New Hebrew teacher in Portugal: Shoshana Hovav
The Bnei Anousim of Portugal have a new volunteer Hebrew teacher: Shoshana Hovav. Teaching in Portugal is a homecoming of sorts for Hovav, who can trace her family back to the Portuguese Jewish community, prior to its expulsion in the 15th century.
Hovav, 70, sent us a remarkable family tree of the Tzadik family. Yosef ben Yakov, the family patriarch, was born around the year 1075 in the Andalusian town of Cordoba, today in modern Spain. He was a rabbi, philosopher and poet who received his family name, Tzadik – which means justice – from local Christians who called him “Justo” or a “man of justice.”
Hovav has traced the Tzadik family descendants through many regions and cities – Amsterdam, Baghdad, Turkey and the Jewish settlement under Ottoman rule in Jerusalem. She wrote about it in the book “The Shape of the Land” by Rivka Rubin (Yad Ben-Zvi Publishing).
Hovav says while her research and family tree are not finished and is “only a vague preliminary survey,” it may be enough “to arouse the curiosity of the young generation and its desire the explore its history further.”
Hovav is keeping busy in Portugal. She has study groups meeting daily every hour and a half, starting at 10:00 AM. At 7:00 PM, she heads to the local Belmonte synagogue where she has established another study group – “a large one of women, men and children,” she says.
Hovav is in Portugal for just a month – she’s living in Shavei Israel’s “Beit HaAnusim” in Belmonte. Her husband is there with her too.
Hovav has a B.A. in social science and a master’s degree in history from Haifa University. She received an additional M.A. from Bar-Ilan University with a focus on teaching students with learning disabilities.
Hovav feels it is both a personal obligation and a privilege to bring Jewish learning back to Portugal, where her family’s journey began so many years ago.
We have pictures and videos of Hovav in action.
