These records, along with church books for the rest of the population, made up civil registration; however, when such books have been microfilmed . Working in European market and international now, I couldnt dare to let myself wide my wings on countries unknown to me. The sumptuous Synagogue of Shaar Tikva is a must-see when you want to meet Lisbon's Jewish community. Its headquarters are on Avenida Alexandre Herculano, no.59 in Lisbon, where the synagogue Shaar Tikvah (Gates of Hope) is located. Both Trevor and Jonah initially turned to the internet for help. Donate. Many have received their letter from the Jewish Community, but have not gone through the legal hurdles of processing their application for citizenship. We reiterate the importance of using this model in order to simplify the analysis. Jonah personally has helped five people in these groups with their applications. Portugal Virtual Jewish History Tour But you will not be able to request a passport with a letter from the Jewish Community alone. Lisbon Jewish Community web site. Depends on and is the responsibility of the Analysis Committee due final opinion, based on due historical analysis, and its process is subject to possible requests for additional documentation from this Committee. Just found your page and it is fantastic! Emotional memory we expect the applicant to explain in short his motivation to apply for Portuguese nationality based on his Sephardic family and tradition roots. The charge was that the Community granted certificates that affirmed the Sephardi heritage of anyone who sought Portuguese nationality and was willing to pay for it. Trevors law firm also spoke to the Portuguese government and were able to allow him to submit his application without obtaining a criminal records check from Kenya, which would only have added more complications. The creation of a bulletin, directed by Joseph Benoliel, link between the community members, the organization of a library in 1915 and the foundation of the Hehaver Israeli Youth Association, in 1925, represent other stones of the consolidation of the Hebrew Community of Lisbon. Thanks for all you do! Therefore, the certificate must be provided with the genealogical tree indicating dates and places of ancestors birth, death and marriage. Both communities have records from the time and will be able to verify whether you are, in fact, of Sephardic heritage. But since the turn of the 21st century it has been experiencing a renaissance of its Jewish life. I've got Austrian citizenship in 4 months for all family members which consists of 12 people! Finally, Jonah got in touch with the Rabbi from his childhood synagogue who connected him with a Sephardic rabbi. Somehow they managed to translate the law lingo into language we actually understand and their outstanding YouTube videos helped us to have a better grasp of what process we had to go through. Spanish & Portuguese Citizenship for Descendants of Sephardic Jews In 1904 the Shaare Tikvah (Gates of Hope) Synagogue, still in use today, opened in Lisbon. Also, we inform you that, in case of no approval, the donations given are not refundable, without prejudice of the process come to be analyzed again through presentation of additional documents. There is no such requirement concerning the issuing of Jewish Community of Lisbons certification and our community has neither a special partnership with any law office nor shall recommend any specific one. The application should be presented to the Portuguese Central Registry Office (Conservatria dos Registos Centrais) in Lisbon and the Jewish Community of Lisbon has no involvement in the decision or even in the process. Technical Problem Form - JewishGen History of the Jews in Portugal - Wikipedia We recently received our permanent residency after 23 years in Israel. The following documents are required for the preparation of applications in our offices: 1. We heard of Advocate Pex through a friend of a friend. Parallel to their rapid and successful integration in the Portuguese living, the first groups of Jews immediately sought to organize as such, creating prayer rooms and acquiring land to bury the dead according to the Jewish ritual. The Portuguese Jews played an important role in this period in the support of refugees, first through the creation of the Portuguese Commission for the Assistance of the Jewish Refugees in Portugal directed by Augusto Esaguy, and later directly through the Communitys own refugee support section, chaired by Moiss Amzalak and whose great promoter was Elias Baruel. Decree Law No. Full passport copy certified by a Portuguese Consulate or apostilled 3. While some people will have inherited property in Portugal and others may have visited Portugal