Photos: Oded Kaizerman/Anash.org. Portugal was one of the first world powers to recognize the Jewish people and has served as an important home for the community ever since. The process until we received the extension for another year for my wife was not long (3 months). Sephardic Community Allliance. The creation of a bulletin, directed by Joseph Benoliel, link between the community members, the organization of a library in 1915 and the foundation of the Hehaver Israeli Youth Association, in 1925, represent other stones of the consolidation of the Hebrew Community of Lisbon. Portugal Jewish community to end work with state in certifying citizenship The announcement comes in light of the investigation into Roman Abramovich's Portugese citizenship By ZVIKA KLEIN. The Jewish Federation of New Mexico will be accepting applications until the Spanish law expires on Oct. 1, 2018. There is also many believe an economic incentive to the scheme as well: attracting Jews, particularly from countries like the US and Canada, many of whom are extremely well-educated and successful in their fields, would have a very positive effect on the Portuguese economy. The charge was that the Community granted certificates that affirmed the Sephardi heritage of anyone who sought Portuguese nationality and was willing to pay for it. I couldnt dealt with my situation without their professionalism and effectiveness. Since 1914, we've put Jewish values into action to save lives and strengthen communities. The process itself is not complicated but it does take time for the documentation to be gathered, duly translated and certified, and obviously thoroughly verified by all the parties involved. However, it costs a lot of money to maintain and expand our services. Fee: For the application with the "Conservatria dos Registos Centrais": 250 EUROS - Methods accepted: Cashier's check, in EUROS, of bank in Portugal, payable to IRN, IP; Josh has been helping me on and off for a few years now. Another important step to the constitution of the present Jewish community of Lisbon is taken in 1894 with the holding of a general meeting of the Jews of Lisbon in order to unify the Shehit services (Ritual slaughter and provisioning of Kosher meat). I'm super glad of choosing Joshua Pex of Law office for immigration solution, lawyers to advise in my case, to me, it is remarkable. c. Click on the town or city you wish to search. We found Decker, Pex, Ofir & Co. On the internet and began working with Ariel in late November 2021. It brings together the Jews of Lisbon. When you hear Decker,Pex,Ofir &Co, you hear 10+ class services, luxurious professionals, confidentiality and exclusive attention to your needs. Once recognition is obtained, the task of granting the status of a Portuguese citizen falls to the government of Portugal. Always ready to assist without regard to the time it takes. The Jewish Community of Lisbon. Exclusive and specialized guide/driver. 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 He was able to get his application expedited to less than 6 months as he was living in London, citing Brexit as the reason. Please check with our Customer Service information about donations to do this process. Contact us. Conservatriados Registos CentraisRua Rodrigo da Fonseca, 1981099-003 LisboaE-mail:registos.centrais@irn.mj.pt, Phone: (+351) 213 817 600Fax: (+351) 213 817 698. $32.95. Personally, I am grateful for support in visa issues as a foreigner living now in Israel for many years. Hi James, We belong to a Synagogue. 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. Ultimately, your goal is to put together clear evidence that you have Sephardic Jewish heritage. Immerse yourself in Jewish history and culture during this 4-hour private tour of Lisbon's Jewish community. Naturally, there are costs to all of this, especially when you start getting lawyers involved, but there are other benefits to using a law firm as well. Hi James, 30-A/2015 and 26/2022, which amended DL 237-A/2006. 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. For Trevor, getting all the paperwork he needed wasnt hugely complicated. These returning Jews originally worshipped in their homes. Donations. Many have received their letter from the Jewish Community, but have not gone through the legal hurdles of processing their application for citizenship. Thank you, Joshua and Itamar for your help with our Joint Life Application. I will choose them again next time if needed. - March 1, 2023. The family tree should fit on two pages at most, visible and understandable. The project of the synagogue was designed by one the greatest architects of that time, Miguel Ventura Terra. The Lisbon Jewish Community (CIL) has confirmed that 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 The Shaar-Tikv synagogue celebrates 100 years, see here. He eventually needed a lawyer to submit the application to the Portuguese government, but was able to do a lot of the other work himself. But from that time, the community will suffer, due to the European events, a profound change both in its action and in its composition. Can I file a family application? I believe my son can get all necessary documents to qualify for. I feel most at home when Im in Lisbon, says Jonah, who has already spent time living in Portugal. In such case, please provide proof of your genealogical relation despite the name change. The Jewish community in Lisbon released an official document earlier this month announcing a return to full activity after ceasing to issue new permits for Portuguese citizenship processes. They may have birth certs or documents that can help, as well as stories that may be able to point you in the right direction. Links. 