Recife: The Cradle of Jewish America

Abstract

The first New World Jewish settlement was in Recife, then a relatively small city in northeastern Brazil. Portuguese New Christians migrated there in the sixteenth century in search of a freer environment in which to continue practicing the Jewish faith. However, it was not until 1630, when the Dutch conquered the region, that Jews were able to openly observe their religion. With the Portuguese reconquest in 1654, this brief chapter ended. Ashkenazi Jews from Eastern Europe and Germany arrived at the beginning of the twentieth century and flourished for several decades. Assimilation and intermarriage, however, diminished Jewish practices and identity before a revival flourished during the last twenty-five years, which has seen both cultural and religious institutions rebuilt. Still, the long-term viability of this community, far from others in Brazil, is not guaranteed. What follows is an account of the long history of Recife Jewry.