Affiliation Judaism State Pernambuco District Recife Antigo | Rite Sephardic Status Museum Function Museum | |
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Location Rua do Bom Jesus (Rua dos Judeus) 197
Recife, Brazil Similar Malakoff Tower, Parque das Esculturas Francisco, Embaixada de Pernamb, Ricardo Brennand Institute, Oficina Cerâmica Francisco | ||
Synagogue kahal zur israel the first in the americas
Kahal Zur Israel (Hebrew: קהל צור ישראל Kahal Tsur Yisra'el, "Rock of Israel", Portuguese: Sinagoga Kahal Zur Israel), located in Recife, Brazil, was the first Jewish congregation in the New World. It was established by Spanish/Portuguese Jews that had taken refuge in the Netherlands fleeing forced conversion and were joined by New Christians who were already living in the colony. There is now a museum on this site of the oldest synagogue site in the Americas.
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History
From 1636 to 1654, the synagogue functioned on the site of the houses no. 197 and 203 Rua do Bom Jesus (formerly Rua dos Judeus, lit. 'Street of the Jews'). It flourished in the mid-17th century, when the Dutch briefly controlled this part of northeastern Brazil. The synagogue then served a community of approximately 1,450 Jews. It had a cantor, Josue Velosino, and a rabbi, Isaac Aboab da Fonseca, sent to Recife in 1642.
The original synagogue building survived until the early 20th century, when it was torn down. The site has been confirmed by an archaeological excavation. In 2001 the decision was made to create a Jewish museum in the two-story house with two shops located on the first floor then standing on the site of the old synagogue.
Present day
The museum, designed to resemble synagogues built in the 17th and 18th centuries by Sephardic Jews from Spain and Portugal, opened in 2001. Today, there are four synagogues in Recife. Many Jews choose to celebrate their weddings and Bnei Mitzvot celebrations in the Kahal Zur Israel because of its symbolism as a connection to their long history in this country. The synagogue is also at the center of a broader cultural renaissance. In November of every year, a Jewish festival offering dance, cinema, and food, from gefilte fish to fluden, attracts around 20,000 visitors.