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. 2. I am exploring the DIY route first and I'm hoping the Facebook groups you suggested might help me. If you have recommendations on lawyers that would be greatly appreciated. I need to see if you can recommend a reliable attorney. Certificate from Jewish Community in Portugal or evidence as requested in next column: A) or B) 2. I admire the Austrian citizenship team in Tel-Aviv branch! A while ago, visitors who eat only kosher food were required to bring back from home their own products to eat. They deserve more then 5 stars!! Personal family name, records and documents (including image, video and audio) of family ceremonies,weddings, burials, registration at Jewish communities, birth certificates, property deeds, bibliography and book quotes, copies of inquisition archives and alike. Today the Jewish Community of Lisbon has Sephardi and Ashkenazi members made up of post-war migrants from Germany, Poland, Eastern Europe and South America (mainly Brazil). 30-A/2015 and 26/2022 which amended DL 237-A/2006, where is approaved the Regulation of Portuguese Natioanlity concession for descendants of Jews of Sephardic origin. This document indicates that the Portuguese Jewish community recognizes the individual as having Portuguese heritage. Your place of birth and all of your other details wont change, but the fact that this is issued by the Portuguese government is a symbol of your heritage once again returning to you. When finished, be sure to indicate the link for your transfer in the field below. The steps take differing amounts of time. The Inquisition focused its attention on New Christians and crypto-Jews. if possible, could you by chance share the names of one or two reliable laywers in Portugal? Notorious anti-New Christian riots broke out in 1506, killing up to four thousand in a massacre in Lisbon. It should mention the respective ancestry and descendancy (if necessary), places and dates of birth, marriage and death. EU PASSPORT ! I reported directly to him for various activities I performed as in intern. Documents that show the Ladino language being used by your ancestors. Thanks so much for the useful information. Launched the first stone in 1902, the Shaar-Tikv Synagogue is finally inaugurated in 1904, culminating a more than 50 years old effort of the Jews of Lisbon. I recommend to everyone. Very much recommended! 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. After a little bit more research, we realised that it was a Portuguese-Jewish surname., For Jonah Salita, also from the US and living in London, it was less of a surprise. The Jewish community is small in Lisbon, and kosher food has been extremely difficult to get in the city, often impossible in the past. I highly recommend! That evidence, along with your family tree, is submitted to the Portuguese Jewish community in either Porto or Lisbon. They said that the Portuguese Government had not responded to their request for clarification on citizenship for people of Sephardic ancestry. The price for the service was great! Bar Mitzvah Certificate 10-pack. That evidence, along with your family tree, is submitted to the Portuguese Jewish community in either Porto or Lisbon. In Jonahs letter, he mentioned all the Sephardic rituals his family practiced. PUBLIC ATTENDANCE: Monday to Thursday from 10am to 1pm | 2pm to 5 pm. It's also very nice to know that you will receive response promptly; it made us feel we can really trust their services. We bless and thank the entire team at Decker Pex Tal Ofir Law Firm. Following a Russian oligarch scandal in 2022[1]https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60724509window.