toward that shithole in New York in condemning Israel for its defensive military actions. 

But the focus of today’s posting is not Portugal per se, or that shithole, but the Portuguese Jewish community in Israel, mainly because it’s my blog and I feel like it. I differentiate here between Portuguese and Spanish Jews. Even though many Jewish (and Christian) diarists would often write about the “Spanish and Portuguese Congregation”, the fact is Spain is not Portugal and Portugal is not Spain. They’re two totally different languages, cultures and histories. Portugal’s Jewish connection to the ancestral homeland runs long and deep, especially since that country has had an anti-Semitism problem since the Middle Ages. However, as it is Jewish custom to overcome, Portuguese Jews overcame and would make their mark in Portugal before the expulsion in 1496, and in Israel (and throughout the Ottoman Empire) since the 15^th century.

There was definitely a documented Jewish community in what is now Portugal since the 5^th century. They came from throughout the Roman Empire, including the Roman province of Palestina. Portuguese Jews began to settle in Israel in the 15^th century, even before the expulsion. In the middle of the century, the system of Halukkah was formalized. Eventually, the Ashkenazim became more dependent on it than the non-Ashkenazim, including the Portuguese. After the expansion of the Ottoman Empire and its conquest of Israel (1516), many Jewish refugees from Portugal settled there and throughout the empire. In 1560, Dona  Gracia  Mendes and  her  nephew Don  Joseph  Nasi, wealthy former Portguese anusim (Jews who were forcibly converted to Christianity) were very influential in the Turkish court. That year, they applied to the authorities  for  permission  to resettle Jewish refugees from various Diaspora communities in Tiberias. This project succeeded only to an extent. Some Jews did come, but in the end, it ended in failure and for a variety of reasons, not least of which, was intense opposition from the local Arabs who were themselves immigrants or the descendants of immigrants. Since then however, slowly but surely, some anusim from Portugal as well as descendants of Portuguese Jewish refugees, did settle in Israel and a sizable community was established. In Jewish terms, they were very close, culturally, to the much larger Spanish Jewish community. They also became prominent in the Halukkah system, both in Israel and in the Diaspora. For example, the North-American Relief Society for the Indigent Jews of Jerusalem, was headed by Portuguese and German Jews. In around 1800, Jews were legally allowed to reside in Portugal again, and Halukkah and Aliyah activity once again reach that country. In 1841 Moshe Amzalag came from Portugal and settled in Jerusalem. He was considered a wealthy man and was a member of a very prominent family in Palestinian Jewish society. Aharon Levi ben Susan came that same year and settled in Jaffa. He was also a wealthy man and did much good for the Jewish community. Nowadays, the Jewish community in Portugal is small and struggling as is any Aliyah from there as well. However, Portuguese Jews do come from time to time and probably the most well-known is Porto-born journalist Henrique Cymerman who has worked for a variety of Israeli papers including Maariv. He is presently president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry between Israel and the Gulf countries.