For introductory background: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hidden_Jews Main article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_Portugal
We stopped by the former synagogue in Ponta Delgada on our last visit (fall 2009), but it was all locked up, no one answered the doorbell, and the red paint on the doors was peeling badly. See article that coincidentally appeared a few weeks later, "Ponta Delgada synagogue to re-open its doors / It will also house a museum and a Jewish library on its premises": http://ww1.rtp.pt/icmblogs/rtp/news-azores/?k=18-Nov-09---Society-Ponta-Delgada-synagogue-to-re-open-its-doors.rtp&post=17185 (text translated into English, video in Portuguese) Text: The synagogue of Ponta Delgada, in São Miguel, is to be restored before reopening as a place of worship. It will also house a museum and a Jewish library on its premises. The city's synagogue was built in 1836 and is one of the oldest in Portugal. Speaking in Ponta Delgada, José Carp, president of the Jewish Community of Lisbon said that "there is currently no Jewish museum in Portugal and this will be the first site with this purpose and size". The Jewish Community of Lisbon, who owns the synagogue, has signed an agreement that leases the property to the Ponta Delgada City Council for a period of 99 years. City mayoress Berta Cabral stressed that the synagogue was "an important piece of our past, of our culture, of our history and of the history of Ponta Delgada". -- To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. Follow the confirmation directions when they arrive. For more options, such as changing to List, Digest, Abridged, or No Mail (vacation) mode, log into your Google account and visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Azores. Click in the blue area on the right that says "Join this group" and it will take you to "Edit my membership."