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function() { jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_15863_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_15863_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });});, the rules were tightened and this will ultimately make it more difficult for many people to claim their heritage this way. Thank you 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. James Cave / Last Updated: June 10, 2020 / Posted in: Sephardic Jewish Heritage? June 17, 2022 . This 10-day tour guides you through Portugal's Jewish heritage, starting in quintessential villages like Marvo and Castelo de Vide, as well as the hillside medieval towns of Monsanto, and Sortelha. We can handle the bureaucratic side of the process and get your application submitted to the government before its too late. It felt a lot more authentic, he says. 8,000th Tanya Tells the Story of Thousands of Stories. Married to a Portuguese Citizen? The Jewish Community of Lisbon (Portuguese: Comunidade Israelita de Lisboa - CIL) was officially recognized in 1913. While some people will have inherited property in Portugal and others may have visited Portugal throughout their lives, the vast majority of those with Sephardic routes living in other countries are unlikely to have these ties to Portugal. Spanish Jewish Expellees in Jamaica Process for Acquiring a Portuguese Passport, Spanish Anusim in Venezuela Portuguese Jewish Heritage, The Jewish History of Spain Issuance of a Portuguese Passport for Sephardic Jews, Jewish family names of Spanish/Portuguese origin in North and South America, Sephardic Jewish Spanish Citizenship Last Names, Civil Law Business & Administrative Lawyer, the community Rabbi was arrested for charges of corruption, Exploitation as a Reason for Canceling a Contract in Israel. Opened in 1904, the synagogue was named Shaare Tikva, which means Gates of Hope . The Jewish Community of Porto certifies Jews from traditional families of the Sephardic communities of Portuguese origin, and the Jewish community of Lisbon also accepts applications from people who may not be Jewish or Sephardic today but whose genealogy shows some Sephardic connections to Portugal. administrativo@cilisboa.org info@cilisboa.org. These donations will be used in the development and maintenance of our services and activities which guarantee the continuation of culture and traditions in our jewish community, as well as in the Portuguese society in general, through several solidarity programs with whom the community contributes. But, despite that stumbling block, both Trevor and Jonah have developed strong ties to Portugal. Working almost single-handedly, he organised . 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). Do I have to hire the services of a lawyer? A valid and specific power of attorney (when not presented by the applicant himself). Often it depends on your specific circumstances. Once Portuguese citizenship has been granted, the Portuguese Central Registry Office will send a Portuguese birth certificate to your address. When we started looking into her family, we saw her grandmother [Trevors great great grandmother] had the surname De Pinna and we thought maybe she wasnt entirely Jewish or maybe she was Italian? As well as documents relating to his family tree, Jonah also submitted photos of his Bar Mitzvah, recipes that had been passed down through his family, and any other customs he could think of. Thankfully for Trevors aunt, family members who have the same family tree typically have a faster application process once one family member has already been accepted. Alex. It will be sufficient to submit one of the following: Certificate from a Sephardic Community. It meant that people from all over the world could easily obtain a second passport, many of whom had never been to Portugal. highly recommended. Please note that our internal Experts Committee verifies the information provided but does not run genealogical studies itself. 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. The pandemic also caused delays in obtaining the required apostilles for various documents from various state agencies and the US State Department. Jonah personally has helped five people in these groups with their applications. Thus, in 1912 is created the Ub le Zion Hebrew studies association, whose great promoter is Adolfo Benarus, professor at the Faculty of Letters of Lisbon, writer and pedagogue, also founder of the Hebrew School in 1929, which once had close to a hundred students. We were very satisfied with the service of Nehama. During the inquisition period, Jews were persecuted in Spain and Portugal. (list of documentation) On the other hand, the power of the final decision whether it is an approval or a request for more documents that corroborates your sephardic origins is solely taken by theCommission of Analysis. April 30, 2021. With well trained and professional secretary at the front desk to the lawyers team, I could say that I had one of the most professional services possible. 