throughout their lives, the vast majority of those with Sephardic routes living in other countries are unlikely to have these ties to Portugal. Kaplan became inspired about the topic while researching her 2008 book, Dominican Haven: The Jewish Refugee Settlement in Sosua, 1940-1945, which chronicles the eventual path taken by German Jews who had been able to cross the Atlantic by way of Lisbon.Expanding upon that focus, she sought out diaries, letters, and other archives housed at the USC Shoah Foundation, the Fortunoff Archive at . Do I have to hire the services of a lawyer? He first contacted the Portuguese Law Firm in the Autumn of 2015 and then, once he had carried out sufficient research, was able to submit his application around a year later. How To Get Tax Refunds on a Donation to an Association (Israeli Amuta) or Public-Benefit Corporation? The team of lawyers and assistants are incredibly professional. Jewish Odyssey history in Lisbon 2023 - Viator If you have recommendations on lawyers that would be greatly appreciated. Lisbon - Conquered from the Moors in 1147 by Dom Afonso Henriques, the first king of Portugal, the Castle of Sao Jorge stands proudly atop one of the city's seven hills. How do you get the access code if you are posting off documents? They are quick to respond, engaged, and obviously top-notch lawyers. You may obtain further and accurate information at the nearest Portuguese Consulate. My Passover seder this year was spent in the company of the small Reform Jewish community in Lisbon, Portugal. Despite the expedited application, however, with research included the entire process still took around 17 months. Another important step to the constitution of the present Jewish community of Lisbon is taken in 1894 with the holding of a general meeting of the Jews of Lisbon in order to unify the Shehit services (Ritual slaughter and provisioning of Kosher meat). Lisbon Jewish community appoints new Rabbi Just found your page and it is fantastic! Each member of the family, including the children, should file the application separately although, for the purpose of the certification issued by our community (step 1 above), having already checked the documentation of a member of the same family does make it easier to check the documentation. Conservatriados Registos CentraisRua Rodrigo da Fonseca, 1981099-003 LisboaE-mail:registos.centrais@irn.mj.pt, Phone: (+351) 213 817 600Fax: (+351) 213 817 698. Certificate from Jewish Community in Portugal or evidence as requested in next column: A) or B) 2. Once submitted, youll be given an access code so you can check the status of your application and then you wait. It should mention the respective ancestry and descendancy (if necessary), places and dates of birth, marriage and death. Have you received a letter of recommendation from one of the Jewish Communities in Portugal, whether Porto or Lisbon? Jewish Community of Lisbon (Comunidade Israelita de Lisboa) The capital is home to the country's main Jewish community. Sometimes documents are hard to find as many have been destroyed, often on purpose. They are doing outstanding work. Private Jewish Heritage Tour of Lisbon. Theres a lot of waiting involved. Thanks to Michael Decker and the other good people at the law office, as well as to the virtue of my ancestors, the cruelty of the Inquisition, reparations issued in the Iberian Peninsula, and etc, I am delighted to be on track for Portuguese and European Union Citizenship! Donations. Lisbon's modern Jewish community: Lisbon's main synagogue called Shaare Tikva, or Gates of Hope, is a historic synagogue in Lisbon. Thus, despite the difficulties originated by the lack of official recognition, the community is able to acquire land for the construction of a new, proper and decent building. We will be forever grateful for all of the help, guidance and support which Ariel Galili of Decker, Pex, Ofir & Co. provided through this process. We will be applying from the US. ? and the Hebrew Hospital, providing at a daily basis food, clothing and health care to the refugees. I just found this website! For Trevor, the process was a long one. However, regarding the stage of preparation and submission of the applications to the Portuguese authorities, you may find that the services of an experienced and qualified lawyer will proof to be quite useful. He eventually needed a lawyer to submit the application to the Portuguese government, but was able to do a lot of the other work himself. Party time in the heart, my beloved husband received his residence after so much time of battles and faith. Site Powered By SiteBuilderAvenue.com In case of the Israelite Community of Porto, the amount of such donations is 250. We can handle the bureaucratic