Project Update

Cape Verde Jewish Heritage Project made considerable progress in 2008 and this year. In March 2009, the Moroccan Ambassador to the United States, H.E. Aziz Mekouar hosted a reception to honor the Moroccan roots of Cape Verde's Jewish presence. More than 100 people attended. B'nai B'rith International Vice President Daniel Mariaschin, who is on the CVJHP honorary board, participated. Cape Verdean Ambassador to the U.S. Fatima Veiga and Portuguese Ambasssador Joao de Vallera were also present. Jacinto and Carmen Benros, descendants of the Jewish Benros family that hails from Tangier, drove from Providence, RI to celebrate CVJHP which honors their ancestors. We received ample press coverage from the Jewish Telegraph Agency, The Forward, Washington Jewish Week and the Diplomat On-Line. We raised some needed funds and hope to garner more in the weeks and months ahead from special friends of the Cape Verde Jewish Heritage Project. Last year, I made trips to New York City, Providence, Rhode Island; Boston, Massachusetts and Los Angeles to meet with Cape Verdean - American and Jewish communities and inform them about the goals of CVJHP. Thanks to a generous grant from the Stanley and Marion Bergman Family Charitable Fund and to the Cape Verdean Airline, TACV, I was able to travel to Cape Verde in December 2008 to visit and assess the state of the Jewish cemeteries. I also met with local officials and descendants of the Jewish families who vowed to resuscitate AMICAEL--the Cape Verde-Israel Friendship Society in an effort to assist with all aspects of the Project in Cape Verde. During that trip, I also established relationships between CVJHP and the mayors of the islands where the cemeteries are located. They pledged strong cooperation and support. Prime Minister Jose Neves, Minister of Culture Emanuel Veiga and Minister of Foreign Affairs Jose Brito as well as other officials, reiterated their commitment to the Project. Stay tuned for information concerning the October 22 fundraising dinner at the Portuguese Ambassador's residence which will feature entertainment from Gardenia Benros, well-known Cape Verdean singer and descendant of the Jewish Benros family.

CVJHP is on the Move

Thanks to Cape Verdean Jewish descendants in Lisbon, we now have a beautiful logo for the Cape Verde Jewish Heritage Project, Inc. It is the creation of Rafael Benoliel. We are finishing the web site (which will hopefully be ready by mid-May) creating a promotional brochure, and finalizing the board of directors and advisory board. These tools are critical for the integrity of the organziation and for the all-important fund raising phase which will help to underwrite interviews with the descendants of Cape Verde's Jews (many of whom are elderly), to restore and preserve the small cemeteries that dot the archipelago, and to promote Jewish heritage tourism in Cape Verde. We have strong endorsement from the government of Cape Verde for this integrated effort.

By the way, if you have not yet read the series of excellent articles about Cape Verde that appeared in the Financial Times in November 2007, I highly commend them. You will glean insights about Cape Verde's growing economy, stable democratic government, development priorities (tourism), and it's special partnership with the European Union. Cape Verde is becoming an enticing tourist destination, especially for Europeans. Interestingly, there is a direct flight from London to the island of Boa Vista! Many UK residents are rediscovering and building second homes on the islands. I say "rediscovering" because in the 19th century, the British helped to construct the port in the island of Sao Vicente. At the time, Cape Verde was a Portuguese colony. Unlike their European rivals Spain and France, Britain and Portugal have always had good, peaceful relations throughout history. Because of their longstanding alliance, the two countries never fought a war. So, it is not surprising that the British are once again back in Cape Verde. This time though, they are dealing with Cape Verde as a sovereign, independent country.

Cape Verde Jewish Heritage Project, Inc Receives Tax Exempt Status

I am delighted to report that the U.S. government last month granted the Cape Verde Jewish Heritage Project, Inc. tax exempt status! This means contributions to the newly created nonprofit organization are deductible under section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Now we must undertake the challenging task of fund-raising to execute the Project's major objectives:

• Restoring, beautifying and preserving the small Jewish cemeteries that dot the archipelago


• Documenting the stories about the Jewish immigrants and their descendants through archival research and extensive interviews culminating in a book.


• Promoting Jewish Heritage tourism to Cape Verde.

A website called http://www.capeverdejewishheritage.org/ is under construction. We are in the process of forming a board of directors and outlining an action plan for information dissemination and fundraising. Descendants of the Jews of Cape Verde from the United States to Portugal to Cape Verde are intimately involved in all phases of the project. Meantime, we are accepting donations in any amount and for any aspect of the Project. Contributions may be sent to the Cape Verde Jewish Heritage Project Inc., 400 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Suite 812, Washington, DC 20001. Feel free to earmark your donation for a specific aspect of the project. We will also be targeting foundations dedicated to preserving Sephardic heritage and culture.

