Communities of crypto-Jews in Portugal and Spain who practiced Judaism in secret for 500 years after the Inquisition forced them to convert. They maintained hidden rituals passed down through families while outwardly appearing Catholic to avoid persecution.
Bricking, Attribution, via Wikimedia Commons
A faith concealed
In 1497, King Manuel I of Portugal issued an edict: all Jews must either convert to Catholicism or leave the country. This followed a similar decree from Spain in 1492. Facing exile or death, many converted, becoming known as "New Christians" or Cristãos-Novos. The Portuguese Inquisition, established in 1536, relentlessly persecuted any who were suspected of practicing Judaism in secret.
In the remote hills of the Centro region, particularly in the town of Belmonte, a story of cultural preservation unfolded. For nearly five centuries, a community of crypto-Jews, also called Marranos, maintained their faith in secrecy. Prayers were not held in public synagogues but in private homes with shuttered windows, in basements, or even out in the woods. Religious life moved indoors, and women became the primary keepers of tradition, passing down prayers and rituals orally from mother to daughter. Written texts were too dangerous to possess.
These communities developed unique customs to avoid suspicion. Sabbath candles were lit inside earthenware pots to hide their glow. Sausages made of chicken, called Alheira, were hung in windows to give the impression that the family consumed pork, a common practice for Catholics. Their prayers became a mixture of Portuguese and Hebrew.
The community revealed
The isolation of Belmonte's Jews was so complete that many believed they were the last Jews left in the world. Their re-emergence began in 1917, when a Polish Jewish mining engineer named Samuel Schwarz was working in the area. A local merchant pointed out a business rival, telling Schwarz, "It is enough for me to tell you he is a Jew." Intrigued, Schwarz sought out this man, Baltasar Pereira de Sousa, who confessed that his family secretly practiced Judaism.
The community was initially distrustful of Schwarz. To prove he was also Jewish, he recited the Shema Yisrael, a foundational Hebrew prayer. When they recognized the word Adonai (Lord), they accepted him. Schwarz spent years documenting the community's unique customs, publishing his findings in 1925.
It was not until the Carnation Revolution in 1974, which ended Portugal's authoritarian regime, that the community began to practice their faith openly. In the 1990s, many formally returned to normative Judaism. The Bet Eliahu Synagogue was inaugurated in Belmonte on December 4, 1996, almost exactly 500 years after the edict that forced their ancestors into hiding. In 2005, the Jewish Museum of Belmonte opened, the first of its kind in Portugal, to chronicle this history of endurance.
💡Fun Facts
The earliest evidence of a Jewish presence in Belmonte is a granite inscription from a synagogue dated 1297.
The derogatory term "Marrano," often applied to crypto-Jews, means "swine" in Spanish and was used to insult them.
To avoid detection by the Inquisition, some communities would celebrate major Jewish holidays several days after the actual date.
Women were so central to preserving the faith that one sociologist's book on the community is titled "Judaism in the Feminine."
Jewish Museum of Belmonte: Tuesday-Sunday, 10:00-13:00 and 14:30-17:30. Closed Mondays. Bet Eliahu Synagogue: Visits must be booked in advance by phone. Closed on Shabbat and Jewish holidays.
Admission
Jewish Museum: €4. A combined ticket for Belmonte's five municipal museums is available for €8.
Accessibility
Belmonte is a historic hill town with steep, cobblestoned streets which may be challenging for visitors with mobility issues. The Jewish Museum has a lift.
