The First Kohen in 500 Years
The Jerusalem Post – Winter Supplement
When Dr. Larry Rubin of Jerusalem stood in front of the congregation on Shabbat Lech Lecha to say the birkat hakohanim (blessing of the priests), many of his fellow worshippers had tears in their eyes. The reason for these tears was a profound one: Larry Rubin was the first kohen to bless this community of Jews in 500 years. As he said the words of the blessing with his prayer shawl over his head, others copied him, putting their own prayer shawls over their heads. A few brought young children up to him to be blessed. They had only heard of the birkat hakohenim, but had never seen it before.
This moving experience happened a few weeks ago in Belmonte, Portugal where a small community of anusim (also known as Marranos or crypto-Jews) have openly acknowledged their Judaism. When Shai Bar Ilan Geographical Tours teamed up with Emunah in Jerusalem, they decided to plan a tour that would be both exciting and meaningful. Shai Yogev, managing director of the company, suggested that the group spend Shabbat with the Jewish community in Belmonte. While the group, composed of English-speakers from Jerusalem and other parts of Israel, planned their trip, the Jewish community in Belmonte anxiously awaited their visit.
When the Jews of Spain were expelled in 1492, many of them fled to Morocco, Italy and the Ottoman Empire. At least half of them went to Portugal, where they were allowed to enter by King Joao, who was aware of the talents of the Jews in fields that could be helpful to him, and needed the money that taxing them would provide him. But he died two years later, and King Manuel, who took over the throne, faced a dilemma. He knew that the Jews could be useful to him, but he wanted to marry Princess Isabella of Spain, who only agreed to the marriage if he would expel the Jews of Portugal. He agreed, but on the planned date of expulsion, instead forced them to convert to Christianity and then declared that there were “no more Jews in the country”.
Some of these converted Jews fled to the northern mountainous areas and continued to practice Judaism under the utmost secrecy, while outwardly appearing to be faithful Christians. These small pockets of Jews were so isolated that many believed that they were the only Jews left in the world. When the Jewish community in Belmonte was discovered by a Polish-Jewish engineer about seventy years ago, at first they did not believe him when he said he was a Jew. They simply did not know that any other Jews existed.
In the past five hundred years, the anusim maintained their unique form of Jewish life. Because of the fear they felt, certain Jewish practices were totally dropped and Jewish ceremonial objects not used. They developed their own prayers in Portuguese. Since the end of the 1970’s, they have been free to practice Judaism openly, but secretiveness is so ingrained in their religious practice that accepting that freedom is slow.
In 1991, eighty of the Belmonte Jews were formally converted to Judaism. The conversion was carried out by a panel of rabbis sent by Israel’s Sephardic Chief Rabbi, including Rabbi Eliyahu Avichayil, the founder of Amishav, the Jerusalem organization that helps communities with historical Jewish ties return to modern Judaism. The conversion was done since it is not possible to be one hundred percent sure about the Jewish ancestry of the community members (although the Jews in Belmonte marry only within their own small community and because of this, many children are born with genetic diseases). A few years later, a synagogue, Bet Eliahu, funded by a Moroccan businessman, was built in Belmonte.
Today there is a rabbi in Belmonte, the third rabbi sent by Amishav in the last ten years. Elisha Salas, a Chilean-born rabbi from Israel, is teaching the Belmonte Jews about Judaism as it is practiced in the modern world. This is not so simple, because while connecting them to the Judaism of today, it is also important that they preserve their own unique traditions.
Larry Rubin said that the Shabbat in Belmonte was the best part of a very well organized and well-presented tour. His wife Marilyn agreed. “ Even though we had no common language and could not really talk to each other,” she said, “the Jews in Belmonte were thrilled to see us. They greeted us with kisses and hugs. The men danced together and the women danced together. Members of their group prepared Friday night dinner and Shabbat lunch for us, making us a braided challah, fish and vegetarian salads. The young boys wore kippot and many of the young people had Jewish stars around their necks.” Marilyn also talked about how moved they all were when her husband said the birkat hakohenim in the Belmonte synagogue, the first kohen in Belmonte in 500 years.
Professor Meir Lowenberg of Efrat said the trip was a tremendous experience. “Though groups have come to visit the Belmonte Jews before, this is the first time a group spent a Shabbat with them.” He said that the community of about 120 Jewish families is actually three extended families, as they have always married each other. When asked how he thought the neighboring Christians felt about the Jews, he said, “They love them, because they bring tourists to the town.”
Marilyn Rubin described Belmonte. “It is a small town, and very mountainous. It was an uphill climb to the shul. It is a pretty community with narrow streets, brick, stucco and stone houses, flower gardens, and orange, persimmon and tangerine trees.” The trip to Spain and Portugal was “wonderful, unbelievable”, she said.
Shai Yogev says that the Jews in Belmonte are begging him to bring more groups of Israeli tourists to visit. “It was an amazing experience for everyone,” he said. The next group that visits might be surprised to find the beginnings of a joint project of Amishav and Shai Bar Ilan in Belmonte – a hotel in the Jewish neighborhood.