However, King Manuel I of Portugal, who had initially issued a royal-decree law guaranteeing their protection, ordered in 1496 the expulsion of all Jews thatdid not convert to Catholicism. Such is the case of Conqui (from Cuenca, Cuenca Province) or Cardoso (from Cardoso, district of Viseu). If/when possible, evidence of some level of ladino speaking proficiency/culture will be highly appreciated although its not a must. Are you sure that you want to switch to desktop version. It was the first synagogue built after the antisemitic laws of 1496. FR | DE | ES. 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. Thank you for your amazing job, your professionalism, your consultation and honesty. In the past, obtaining citizenship this way was simply a case of tracing your family tree back to your Sephardic ancestors. Close to 40 years after the Rebbe asked that the Tanya be printed in every city where a Yid lives, the 8,000th edition of Tanya came rolling off the press. After surnames, the next best place to start is relatives, particularly older ones. You showed me from your experience how it can be done differently. But let's just quick gather the facts in few words: Portugal became an independent country back in 1143, almost one thousand years old, but the Jewish population already existed in Portugal for a long time. Lisbon prosecutors and police searched Oporto's synagogue, the Jewish Museum and the houses of Jewish leaders. Tribunals were set up in a number of towns in Portugal, but also in the kingdoms overseas possessions, namely Brazil, Goa and Cape Verde. Important Jewish communities settled in this region and contributed to the flourishing of Its trade and culture. I have needed legal advice and assistance with immigration due to a complex situation of mine, and he has been extremely available and responsive, honest and clear about my route and how to proceed. . Incredibly knowledgeable, approachable, accessible, and evident across the board that they truly care about the people they are helping. According to historian Antnio Jos Saraiva, 40,000 individuals were charged by the Portuguese Inquisition. Photos: Oded Kaizerman/Anash.org. They are always answering questions and support during the process. We have Portuguese Friends. Only three of them will be mentioned: SOMEJ-NOPHLIM(Amparo dos Pobres): Created in 1865 by Simo Anahory with the purpose of helping the poor. Cristina. I am so impressed and in awe of all the work you have done to become a Portuguese citizen. We definitely recommend using them. If you need to solve any complicated legal issue in Israel, don't hesitate to contact them. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Does my family name have to be in the list of Sephardic names? For Jonah, the process went a lot faster. The capital is home to the country's main Jewish community. Thank you for such an excellent article. 3603 Quentin Road Brooklyn, NY 11234 (347) 434-3973 sarina@roffe.com. A surname is definitely a good place to start, but be aware that having a Portuguese or Spanish-sounding surname isnt enough. Absolutely certainty means knowing all the facts about them, including their birth date, death date, marriage date, country of origin, and original full name. Nadia gave us service behind what we expected; she was professional which lead to fast and easy process with great result How do you get the access code if you are posting off documents? 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. Sometimes documents are hard to find as many have been destroyed, often on purpose. Many thanks in advance! Ultimately, your goal is to put together clear evidence that you have Sephardic Jewish heritage. That is not the case. 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 service is amazing! He has helped our family with many battles over the years. 8 hours - Shore private tour - from 299 for 2 people. You are Eligible for a Portuguese Citizenship Through Marriage! Since March 2015, several thousands of foreign citizens were granted Portuguese nationality under this law amendment and only a very small number were refused, mostly due to legal and technical reasons or lack of documentation. In June 1941 Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the future Lubavitcher Rebbe, arrived in Lisbon together with his wife, Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka (Moussia). Best lawyer house from Israel! 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. The team of lawyers and assistants are incredibly professional. You will need a lot more than that. 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. We achieved our goal and the fear of deportation has been lifted! April 30, 2021. The Lisbon Jewish Community (CIL) has confirmed 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 Later, in 1916, this association will open the Hebrew Hospital that came to play such an important role in supporting the Jewish refugees during the 2nd World War. He helped us several times to understand what was likely and unlikely to occur as the next step. Helping us manage our expectations was extremely useful to us. Hi James, James Cave / Last Updated: June 10, 2020 / Posted in: Sephardic Jewish Heritage? The Portuguese Government may grant nationality to descendants of Portuguese Sephardic Jews [over 18 years old] who demonstrate a traditional connection to a Community with Portuguese Sephardic origins, based on proven objective requirements of a connection with Portugal, such as family names, family language, direct or collateral ancestry.. About us. I couldn't recommend them highly enough. Site Powered By SiteBuilderAvenue.com A Certification Committee to issue the certificates to be mailed to the applicants or to their legal representatives. We contacted Mr. Pex and he was ready to help us when he heard of our situation. Registering a Public-Benefit Company in Israel, UAE NGO Permits to the Palestinian Territories, Registration for Foreign NGOs Operating in Israel. Every time we turned to Joshua we always got a professional quick and helpful respond. 