side of the process and get your application submitted to the government before its too late. Does my family name have to be in the list of Sephardic names? Can my spouse be granted nationality as well? The government may accept three types of documents. According to historian Antnio Jos Saraiva, 40,000 individuals were charged by the Portuguese Inquisition. Birth certificate issued within the previous six month* 5. The biggest mystery in this is which lawyer to pick and when do I need a lawyer, says Jonah. Jewish community certificate with religious-related status in Portugal, under the law in force at the date of entry of the Regulation, proving Sephardic Jewish lineage of Portuguese origin, through surname, family language, genealogy, and family memory. b. Click on "Places within Portugal, Lisboa" and a list of towns and cities will open. Trevor speaks what he describes as passable Portuguese, having studied through Duolingo and later through a Portuguese class he took in London. Since 1810 several houses of prayer existed in Lisbon, but these hardly met the necessary conditions for worship, as they were located in modest floors. The Jewish Community of Lisbon has made available: The burden of proof rests on the applicant, who must provide as much evidence as possible, of all kinds, showing direct or collateral progenyand the tradition of belonging to a Sephardic community of Portuguese origin. All the above may be presented in Portuguese, Spanish, French or English. Past events; Future event; January 01,01 09:00:00 Could you please also send me a list of the lawyers you recommend. I will take a look at all of the Facebook groups you mentioned. The majority of Jews are scattered throughout Portugal and not affiliated with religious communities. 1 - applying for certification at the jewish community of lisbon (cil) By Decree-Law, it is mandatory to hold a certificate issued by the Portuguese Jewish Communities - duly registered locally under the status of religious legal entities, that is, the Jewish Communities of Lisbon (CIL) and of Porto (CIP). This single document is seen as the most important document in the process. You will need a lot more than that. You will be asked to donate (Porto: 250 - Lisbon: 500) to the Jewish Community that will issue the Sephardi Ancestry Certificate. Using them guaranteed honesty above all. which must respect the order of the documents as they appear in the table indicated in the procedures In fact, since a very large number of Spanish Jews migrated to Portugal when they were expelled from Spain, proving Spanish ancestry from families known to have lived in Portugal is also acceptable. The designation of Sephardic Jews refers to the descendants of the ancient Jews and traditional Jewish communities of the Iberian Peninsula (SefaradorHispania), that is, Portugal and Spain. It brings together the Jews of Lisbon. It will be a dream come true getting to live my life in Portuguese as my ancestors did.. Is a Jewish community certificate enough for Portuguese citizenship? The Jewish Federation of New Mexico will be accepting applications until the Spanish law expires on Oct. 1, 2018. Certified Document Proving Sephardic Jewish Heritage Portuguese authorities will accept proof of Sephardic Jewish heritage if one obtains a certificate from the Portuguese Jewish community in either Porto or Lisbon. For Trevor, getting all the paperwork he needed wasnt hugely complicated. Very much recommended! Trevor Lewis, whos from the US and lives in London with his husband, was unaware of his Portuguese background until he started looking into his grandmothers family tree. Any conviction with a crime punishable in Portugal with three years or more years imprisonment will make the applicant non-eligible; Power of attorney, when not presented by the applicant himself. See below the complete list of documents to be presented (end of page). Be patient, but also start early, says Trevor, whose aunt is also now applying. Hi James, Some even erroneously think that having obtain a recommendation letter, they already have citizenship. Portuguese citizenship comes with a number of benefits, not least a Portuguese passport which gives you the right to live and work in Portugal and other EU countries. Not being able to obtain the legalization of the community, the Jews from Lisbon created, especially during the second half of the 19th century, charities in the form of autonomous organizations, whose statutes were subject to approval by the civil government, or in the form of private foundations, usually managed by ladies. I would like to thank Anat Levi and Ariel Galili from the Jerusalem branch for all of their efforts and patience, we could not have been Able to reach to where