Jewish Heritage Trip to Spain, Portugal and Gibraltar Blog

On our first full day in Portugal, we visited the town of Castello de Vide. Here stood an indigenous Jewish community from the 14th - 16th century. After the Spanish edict to expel the Jews, many Jews and conversos found their way to this community.

In the town hall, we were welcomed by the current mayor. He welcomed us with open arms and explained how Portugal today is tolerant and welcoming to a Jewish presence.

During our tour, we were followed by a Jewish couple now living in Portugal who were in the process of making a film about Portugal. They interviewed some of us and filmed our visit to Jewish sites.

Our local guide was the former mayor, Carolino Tapajedo. He was accompanied by an English translator. He was thrilled to be with us. We learned that he was a descendant from a converso family. To this day, he maintains some distinctive Jewish practices. His story is known to his community, and he has never experienced anti-Semitism.

We toured the Jewish Quarter and saw the form of Menorahs etched into the walls of Jewish homes. Perhaps the biggest excitement was the protection and restoration of the local synagogue. Its three entry door led to a Beit Midrash, the men's section, and the women's section. Today, a small gift shop and museum are part of the synagogue.  We davened Mincha in the original section which still has its Aron Kodesh. In the museum, we saw an artifact that demonstrates how women lit Shabbat candles in secrecy.

Afterward, we were shown an outdoor fountain that was used in medieval times as a place to impose baptism to convert Jews to Christianity. We were told about horrific ways Jews were tortured and murdered at the auto-dafe. A sign near the fountain from 1989 explains how this small town now expresses remorse for the oppression of Jews hundreds of years ago. In 1496, the King of Portugal had made a treaty with The King of Spain which included an inquisition on the Jews.

Tonight, we head to Belmonte, once a large center for conversos.
 

A special pot in which women lit candles in secrecy

What was once a baptismal to convert Jews to Christianity

A 1989 sign of remorse for how Jews were once oppressed

In front of the original synagogue Aron Kodesh