Jews of Cape Verde

JUNE 2010 TRIP TO CV

2010-07-05T12:21:00.000-07:00

After a high-profile signing ceremony on June 10th to solidify a partnership between CVJHP and the Municipality of Praia, Cantor Isaac Assor recited two poignant psalms of King David and chanted a Hebrew prayer to honor the memory of the Jewish men and women buried in Cape Verde.

This was Cantor Assor's first trip to Cape Verde; He is the cantor and religious leader of the Synagogue in Lisbon. A Portuguese national of Moroccan descent, Assor provided much-valued advice regarding the repair and preservation of the Jewish burial plots in accordance with Jewish law and made a presentation about the sacredness of Jewish burial grounds and the tolerant temperament of Morocco --- the origin of most of Cape Verde's Jews.

In two official ceremonies replete with local television, radio and newspaper coverage, I signed agreements on behalf of CVJHP with the Municipalities of Praia and Boa Vista where two of the country's four major Jewish cemeteries are located. It was after the signing ceremony in the capital, Praia, that Cantor Assor chanted and made a moving presentation to dozens of interested citizens--Jewish and non-Jewish alike--and took questions. In fact, one of the guests was a Muslim businessman from Morocco who recently moved to Cape Verde. He was intrigued by the fact that most of the Jews who settled in Cape Verde in the 19th century and who are buried there, hailed from his home country. He intends to spread the word about our efforts to honor Moroccan patrimony in Catholic Cape Verde. The businessman is an important link to Moroccan Jews in Israel who may be interested in doing business in Cape Verde.

What else did we accomplish besides the formal partnerships with Praia and Boa Vista?

1. RESTORATION ADVICE. Cantor Assor made practical and concrete recommendations regarding cemetery restoration efforts in accordance with Jewish law (halacha), which we communicated to our technical counterparts in the Municipalities.

2. GROWING LINKAGES WITH DESCENDANTS. We are attracting and mobilizing more desdendants among the Anahory, Benchimol, Benros, Benoliel, Brigham, Cohen, Levy, Pinto and Wahnon families to become more involved in actively supporting our collective efforts at restoring the cemeteries and documenting the presence of their Jewish forebears. We welcome the collaboration of Dakar-based UNDP senior official Jose Levy; engineer Adilson Varela Moreira (Benchimol); entrepreneur and businesswoman Salamiths Spencer (Benchimol), former Minister of Education, Vera Duarte (Benros); lawyer Sofia Veiga (Wahnon); fabric store manager Esmeralda Anahory; Human Rights Commissioner and historian Zelinda Cohen; three members of the Pinto family in Sao Vicente and engineers Isaac and Israel Benoliel of Boa Vista to name a few!

3. VISIT TO SAO VICENTE AND SANTO ANTAO. The island of Santo Antao (the Jewish capital of the archipelago) boasts two cemeteries; both are located in the Municipality of Ribeira Grande. Thanks to this Municipality's initiative on my first visit in 2008, CVJHP and Ribeira Grande had already signed a partnership agreement. We are in the process of reviewing the restoration needs of the cemeteries in Penha de Franca and Ponta do Sol. While in Santo Antao, I went to the village of Cocoli, where Sulamita Pinto, grand-daughter of businessman Isaac Pinto, lives. She welcomed me with typical Cape Verdean morabeza and regaled me with stories about her well-known grandfather. In Santo Antao, I stayed one night at the beautiful hotel/resort called Pedracin.

4. UNICV - RESEARCH. On behalf of CVJHP, we are seeking a well-established historian who can undertake archival as well as oral research on the Jewish families who immigrated to Cape Verde. In conjunction with the University of Cape Verde (UNICV), we hope to identify a qualified candidate very soon.

5. PORTUGUESE AND AMERICAN EMBASSY EMISSARIES. I spoke briefly with the outgoing American Ambassador to Cape Verde, Marianne Myles, who has always shown strong support for the Cape Verde Jewish Heritage Project. We will follow-up with the new ambassador and other diplomats at the Embassy. Portuguese Ambassador Graca Guimaraes also demonstrated solidarity with the Project. I met with her briefly just before my departure to Boston.

As a result of this vital visit, CVJHP is moving closer to its main goals of establishing partnerships with Cape Verdean authorities and descendants to restore and preserve Cape Verde's Jewish burial grounds and to document the Jewish legacy. BUT WE NEED YOUR HELP. Please consider a tax-deductible donation to CVJHP. Send your check to CVJHP, c/o Carol Castiel, 400 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Suite 812, Washington, DC 20001, USA.