1 - applying for certification at the jewish community of lisbon (cil) By Decree-Law, it is mandatory to hold a certificate issued by the Portuguese Jewish Communities - duly registered locally under the status of religious legal entities, that is, the Jewish Communities of Lisbon (CIL) and of Porto (CIP). Their patience, clear explanation and experience are very valuable. The rabbi was able to look at his parents ketubah (Jewish marriage contract) and was able to confirm that it was Sephardic. Public liability and personal accidents insurance. Inaugurated in 1904 and designed by Miguel Ventura Terra, the synagogue was the first synagogue to be built in Portugal since the 15th century. For example, duringpassover, his family would always eat rice, something that is very specific to Sephardic Jews. Donate. And. Once you have citizenship you can request your passport. Timeframes for the application vary, but most people should expect the process to take around 2 years. By chance when his parents visited Lisbon for their 25th wedding anniversary, a tour guide mentioned this new law that Portugal had passed to allow Sephardic Jews to regain their citizenship. Certificate of Confirmation 10-pack. Shaar Tikvah S ynagogue. His family members were also regularly married a day before a major Jewish holiday, another trait of Sephardic Jews. Every time we turned to Joshua we always got a professional quick and helpful respond. The next stage, researching the family tree, will take considerably longer. In just a matter of weeks (as of 01.04.22) these letters may no longer be valid. Mike Decker and have know him for many years. Altogether, there are thousands of pending applications and the applicant must be patient and wait for a nationality assignment process to take place beyond 18 months. Private Jewish Heritage Tour of Lisbon. There is no such requirement concerning the issuing of Jewish Community of Lisbons certification and our community has neither a special partnership with any law office nor shall recommend any specific one. 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. We are very happy with the services. LISBON: Portuguese prosecutors have detained a rabbi and carried out raids over the naturalisation process of a number of Jewish people, including Roman Abramovich, the Russian billionaire owner of Chelsea football club.. Portugal's Public Prosecution Service said late Friday that it has detained the leader of Porto's Jewish community, Daniel Litvak, as part of their investigation into . All taxes. The registration certificate is mandatory for European Union and other citizens (*) intending to stay in Portugal for longer than 3 months. Birth certificate issued within the previous six month* 5. The few who stayed altered the proportions of the Lisbon community, until then mostly Sephardic. Both communities have records from the time and will be able to verify whether you are, in fact, of Sephardic heritage. We are Jews. 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. While Trevors great great grandmother used the surname De Pinna, generations prior to that used De Pina, Pina, or just Sarfati. Thank you. All the legal requirements regarding the application of descendants of Sephardic Jews of Portuguese origin for Portuguese nationality (through naturalization) are clearly defined and stated in thePortuguese Decree-Law 30-A/2015and 26/2022 , which amended DL 237-A/2006 in which the Regulation on Portuguese Nationality is approved. Learn more 4 hours (approx.) Less practical but more sentimental is the birth certificate that the Portuguese government issues you. Jonah coincidentally already had a strong connection to Portugal, as he was previously dating a Portuguese girl. They knew exactly how to handle my situation effectively and efficiently, and we got the result I needed without much fuss. As of February 2020, the Israeli Community of Lisbon requires the payment of a donation amounting 500 for the first certificate application and 250 for the applications of any other members of the same family. Is a Jewish community certificate enough for Portuguese citizenship? The application should be presented to the Portuguese Central Registry Office (Conservatria dos Registos Centrais) in Lisbon and the Jewish Community of Lisbon has no involvement in the decision or even in the process. It was the best decision choosing you as my lawyer. He first contacted the Portuguese Law Firm in the Autumn of 2015 and then, once he had carried out sufficient research, was able to submit his application around a year later. 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. You may obtain further and accurate information at the nearest Portuguese Consulate. Does my family name have to be in the list of Sephardic names? B-Mitzvah Gender Neutral Certificate 5-pack. We reiterate the importance of using this model in order to simplify the analysis. As a result of the war, locating work in Western Europe was nearly impossible. Can my spouse be granted nationality as well? JDC Lisbon List of Polish Jewish Passengers to . You are Eligible for a Portuguese Citizenship Through Marriage! Big news! 