Memory of Israel Benoliel

My fond memories of Israel Benoliel, son of Salomao Benoliel and Carolina Benoliel Carvalho Benoliel, were revived this month during the traditional Jewish "unveiling" ceremony. Israel died on February 5, 2007 on his 90th birthday. Born in Boa Vista, Cape Verde, Israel Benoliel was educated in Porto and Lisbon, Portugal and eventually made his way to the United States where he worked as a telecommunications engineeer in Virginia. He is survived by his wife Sylvia, two children and two grandchildren. His untimely death symbolizes the urgency with with we must chronicle the lives of the Jews of Cape Verde and their descendants, lest the memories be forgotten. Israel insisted on a Jewish burial--a wish that his wife--who is Catholic by birth, lovingly honored. Also in keeping with a more recent Jewish tradition, an "unveiling" ceremony took place this month. It's the formal dedication of the tombstone. Israel was fiercely proud of his Jewish ancestry. His parents were also born in Boa Vista, but his paternal grandparents, Esther Benathar and Abraham Benoliel hailed from Rabat, Morocco and immigrated to Cape Verde in the mid 19th century. (See my first entry to understand the reasons behind the immigration of Sephardic Jews to Cape Verde, then a Portuguese colony.) The Benoliel family was so powerful and benevolent that they practically fueled the economy of Boa Vista.

Spotlight on Cape Verde

Cape Verde is so so tiny that it does not even appear on most maps of Africa!! Such was the case at a recent leadership forum sponsored by the Africa Travel Association (ATA) in New York City where Cape Verdean Prime Minister Jose Neves delivered a facsinating presentation about tourism in the island nation. Joking about the glaring omission from the ATA map, Prime Minister Neves quipped after his address, "I hope I have succeeded in putting Cape Verde on the map." As more people learn about the natural beauty of Cape Verde---its pristine beaches, its mountains, its delicious seafood, its extraordinary music, its warm and hospitable people, and why not, its Jewish cemeteries, mapmakers of the world will have to take notice!!! No longer will they get away with omitting this beautiful country from its rightful place off the coast of Senegal!!!

In addition to hearing from the descendants of the Jewish families that immigrated to Cape Verde, I am eager to hear from academics and experts in Moroccan and Portuguese Jewish history. Historically speaking, in your view, what are the primary reasons that prompted some Jews to leave Morocco for Cape Verde, a Portuguese colony, during the mid-late 1800's?

Jews of Cape Verde

Welcome to the Jews of Cape Verde blog! I would like to share with you a fascinating and little-known story about the Jewish heritage of Cape Verde. The Republic of Cape Verde is an archipelago of ten islands off the coast of Senegal, West Africa. As a result of over 500 years of Portuguese colonial rule, Cape Verde is predominantly Catholic. However, beginning with the period of the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisition through the late 19th century, Cape Verde received Jews fleeing religious persecution or seeking greater economic stability.

I am in the process of creating a not-for-profit organization called "The Cape Verde Jewish Heritage Project," which will honor and document the presence of the second wave of Jewish immigration. These Jews came primarily from Morocco and Gibraltar in the late 1800's for largely economic reasons. (Jews have lived relatively peacefully and harmoniously with their Muslim brethren in Morocco for more than 2000 years!) We know from the Portuguese and Hebrew etchings on the tombstones in the small Jewish cemeteries which dot several islands that the majority hailed from the Moroccan cities of Tangier, Rabat and Mogador (now Essaouira) bearing distinctive Sephardic names such as Auday, Anahory, Benoliel, Benros, Benchimol, Benathar, Brigham, Cohen, Levy, Maman, Pinto, Seruya and Wahnon.

These families landed primarily on the islands of Santo Antao, Sao Vicente, Boa Vista and Sao Tiago and engaged in international commerce, shipping, administration, and other trades. The Jews lived, worked and prospered in Cape Verde. However, because their numbers were few relative to the larger non-Jewish community, widespread intermarriage with the predominantly Catholic population diluted their affiliation with Jewish customs and rituals. As a result, there are virtually no practicing Jews in Cape Verde today. Nonetheless, the descendants of these families speak with pride of their Jewish roots and want to revive and chronicle the memory of their ancestors. The first democratically elected prime minister of Cape Verde, Carlos Alberto Wahnon de Carvalho Veiga, is of Jewish descent! The Cape Verde Jewish Heritage Project has these major objectives:

• Rehabilitation and re-dedication of the small Jewish cemeteries that dot the archipelago.
• Publication of a book about the Jews of Cape Verde based on archival research and oral testimonies of descendants and friends.
• Promotion of Jewish Heritage tourism in Cape Verde.

I look forward to your feedback and help. I would love to hear from those who are of Cape Verdean Jewish descent. Even though I have established relationships with many of the major families and have garnered much information, I am seeking more testimonies.