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. Hi James, Can you suggest any genealogist and lawyers we can use? The 1826 Constitutional Charter recognized only Catholicism as the religion allowed to Portuguese citizens, being the other cults only permitted to foreigners. We will be applying from the US. We found Decker, Pex, Ofir & Co. On the internet and began working with Ariel in late November 2021. With this letter, we can apply and get the clock started on the 24-29 month wait for citizenship. The sumptuous Synagogue of Shaar Tikva is a must-see when you want to meet Lisbon's Jewish community. Things started moving once Mr. Pex came into the picture. In Jonahs letter, he mentioned all the Sephardic rituals his family practiced. Once you have citizenship you can request your passport. If you have recommendations on lawyers that would be greatly appreciated. Learn more 4 hours (approx.) Do I have to come to Portugal in person? Thanks for all you do! Any documents used to create that family tree. Bat Mitzvah Certificate 10-pack. My wife and I strongly recommend anyone planning to go through this process seriously consider hiring Decker, Pex, Ofir & Co. and, specifically, Ariel Galili. That evidence, along with your family tree, is submitted to the Portuguese Jewish community in either Porto or Lisbon. Youll find all the contacts below. Jonah paid around $1350, which also included his flight to Washington, DC, where the Portuguese embassy is located which was essential as he was applying from the US. Married to a Portuguese Citizen? Owner: Comunidade Israelita de Lisboa (CIL), Agency: Marqus de Pombal (Lisboa - Portugal), New applicants and general information - click here, Phones:+351 213 931 130 (Portuguese/English). Until the 15th century, some Jews occupied very prominent places in Portuguese political and economic life. Some people already know that they have Sephardic Jewish heritage, while it can come as a surprise to others. Today, Portugal is home to between 5,000 and 6,000 Jews with the majority in Lisbon and Porto, whose communities have around 500 formal members each. Youll also need to submit documents proving your identity such as: Although Jonah thinks he can trace his family tree quite far back, he could only say with absolute certainty that his great grandparents were Sephardic Jews and youre only able to submit relatives that youre absolutely sure of. I believe my son can get all necessary documents to qualify for. Get the book Moving to Portugal Made Simple on Amazon now. Mr. Joshua Pex is knowledgeable and Professional. The steps take differing amounts of time. The few who stayed altered the proportions of the Lisbon community, until then mostly Sephardic. According to larraurimarti.com, applicants will now also need to show A) The acquisition mortis causa of real estate located in Portugal, (or of rights of use and enjoyment of the same) B) the holding of shares or social participations in Portuguese trading companies or cooperatives, or C) Regular trips to Portugal throughout the applicants life. Petition to one of the Jewish Communities (Lisbon or Porto) is just the first stage of the process. While Trevors great great grandmother used the surname De Pinna, generations prior to that used De Pina, Pina, or just Sarfati. For example, duringpassover, his family would always eat rice, something that is very specific to Sephardic Jews. The government may accept three types of documents. Married partners unfortunately dont get an automatic right to Portuguese citizenship as part of the Sephardic Citizenship scheme but may be able to apply for citizenship via the normal marriage or partner route once their partner obtains theirs. Once you have that, you can then apply for a Portuguese passport via your nearest Portuguese consulate or embassy. Adi Berger was a wonderful advocate for me and I am deeply grateful for her help! Their dedication to every legal aspect and their drive its how a true lawyer house can be! Finally, Jonah got in touch with the Rabbi from his childhood synagogue who connected him with a Sephardic rabbi. Until the 60s the community remained demographically stable, but the creation of the State of Israel and the outbreak of the Colonial War lead to the departure of some families. There are indeed some family names which are commonly accepted to belong to descendants of Portuguese Jewish families but your family name may have changed along the years. I have found a firm that sounds good, though, charges 5,000 euros for the whole process. Both communities have records from the time and will be able to verify whether you are, in fact, of Sephardic heritage. 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 . ThePortuguese Inquisition was formally established inPortugalin1536 under King Joo III and, althoughthe last public auto-da-f took place in 1765,was only extinguished in1821 when the country went through a constitutionalist insurrection. Hes so confident in his language abilities that whenever he spoke to his lawyer in Lisbon, he did so in Portuguese. 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. (list of documentation) The project of the synagogue was designed by one the greatest architects of that time, Miguel Ventura Terra. 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. At that point, he decided to investigate further. We are very happy with the services. Google is your friend, just search for "junta da fregusia + your city" to find the nearest town hall.