Brazil
From JudaismWiki
BRAZIL. Federal republic; largest country in South America. Brazil, which was discovered by Portugal in 1500, was the home of the first organized Jewish community in the New World. Large numbers of Marranos, forced converts who observed their Jewish faith in secret, arrived early in the 16th century. They prospered in commerce and industry, but at the price of denying their Judaism publicly. Only when the Dutch conquered Pernambuco in 1630 were the Marranos able to declare their faith. Their congregations were enlarged by Jews from Holland, the West Indies, and North Africa. So extensive was their trade that Pernambuco came to be known as “the port of the Jews.” This happy interlude ended when the Portuguese recaptured Dutch Brazil in 1654, and expelled the Jews from the country. Most of the Brazilian Jews fled to Holland. Small groups found refuge in Surinam and Curacao in the Dutch West Indies. Twenty-three boarded a ship which bore them to New Amsterdam, where they became the nucleus of the famous Portuguese-Jewish community of New York.
So effective was the Portuguese persecution that for the next 175 years there was no indication of Jewish life in Brazil. After Brazil achieved its independence from Portugal in 1824, however, a small community of Marranos revealed its Judaism in Belem, far from the capital. Later in the century, two other small communities were founded in Brazil. Yet it is only at the turn of the 20th century that the “modern” community may be said to begin. At that time, the Jewish Colonization Association began to encourage European Jews to emigrate to Brazil and settle on farms. The farm colonies were not very successful. Most of their members settled in cities and founded communities there. These communities were enlarged by new immigrants, especially after the U.S. began to restrict its own immigration in 1924. Because of the opportunities it offered to newcomers, Brazil became the home of the second largest Jewish community in Latin America. Totaling 96,500 in 2007, it is second only to Argentina. Between 1957 and 1959, Brazil received some 3,000 immigrants from Egypt and 700 from Hungary.
The Brazilian Jewish community is a prosperous one. Most of its members are merchants or manufacturers; the remainder are largely skilled craftsmen. The large majority live in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, but there are Jews in every major city in the country. Since 1951, all sectors of the Jewish community have been represented in the World Jewish Congress by the Confederation of the Jewish Societies of Brazil.
The cultural activities within the community are varied. There are Yiddish newspapers and many Jewish periodicals in Portuguese. The larger communities have Jewish school systems and elaborate community organizations. Zionist feeling has run high, especially since the creation of the State of Israel. Educators from Israel play a large part in running the Jewish schools in Rio and Sao Paulo, although non-Zionists have their own schools. In addition, teachers from most of the Jewish schools are regularly sent to Israel for training. In 1954, an Israel-Brazilian Cultural Institute was inaugurated under the chairmanship of Brazil’s foreign minister. It grants scholarships to Brazil’s students who wish to study in Israel, and has set itself the task of popularizing Brazilian literature in Israel and Israel literature in Brazil. Another cultural institution of note is the Jewish-Brazilian Institute of Historical Research, which studies the history of the Jewish community in Brazil.
Synagogues
Amazonas
Yaacov-Rabi Meyr synagogue 630, Rua Leonardo Malcher Manaus telephone (55-92) 234-9558
Clube Hebraica Manaus 1842, Avenida Joaquim Nabuco; (55-92) 233-0217 Manaus
Belem
Eshel Avraham Travessa Campos Sales 733 Belem Sephardi
Sinagoga Shaar Hashamaim Rua Alcipreste Manoel Theodoro 842 Belem 66.000 Sephardi
Belo Horizonte
Beit Chabad Rua Timbiras, 501 Belo Horizonte Chabad Lubavitch Tel: 55-31-273-7772 Fax: 55-31-261-7550
Sinagoga da Av Leonardo Malchez 630 Belo Horizonte