CAPE VERDE HERE WE COME

2010-06-08T00:47:00.000-07:00

Isaac Assor, cantor of the Synagogue in Lisbon, Portugal, and I are en route to Cape Verde this month - June 2010. We will sign a memorandum of understanding between Cape Verde Jewish Heritage Project, Inc. and the municipalities of Praia and Boa Vista. (We already have an agreement with Ribeira Grande in Santo Antao). These agreements with the local governments (mayors), who are responsible for the maintenance of the cemeteries, will complete the groundwork to enable us to move forward with more vigor to raise funds to repair, restore and preserve the beautiful small Sephardic burial plots that dot the archipelago.

In Praia, there is a Jewish section in the Varzea cemetery which needs urgent repair, protection and beautification. Many of the tombstones are literally sinking. Cantor Assor in his capacity as religious advisor for the Project, will advise us on how to best repair and restore the stones in accordance with Jewish law (halacha.)

We will participate in a formal signing ceremony with the Mayor of Praia, Mr. Ulisses Correia, after which Cantor Assor will make a presentation in his native Portuguese about the significance of burial grounds in Jewish tradition among other topics relevant to Sephardic Jewish customs and rituals. All Jewish descendants are invited as are other interested Cape Verdeans, government officials and foreign ambassadors, to attend the ceremony.

While in the capital, Praia, we hope to advance our objective of persuading the central government to designate the Jewish cemeteries as "cultural monuments," so they will receive special care and enable us to raise funds more efficiently and effectively. For that, we hope to meet with the Minister of Culture. In the island of Boa Vista we plan to sign a memorandum of understanding with Municipality President Jose Pinto Almeida. This would confer greater status on and protection for the dilapidated Benoliel cemetery. Rafael Benoliel, architect in Lisbon, creator of the CVJHP logo, and distinguished descendant of the Benoliel family, has designed a blueprint to preserve and protect the small family cemetery and it environs. Next task ---raise sufficient funds to get the job done. We'll let you know how the trip goes, so stay tuned....

A CAPE VERDEAN DESCENDANT'S JEWISH WEDDING

2010-05-15T00:32:00.000-07:00

In 2010, we continued with the crucial behind the scenes work which we hope will pave the way for successful fund raising. We estimate the need for roughly US$200,000 to cover the costs of cemetery restoration and preservation, research and publications and promotion of cultural and religous tourism, with attendant pamphlets and training.

In May 2010, I made a slide presentation on the Jews of Cape Verde to the World Jewry Committee of Har Shalom Synagogue in Potomoc, Maryland. We hope to do many more of these types of presentations in the future to raise awareness about the Jewish legacy in Cape Verde and promote travel to the islands by Jews.

I also met with the President of the American Sephardi Federation of New York to build bridges of cooperation. We will be cross promoting each others' web sites among other cooperative activities in the near future regarding Portuguese and Moroccan Jewry. And I also had the pleasure of meeting Raquel Andrade Benoliel de Carvalho ---- a young descendant of the famous Benoliel de Carvalho family. Raquel is converting to Judaism and marrying a Jewish American fellow. There are many more stories about the younger generation of Cape Verdeans who are "returning" to their Jewish roots. Many have converted independently. That warrants a separate post!

PORTUGAL TRIP

2009-12-15T23:52:00.000-08:00

In September 2009, I traveled to Portugal on behalf of CVJHP to raise awareness among the Lisbon Jewish community and the descendants of the Jews of Cape Verde, many of whom reside in Lisbon. I met with members of the Benros, Benoliel, Cohen, Wahnon, Seruya and other families at a meeting organized by Mr. Pedro Benros and Viriato de Barros. I also had the pleasure of meeting the President of the Lisbon Jewish community, Mr. Jose Bensaude Carp, a cousin of former Portuguese President Jorge Sampaio. Distinguished businessman and historian, Roberto Bachmann also attended as did the vice president of the Jewish community, Esther Mucznik, and Cantor of the Lisbon Synagogue, Isaac Assor.

I also visited the Jewish cemetery in Faro, Algarve. This Jewish cemetery is an inspiration to me as it was restored in the same way we hope to restore and preserve the small burial plots in Cape Verde. Thanks to Isaac "Ike" Bitton, a Portuguese - born Jew of Moroccan descent, who lived in Illinois, the Faro Jewish cemetery has been registered as a Portuguese National Monument!!! We are trying to do something similar in Cape Verde! Unfortunately Ike passed away a few year ago, but not before he shared his passion and advice with me. Moroccan-born Sephardim "returned" to the Algarve at the behest of Marques de Pombal in the late 1700's. He reportedly told them that they would be "safe," even though many came before the Inquisition had officially been abolished. Marques de Pombal said Portugal needed the expertise of their former Jewish inhabitants, many of whom fled to Morocco at the time of the Inquisition. Although the Faro cemetery has many more graves than all four Cape Verdean Jewish cemeteries combined, it stands as a physical and spiritual inspiration for our work in Cape Verde. To Ike Bitton, a gregarious, proud Portuguese Jew --- May you rest in peace knowing that you are spurring us to replicate your good work in Cape Verde. Thanks to Ralf and Judy Pinto who manage the cemetery for their kind hospitality.

