Shavei Israel holds seminar for remote Brazilian community of Bnei Anousim
Putting on tefillin in Brazil
At the entrance to the fabled Amazon River, on the northern tip of Brazil, sits the teeming town of Belem. Colonized in the early 17th century by the Portuguese, the first settlers in the town also included Jews fleeing the Inquisition who later hid their identities, and whose descendants we call today Bnei Anousim (also known derogatively as Marranos).
Belem has a small but thriving Jewish population of 1,500, including both Anousim and Jews who immigrated in the 19th century from Morocco. But travel south for 200 kilometers and you’ll arrive at a tiny, isolated community of Anousim, just over 100 strong, nestled in the picturesque town of Campina Grande.
That was the setting for an eight-day seminar in February – the first ever for the Campina Grande community – organized by Shavei Israel’s David Salgado. Thirty eager Anousim participated in the seminar, which was led by Rabbi Moses Elmescany, the chief rabbi of Belem.
A wide variety of Jewish topics were covered, including the laws of keeping kosher; the various blessings before and after a meal; laws regarding the observance of Shabbat; training in how to put on tefillin (phylacteries); and practical lessons for reciting the morning, afternoon and evening prayers, including cantorial practice.
Shavei Israel first became aware of the community in Campina Grande in 2009 when Salgado returned to his native Brazil for the opening of a traveling exhibition, curated by Shavei Israel, on the history of Jewish settlement in Brazil. Since then, Salgado says he has been “in constant touch with the community.”
Last month’s seminar was the first time a rabbi had visited Campina Grande, and the timing touchingly demonstrated the community’s commitment to furthering their Jewish knowledge and practice: the seminar was held during the same week as the annual “Carnival” where 180 million Brazilians head to the streets to celebrate and party. The Anousim of Campina Grande hit the books and studied Torah instead.
While the Anousim in Campina Grande do not have a synagogue, they have formed a community called “Magen David” (Star of David) and rent space to meet for Shabbat and holidays. Prior to Yom Kippur, some community members make the long trip to Belem to immerse in the Guajara Bay as a make shift mikve (ritual bath).
The seminar group
The seminar participants included men, women, children and even a few Anousim from outside Campina Grande. The community in general is very poor; with Shavei Israel’s help, there was no charge for the eight-day program.
Dr. Alessandro Magno, president of the Magen David community, described the seminar and the involvement of Rabbi Elmescany as “a sign that we are trying to learn Torah and keep the mitzvot according to Jewish law.” None of the community has formally converted to Judaism yet, although five visited Israel in 2010 on a trip arranged by Shavei Israel.
Prior to the seminar, Shavei Israel sent a set of special siddurim (prayerbooks) with phonetic pronunciation in Portuguese, as the community members do not yet know how to read Hebrew. Shavei Israel subsidized some of the cost of the printing and shipping.
The significance of the seminar was not lost on Salgado who has a personal connection with Rabbi Elmescany: Salgado also grew up in Belem and has known the rabbi since he was 11 years-old. Salgado is enthusiastic about the progress the Campina Grande community has made. The seminar, he says, was “an important opportunity to help these people who for all their lives have fought for the right to return to our people, after having been cut off so many years ago.”
We have more pictures here, as well as a video here.