Faith under colonial rule · Brazil · Sixteenth century–1654
Iberian religious persecution and competing colonial regimes determined whether worship could be public.
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Sixteenth century–1654
Faith under colonial rule · Recife’s open Jewish life lasts only as long as its rulers allow
Iberian religious persecution and competing colonial regimes determined whether worship could be public.
The New Christian’s suspicion
Portuguese settlers included New Christians, descendants of Jews forced to convert in Iberia. Inquisitorial suspicion could follow ancestry across the Atlantic. Baptized people might still be accused of secretly practising Judaism. A colonial move did not necessarily free a family from the religious tests imposed in Portugal.
Dutch Recife opens a door
Under Dutch rule, Jews in Recife could practise openly and established Kahal Zur Israel in the seventeenth century. Religious and communal institutions supported a living population with varied occupations. The freedom depended on a particular colonial government’s policy, rather than an equal right guaranteed across the region.
The Portuguese return, 1654
When Portugal regained Recife in 1654, the space for openly Jewish life closed. Jews left for other destinations, including the Caribbean and New Amsterdam. Another change of sovereign uprooted a community. The same Atlantic network that carried colonial rule also carried people searching for a place to remain Jewish.