Brasilia
ACIB - Associação Cultural Israelita de Brasília Website EQN 305/306 Brasília 70737-400 Orthodox Tel: +55-061-3273-8255 Fax: +55-061-3273-8255
Campinas
Sociedade Israelita Brasileira Beth Yacov de Campinas Rua Barreto Leme 1203 Campinas 13010-201 Conservative Tel: (19) 3231-4908 Fax: (19) 3231-4908
Curitiba
Beit Chabad Curitiba Angelo Sampaio 370 Curitiba Tel: 55-41-243-0818 Fax: 55-41-244-8266
Francisco Frischman Rua Cruz Machado 126 Curitiba
Erechim
Synagogue Av. Pedro Pinto de Souza 131 Erechim
Comunidade Israelita de Fortaleza Rua 11 de julho 299 Casa 6 Fortaleza Liberal Tel: 55-85 21 1637 Fax: 55-85 21 1637
Guaruja
Beit Yaacov: Av. Leomil 628 Guaruja --Unknown-- Tel: 55-13-387-2033
Neve Itzhak Av. Leomil 950 Guaruja --Unknown-- Tel: 55-13-386-3137
Porto Alegre
Beit Chabad Rua Felipe Camarao 748 Porto Alegre Tel: 55 51-330-7078
Centro Israelita Porto Alegrense Rua Henrique Dias 73 Porto Alegre http://www.centroisraelita.com.br/
Linath Ha-Tzedek Rua Bento Figueredo 55 Porto Alegre Orthodox Tel: 55 51-332-1065
Poilisher Farband Rua Joao Telles 329 Porto Alegre Tel: 55-51- 226-0379
Sociedade Israelita Brasileira (SIBRA) Rua Mariante 772 Porto Alegre Progressive http://sibra.sites.uol.com.br/index.html
Uniao Israelita Porto Alegrense Rua Dr Barros Cassal 750 Porto Alegre Tel: 55 51-311-6515
Recife
Synagogue Rua Martins Junior 29 Recife
Rio de Janeiro
Agudat Israel Rua Nascimento Silva 109 Rio de Janeiro
Associacao Religiosa Israelita Rua General Soriano 170 Rio de Janeiro Tel: 021-226-9666
Congregação Judaica P´Nei Or Rua Major Ricardo 27 Petropolis Rio de Janeiro 25655-000 Conservative Tel: 552422426653
Kehilat Yakov Rua Capelao Alvares da Silva 2041 Rio de Janeiro
Santo Andre
Beit Chabad S. Andre Rua Onze De Juno 172 Santo Andre Tel: 55-11-3082-8711 Fax: 55-11-3060-9778
Santo Andre Synagogue Rua 11 de Junho 172 Santo Andre Tel: 55-11-449-1568
Santos
Beit Sion Rua Borges 264 Santos
Sinagoga Beit Jacob Rua Campos Sales 137 Santos
San Caetano do sul
Sociedade Religiosa S. Caetano do Sul Rua Para 67 Sao Caetano do sul Tel: 55-11-442-3514
San Jose Dos Campos
Beit Chabad Rua Republica do Irã Sao Jose Dos Campos Tel: 55-11-364-6322
Sao Paulo
Adat Yereim Rua Talmud Tora 86 Sao Paulo Tel: 55-11- 282-1562
Beit Chabad Brazil Head Quarters Rua Chabad 60 Sao Paulo Tel: 55-11-3060-9777 Fax: 55-11-3060-9778 http://www.chabad.org.br/
Beit Chabad Itaim Rua Russia 195 Sao Paulo Tel: 55-11-3086-0999 Fax: 55-11-3082-0576
Beit Chabad Morumbi Rua Votuverava 174 Sao Paulo 05604-020 Chabad Lubavitch http://www.chabadmorumbi.org.br/
Beit Chabad Vila Mariana R. S. Samuel, 69 Sao Paulo 04120-030 Chabad Lubavitch Tel: (5511) 5572-2312 Fax: (5511) 5572-2312
Beit Itzchak Rua Haddok Lobo 1279 Sao Paulo Tel: 55-11- 881-3804
Bet Sar Shalom R. Albuquerque Lins 1282 Sao Paulo
Binyan Olam Website EMILIO DE MENESEZ 38 HIGIENOPOLIS Sao Paulo 01231-020 Orthodox Tel: 55 11 3824-0251 update http://www.binyanolam.org.br/
Bnei Akiva dos Jardins Rua Tatuí 128 Sao Paulo Orthodox Tel: 55-11-3667 9460
Centro Tiferet Lubavitch Rua Alagoas 726 Sao Paulo Chabad Lubavitch Tel: 55-11-3666-7783 Fax: 55-11-256-0442
Chavurah Al Sfat Ha-Iam Sao Paulo LIBERAL
Com. Isr. Sefardi Ohel Iaacov Rua da Abolicao 457 Sao Paulo
Comunidade Shalom Rua Cel Joaquim Ferreira Lobo 195 Vila Olimpia Sao Paulo 04544-150 Egalitarian http://www.shalom.org.br/
Congregação Israelita Paulista Rua Antonio Carlos 623 entre Bela Cintra e Consolaçao Sao Paulo 01309-011 Liberal Tel: 55-11-3218-1299 Fax: 55-11-3218-0998
Congregação Mekor Haim R.S.Vicente de Paulo, 256 Sao Paulo Orthodox Tel: 55 11 3826-5499
Kehal Chassidim Rua Mamore 597 Sao Paulo
Sinagoga da Hebraica (J.C.C.) Rua Hungria 1000 Sao Paulo
Sinagoga de Moema Rua Pavão 464 Sao Paulo Tel: 55-11-533-7344
Sinagoga do Brooklin Rua Guararapes 909 Sao Paulo Chabad Lubavitch Tel: 55-11-3826-6394
Sinagoga Israelita Paulista Rua Augusta 259 Sao Paulo Tel: 55-11-258-7173 Fax: 55-11-257-2329
Templo Israelita Brasileiro Ohel Yaacov Rua Abolicao 457 Sao Paulo Tel: 55-11-606-9982
Sorocaba
Comunidade Rua Dom Pedro II 56 Sorocaba
