Shavei Israel publishes holiday prayer book for Passover in Portuguese
Cover of new Pesach machzor for Portuguese-speaking Bnei Anousim
Passover is coming and Shavei Israel is helping Portuguese-speaking Bnei Anousim prepare for the holiday with a new machzor (holiday prayer book) specifically for the festival of freedom. The machzor is a continuation of Shavei Israel’s Sidrah Ner series, which already includes publications for Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Shabbat, weekday blessings and the Pesach Haggadah itself.
The new machzor was prepared by David Salgado, who consults with Shavei Israel on Bnei Anousim activities in Portuguese-speaking regions, and Rabbi Moshe Elmescany who lives in Belem, Brazil. Amazonia Judaica, which is dedicated to preserving the past and contributing to the future of Jews in the Amazon, is the publisher. David Salgado co-founded Amazonia Judaica, which previously published “200 Years of Jewish Presence in the Amazon” and runs the Amazon Jewish Portal website.
The new machzor includes all of the prayers said on Pesach – both in synagogue and at home (such as the search for and burning of chametz – leavened break – on the night and morning before the holiday itself). The Torah reading for Passover is also included. The machzor is in Hebrew, Portuguese, and Hebrew in Portuguese phonetics. It follows the style and tradition of Brazilian and Portuguese Moroccan Sephardim.