Recife, Brazil- Americas First Synagogue

KAHAL ZUR ISRAEL - 1639 - the first Synagogue in the Americas

Jews have been in Brazil on/off since 1593 due to changes in Portuguese and Dutch ownership. Due to the success of the sugar economy and the promise of religious freedom in Brazil, many Jews from Portugal came here from Holland. These “new-christians” (as they were called) had many of the challenges that Jews had worldwide, acquiring land and being accepted for their religious practices. In 1629 in Recife, the capital of the state of Pernambuco, which was now under Dutch influence, welcomed freedom of religion, and three Synagogues were established (later combined into one Congregation) in 1638. With this new openness to Judaism, many Jews asked for safe passage to “Dutch Brazil” between 1637-44.

When Rabbi Isaac Aboab de Fonseca and Cantor Moses Raphael Aquilar came in 1637, along with 600 families they began a strong Jewish Community which included 2 religious schools and a Jewish cemetery. Maybe most importantly the Rabbi wrote and helped spread all types of Jewish literature in the Americas. By 1645, half of the white inhabitants of this area were Jewish (about 1450 people). Unfortunately, as wandering Jews have it, Dutch rule ended in 1654 and once again the Recife Jewish Community had to leave once Portugal took control of Brazil. On Sept. 7, 1654, 23 Dutch-speaking Sephardim left Recife and came to New York and became the first Jews in the US (establishing Shearith Israel).

Sadly, only in the beginning of the 20th Century did a Jewish community startup again in Recife Pernamco, this time by Ashkenazi, looking for religious freedom and they did not even know about the previous Sephardic community and Synagogue here.

I visited Kahal Zur Israel today (unfortunately there was no tour from the ship or when I got there by myself so I was left trying to figure out the mostly Portuguese signage since the 3 employees spoke very little English). I still was there for over an hour as I looked at the Judaica, and sat in the Sanctuary after making out some of the posters and enjoyed imagining what it must have been like to be one of the founders of this Synagogue, the oldest in the Americas and the Western Hemisphere. It is now a Jewish memorial as well as a cultural museum as there are still three other “working” Synagogues with over 4000 members in Recife.

This valuable property (previously the Palace of Friburgo) was purchased in 17th Century for 600,000 guilders (maybe equal to about $36 Million US today) from the Count Maurits de Nassau. The original building was purchased as a home and Synagogue by Duarte Saraiva, a Dutch Jew that came to the area and grew over time (the original façade has been restored as has the Sanctuary). The first interesting thing was that it is located on what his called Rua do Bom Jesus since 1870. This street, one of the most beautiful, famous and historic in the city WAS called: Rua dos Judeus- Street Of the Jews (1636-54), Street of the Cross (once the Dutch were expelled), and then Street of the Merchants (after 1802 when it was a key street for commerce) until 1870. This was the first building on this famous block, and it is associated with the Jewish Community and now after so many changes and almost 400 years, it is back to a historical, spiritual, and cultural center for Jews worldwide to visit. [FYI, many think the beautiful Touro in Newport RI was the first in America but it was actually established in 1763].

To restore KAHAL ZUR ISRAEL in 2001, it seemed to take many years of negotiation over this valuable land and approvals to be able to dig up the artifacts that were eventually found. It also cost over half a million dollars of local money and other support to remove 750 tons of earth and more than 11,000 sq feet of plaster to determine the original layout and the 8 different floors that were now all gone, as the building changed over the centuries. 17th Century floors, walls and objects were uncovered after eliminating these “layers” of previous uses of this property. Even a mikvah from the original Synagogue was uncovered and confirmed.

One of the most interesting things I found was all the theater posters I saw in the exhibit. Maintaining their Jewish heritage in the 18th and 19th Century, as well as participating in the modern world was an issue then as it is worldwide for Jews today. Therefore, developing Jewish identify in Recife made Yiddish theater became an important part of life and a good solution, it was a language that seemed modern because it was not Hebrew but kept tradition and at the same time was considered more modern. With a balance between historical, cultural, and religious content, playwrights, and performers from Europe (Krakow, Moscow, London, Saint Petersburg, Vienna and Warsaw) built the theater community here.

Eventually, Yiddish theater was taken by immigrants to different parts of the world. Teatro Santa Isabel (Recife) by the Centro Israeli Dramatic from Pernambuco performed many famous plays including: Avrom Goldfaden’s operetta "Di kishefmakherin", Scholem Asch’s (1887) operetta "Got fun nekome", Jacob Gordin’s "The Yiddish King Lear" performed in 1892, Mendele Moyker Sforim (1835-1917), Scholem Aleichem (1859-1916) and I.L.Peretz.

On this trip to Brazil, we also visited San Paulo (the center of Jewish life in Brazil), Salvador where there is still a small Jewish community, Netal and Fortalez (both these areas have very few Jews and have told us that those that still practice Judaism have moved to Recife). Interestingly, from what we can tell and what I read about the last 20 years, the number of observant Jews has grown significantly in Recife with 3 active Congregations.

I am hopeful that our wise sage Andrew, his partner Mozart and their strong Brazil connections can help correct/clarify some of the above information!Read more