we are now without them. The Shaar-Tikv synagogue celebrates 100 years, see here. We have Portuguese Friends. Unfortunately, a right to live in Portugal doesnt necessarily mean that people are able to move to Portugal as wages and opportunities are often lower here than in other Western countries. Notorious anti-New Christian riots broke out in 1506, killing up to four thousand in a massacre in Lisbon. I am satisfied with the services I needed and happy to have known them. I am honored to know them. Born in Brazil, Rabbi Peres grew up in New York and received ordination there as well as from Chacham Pinchas . After a little bit more research, we realised that it was a Portuguese-Jewish surname., For Jonah Salita, also from the US and living in London, it was less of a surprise. We request that you complete this DIGITAL FORM in order to facilitate and speed up the process of identification and *pre-analysis (non-binding) of the process submitted by the applicant. However the law does state that the following documents should be presented, including their translation into Portuguese, duly certified by the Portuguese consulate at the country of origin or residence and bearing the Hague Convention Apostille: The Portuguese Central Registry Office charges a non-refundable and pre-paid 250 fee per applicant. These last two Jewish quarters were located in the vicinities of commercial ports and shipyards. Lisbon Jewish Community - cilisboa.org I am exploring the DIY route first and I'm hoping the Facebook groups you suggested might help me. ATTENTION: Filling out this form does not replace or dispense with the proper sending of documents namely - the complete pdf with OFFICIAL FORM duly completed and signed, the means of proof, identification documents (see list of documentation) and the required family tree. It's a great way to share success, ask questions, and stay informed of the happenings throughout the Jewish genealogical community. Its not longer enough to simply have Sephardic Jewish heritage; you now need to show ties to Portugal such as inherited property or regular trips to Portugal throughout your life. Administration staff to answer all questions, receive and perform a pre-check of the documentation. Unfortunately, however, this route isnt as easy as it once was. Jonah also speaks Portuguese, and has managed to get himself to roughly the C1-level by studying for around 3 hours per day for more than 18 months. Absolutely certainty means knowing all the facts about them, including their birth date, death date, marriage date, country of origin, and original full name. Once you have citizenship you can request your passport. As of February 2020, the Israeli Community of Lisbon requires the payment of a donation amounting 500 for the first certificate application and 250 for the applications of any other members of the same family. In the northeastern city of Braganca, the municipality last week opened a two-story Sephardi Interpretive Center which focuses on the life of Jews under persecution in 15th and 16th centuries. . I'm super glad of choosing Joshua Pex of Law office for immigration solution, lawyers to advise in my case, to me, it is remarkable. In June 1941 Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the future Lubavitcher Rebbe, arrived in Lisbon together with his wife, Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka (Moussia). The price for the service was great! We are Jews. If you have one of these letters, but have not gone further than that, reach out to us now. Links to external websites do not constitute an endorsement. administrativo@cilisboa.org info@cilisboa.org. They will not let you down, feel free to contact them. Thank you, Joshua and Itamar for your help with our Joint Life Application. JDC events and trips offer a rare window into corners of the global Jewish community that often go unseen, and an opportunity to witness firsthand the life-changing impact JDC makes every day . It is the main synagogue of the . We had a pleasure of working with Irena Rosenberg who assisted in getting our two U.S. born children registered in Israel and supported visa process for my wife in 2021. While he was approved in November of 2018, around 3 years after he began the process, it wasnt until August of 2019 when he received his birth certificate and was able to apply for his passport. At that point, he decided to investigate further. Petition to one of the Jewish Communities (Lisbon or Porto) is just the first stage of the process. Slanting white walls intersected by blue forms mark the exterior of a 2.5-story building designed by Studio Libeskind, led by Daniel Libeksind, for Lisbon's upcoming Jewish Museum. Discover the Jewish Heritage of Lisbon, Portugal To