In Lisbon, I also met with senior officials at the Gulbenkian and Luso-American Foundations. Objective ---obtain funding and / or support for research into the families of the Jews of Cape Verde. We need to field researchers who can comb archives in Portugal, Morocco and Cape Verde to obtain more information about the commercial and professional activities of the Jewish families, many of whom contributed greatly to Cape Verdean development. We know that David Benoliel literally fueled the economy of Boa Vista in the early 1900's. We need to know more based on archival and oral history. Gulbenkian has an international fellowship program to which we plan to field a scholar next year (2011). And, I asked Cantor Isaac Assor, Portuguese Jew of Moroccan descent (whose lilting Hebrew chanting is divine) to be CVJHP religious advisor. His background as a scholar of Hebrew and Sephardic culture will help us decipher the meanings of the Hebrew and Portuguese etchings on the tombstones in Cape Verde.

In November 2009, I made a slide presentation on the Jews of Cape Verde for the Washington DC's Jewish Study Center. Joining me was John Wahnon, former President of AMICAEL, distinguished descendant of the grand Wahnon family. John is researching and documenting his family and provides invaluable support to me and CVJHP in general. John and I have become a veritable duo -- talking to groups about the Jews of Cape Verde and the need to honor their memory by preserving their burial grounds and documenting their legacy.

REVIEW AND PROGRESS UPDATE FOR CVJHP

2009-09-18T23:34:00.000-07:00

Following the successful reception at the Moroccan Ambassador's residence in March 2009, CVJHP accomplished quite a bit behind the scenes. B'nai B'rith International, whose executive vice president, Daniel Mariaschin, is on CVJHP's honorary board, sent veteran journalist Larry Luxner to Cape Verde in June 2009 to investigate and write about the islands' Jewish heritage. Thanks once again to TACV - The Cape Verde National Airline - for sponsoring the transatlantic flight and providing discounts on the inter-island legs for Larry. See Larry's fabulous article entitled "Rediscovering the Jewish Heritage of Cape Verde," in the December 2009 issue of B'nai B'rith Monthly on our web site: http://www.capeverdejewishheritage.org/. Speaking of the web site, it is being re-designed and upgraded by Paul Wind and Lauren Newman, CVJHP newest volunteers. We hope it will be up and running by July 2010. It will be more attractive, user-friendly, and interactive. We want to reach out to descendants of the Jews of Cape Verde around the world and have them post memories or connect with one another. In August, I submitted a letter to the Cape Verdean Minister of Culture to request that all the Jewish cemeteries and other distinct places of memory be designated as "Cultural Monuments." We believe that this designation would not only go a long way in preserving the Jewish burial grounds and other buildings constructed or owned by the Jewish families, but would also help us to raise funds from foundations. By recognizing the cemeteries as "cultural monuments," the government of Cape Verde also acknowledges their unique historical and cultural value. Foundations and individuals are more inclined to donate to a Project when they see stakeholders, such as the government of Cape Verde, taking concrete supportive actions such as this.

MOROCCAN KICKOFF RECEPTION FOR CVJHP

2009-04-01T11:30:00.000-07:00

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.

VISITS TO CAPE VERDEAN COMMUNITIES AND CAPE VERDE

2009-01-20T18:07:00.000-08:00

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.

TRIBUTE TO DONORS

2009-01-20T17:53:00.000-08:00

Much progress was made in 2008 to move the Project foward in the US and Cape Verde. We built a strong board and advisory board. We also had some success in fundraising. I traveled to New York City, Providence, RI; Boston, MA and Los Angeles to inform and sensitize Cape Verdean American and Jewish communities about CVJHP goals. In the process, we also managed to identify and contact potential funders and sponsors. Thanks to the Stanley and Marion Bergman Family Charitable Fund for their generous contribution which made possible my visit to Cape Verde earlier this month. I traveled to Sao Tiago, Sao Vicente, Santo Antao and Boavista to evaluate the state of the dilapidated Jewish cemeteries and meet and establish partnerships with local officials and descendants of the Jewish families. A big thank you also to TACV -- Cape Verde National Airline for providing transatlantic air fare and a discount on inter-island flights. Needless to say, we are grateful for the generous support and advice from our board members: Allan Reich, Jack Edlow and Ambassador Herman Cohen, all of whom have provided invaluable financial and in-kind support to our effort to honor the Jews of Cape Verde and their descendants.

CVJHP IS ON THE MOVE

2008-02-24T18:53:00.000-08:00

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

2008-01-16T19:24:00.001-08:00

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

2007-10-30T18:16:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-01T12:53:00.001-07:00

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!!!

QUESTION: PRIMARY REASONS FOR IMMIGRATION?

2007-08-20T16:25:00.000-07:00

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

2007-07-30T12:58:00.000-07:00

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.