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. Incredibly knowledgeable, approachable, accessible, and evident across the board that they truly care about the people they are helping. Officials in Washington and Spain have. Portuguese citizenship comes with a number of benefits, not least a Portuguese passport which gives you the right to live and work in Portugal and other EU countries. Besides his knowing the laws, regulations and procedures, Ariel also made us feel that he was truly interested in helping us to successfully work through this process in as smooth, timely, and frustration-free manner as possible. The majority of Jews are scattered throughout Portugal and not affiliated with religious communities. Excellent service, very friendly and helpful, fast responding and very patient. To be on the safe side, Trevor collected more documents from the synagogue and was able to trace his family tree back even further. Financed by Joint and other international Jewish institutions, the community kept the Economic Kitchen/cuisine?? These were mostly marketers, from Gibraltar and Morocco (Tangier, Tetouan and Mogador) and some of their names still expressed the connection with their places of origin in the Iberian Peninsula, before the expulsion period. They were people with an above average cultural level, knowing how to read and write and speaking, besides the liturgical Hebrew, Arabic or English and the Haketia, jewish-hispanic-moroccan dialect. I am excited to move to Lisbon next year. The first step towards the official recognition of the Hebrew Community of Lisbon dates back to 1868, when a license is conceded by the Government, through a charter from D.Lus giving the "Jews of Lisbon permission to install a cemetery for the burial of their coreligionists". Her surname was Bair, which is a German-Jewish surname and she was 3/4 Ashkenazi, but he had to look a bit further before he found the Sephardic connection. In 1515 the king requested to establish an inquisition to systematically persecute New Christians, but it was initially denied by the Pope. Explained the bad clauses in the contract, and their possible consequences. [More Info]. For Trevor, he doesnt have any immediate plans to live there due to work commitments in London but he still reminisces of a trip he took to Portugal several years ago. The outbreak of 2nd World War, the neutrality policy that Portugal followed under the alliance with England and the granting of transit visas to close to one hundred thousand refugees, lead to an influx of tens of thousands of Jews to Portugal. Otherwise you will loose hours/days/weeks with things that they can solve in minutes. The first company Jonah worked with were incredibly impersonal and ended up firing him as a client, but at least it gave him lots of information and pointed him in the right direction. . Both used as many resources as they could find, citing Ancestry.com as one of the most helpful along with other sites like JewishGen. We contacted Mr. Pex and he was ready to help us when he heard of our situation. $32.95. Is a recommendation letter from the Jewish community in Porto or Lisbon enough to acquire Portuguese citizenship? I have found a firm that sounds good, though, charges 5,000 euros for the whole process. Some people already know that they have Sephardic Jewish heritage, while it can come as a surprise to others. Irena is knowledgeable, reliable and competent lawyer who always had answers to all our questions which made us feel confident that everything would be fine with her assistance. Did anyone get the Portuguese nationality yet? Click here to get in contact with us. Such is the case of Conqui (from Cuenca, Cuenca Province) or Cardoso (from Cardoso, district of Viseu). Youll find all the contacts below. Gratitude, God has blessed us with wonderful beings who have accompanied us, including a "precious angel" who touched our hearts, our excellent and fantastic lawyer: Maria Chernin Dekel, sweet and wonderful human being, who has guided us and stayed On our side. Make no mistake, there are a lot of documents and many of these need to be notarised and later apostilled. Do I have to reside in Portugal? Party time in the heart, my beloved husband received his residence after so much time of battles and faith. Learn how your comment data is processed. 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. Applications need to be submitted to the Portuguese Ministry of Justice who then look at your application and decide whether or not youre eligible for citizenship. The 1826 Constitutional Charter recognized only Catholicism as the religion allowed to Portuguese citizens, being the other cults only permitted to foreigners. Trevor Lewis, whos from the US and lives in London with his husband, was unaware of his Portuguese background until he started looking into his grandmothers family tree. It is so difficult to get straight answers from the Misrad Hapnim, but you guys are straight shooters. Using them guaranteed honesty above all. They had numerous international contacts due not only to their commercial activities, but also to the family ties worldwide. You showed me from your experience how it can be done differently. To find a microfilm: a. Click on this link to see a list of records for Portugal, Lisboa. Rua Alexandre Herculano, 59 Lisbon 1250-010.