be on the safe side, Trevor collected more documents from the synagogue and was able to trace his family tree back even further. Turning Portuguese - BBC News Lisboa (Lisbon), Portugal Genealogy FamilySearch Neither the passport nor the birth certificate mention your Jewish identity nor the avenue by which you were able to get it: its exactly the same as any non-Jewish Portuguese persons passport. Lisbon's Jewish community is centered around the Comunidade Israelita de Lisboa, or the Jewish Community of Lisbon, a community center that houses Shaare Tikva. In the meantime, some of them might be available at a FamilySearch Center near you. Thankfully for Trevors aunt, family members who have the same family tree typically have a faster application process once one family member has already been accepted. We so much appreciate Mikes representation of us. He slowly gained the trust of Belmonte's crypto-Jews when he recited the Shema Yisrael prayer and uttered the . The Lisbon Jewish Community (CIL) has confirmed that it will continue the process of certifying descendants of Sephardic Jews for the purposes of a law under which they can secure Portuguese nationality, despite the criminal investigation into alleged irregularities on the part of the Jewish Community of Porto (CIP) in the naturalisation of Roman They deserve more then 5 stars!! We found them online; they were the only law firm from all of our searchings which were completely honest and NOT gave us just what we wanted to hear Because we appreciated their lawyers services, we recommended businesses and individuals again and again to go there as well. Launched the first stone in 1902, the Shaar-Tikv Synagogue is finally inaugurated in 1904, culminating a more than 50 years old effort of the Jews of Lisbon. Lisbon Jewish Quarter - The Lisbon Travel Guide - Updated 2023 Fee: For the application with the "Conservatria dos Registos Centrais": 250 EUROS - Methods accepted: Cashier's check, in EUROS, of bank in Portugal, payable to IRN, IP; Thank you for your guidance and support. Mike Decker and have know him for many years. I am delighted to report that my wife and I have just obtained our Israeli citizenship. One of the country's most interesting remote villages is Belmonte, 3 hours by car from Lisbon, where in 1917, a Polish mining engineer named Samuel Schwarz discovered a community of Jews still living in secret for over 500 years. During the pandemic, my wife and I decided to move to Israel where I am originally from after living in the U.S. for over 20 years, but we had no idea how to go about securing visas before and after arriving in Israel. Portuguese ID documents, such as passports, may then be issued by the nearest Portuguese Consulate. Poised to leave Nazi-occupied Europe for the free world, an entry in the Rebbe's private journal reveals how he drew on his past to chart a dual vision for the future. Portugal's Jewish Heritage - 10 Days | kimkim Thus, many Sephardic Jews were forced into exile and compelled to leave Portugal from the late fifteenth and early sixteenthcentury onwards, including thosewho had converted to Catholicism the conversos, also known as New Christians, Anusim or Marranos. Photos: Oded Kaizerman/Anash.org. Jewish Community of Lisbon Tel: +351 213 931 130; sephardi.naturalization@comunidadeisraelitalisboa.org; www.cilisboa.org. The first grave is of Jos Amzalak, who died on February 26, 1804, and buried on land belonging to the English Cemetery of Estrela, undoubtedly because of the English nationality of the first Jews in Lisbon, originating, as seen, from Gibraltar. My last name is Salita and Ive known my whole life that my family comes from either Spain or Portugal.. Request a Resident Certificate. $32.95. Obviously, this is a blight on Portugals past and one that, since 2015, Portugal is trying to atone for by providing those with Sephardic Jewish backgrounds the right to citizenship through a law of return. Trevor was able to obtain the records via UCLA, who had copies of the records, but has since visited Bevis Marks and says that theyre very open to working with people who are trying to trace their heritage. He is completely trustworthy and high caliber in his work. Google is your friend, just search for "junta da fregusia + your city" to find the nearest town hall. 8,000th Tanya Tells the Story of Thousands of Stories. After 3 months of arrival in Portugal, citizens will be required to apply for a certificate at the Municipal Council of . Get the book Moving to Portugal Made Simple on Amazon now. Once you have that, you can then apply for a Portuguese passport via your nearest Portuguese consulate or embassy. Certificate to Prove Portuguese Sephardic Ancestry and Tradition. Right now a lot of people are rethinking whether its worth having a second passport.. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors or omissions or damages arising from its display or use. The choice was either convert, try living as a Jew in secret as many did in places like Belmonte, or leave the Iberian Peninsula altogether. The family tree should be as complete as possible, based in the submitted documentation. The city of Lisbon grew with three Jewish quarters and at one point, five synagogues. LISBON: Portuguese prosecutors have detained a rabbi and carried out raids over the naturalisation process of a number of Jewish people, including Roman Abramovich, the Russian billionaire owner of Chelsea football club.. Portugal's Public Prosecution Service said late Friday that it has detained the leader of Porto's Jewish community, Daniel Litvak, as part of their investigation into . . Nadia gave us service behind what we expected; she was professional which lead to fast and easy process with great result After Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich had obtained a recommendation for Portuguese citizenship, the community Rabbi was arrested for charges of corruption, and the process of ascertaining who has Sephardic roots will be removed from the purview of the Jewish communities in Portugal in the near future. The pandemic also caused delays in obtaining the required apostilles for various documents from various state agencies and the US State Department. On 1 June 2022 the Jewish Community of Lisbon issued a statement. Birth certificates of ancestors that indicate they were a Sephardic Jew. Consequently, it is hardly news that Jewish quarters existed in Lisbon. When we started looking into her family, we saw her grandmother [Trevors great great grandmother] had the surname De Pinna and we thought maybe she wasnt entirely Jewish or maybe she was Italian? The anti-Semitic persecutions at the East, the fast rising of Nazism on Germany, cause the arrival at Portugal of the first Ashkenazi Jews, who quickly integrate into the Portuguese society and into the Community. When finished, be sure to indicate the link for your transfer in the field below. Such is the case of Conqui (from Cuenca, Cuenca Province) or Cardoso (from Cardoso, district of Viseu). We highly recommend Advocate Joshua Pex! News. Considering this historical heritage, the Portuguese Citizenship Act (Lei da Nacionalidade) was amended as to permit the acquisition of Portuguese citizenship by the descendants of Portugal's Sephardic Jews. Ultimately, your goal is to put together clear evidence that you have Sephardic Jewish heritage. Registering a Public-Benefit Company in Israel, UAE NGO Permits to the Palestinian Territories, Registration for Foreign NGOs Operating in Israel. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. In addition to the first Jewish quarter, in Pedreira neighbourhood . He says finding someone else who has done it is key, and will signiciatnly cut down your own research time significantly. Mr. Joshua Pex is knowledgeable and Professional. The 1826 Constitutional Charter recognized only Catholicism as the religion allowed to Portuguese citizens, being the other cults only permitted to foreigners. Reason why it was called Hebrew Colony, as happened to the English or German colonies. Consequently, they are often referred to as Portuguese Jews or Jews of the Portuguese Nation. Those who wish to apply for a Sephardic heritage certificate can apply online at . Your place of birth and all of your other details wont change, but the fact that this is issued by the Portuguese government is a symbol of your heritage once again returning to you. The Jewish Community of Prague (JCP) unites persons of Jewish religion, nationality or lineage who have a permanent residence in the sphere of JCPs territorial authority or are in other kind of relation to Prague and who are not members of any other religious denominations or non-Jewish religious communities. Explained the bad clauses in the contract, and their possible consequences. In 2019, Spain got rid of its law offering Sephardic Heritage and there are expectations that Portugal will at least amend its law. Kosher Food in Lisbon - The Lisbon Travel Guide - Updated 2023 The outbreak of 2nd World War, the neutrality policy that Portugal followed under the alliance with England and the granting of transit visas to close to one hundred thousand refugees, lead to an influx of tens of thousands of Jews to Portugal. That is not the case. Applications should be presented at the Central Registry Offices (Conservatria dos Registos Centrais) in Lisbon, in diplomatic services, and the Portuguese Minister of Justice was invested the power of granting nationality.