LISBON. 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. This is the old Calada das Lages Cemetery, presently known as Afonso III . Emotional memory we expect the applicant to explain in short his motivation to apply for Portuguese nationality based on his Sephardic family and tradition roots. Testimonial to be provided either/or by external experts, your Sephardic communitys rabbi, people who know the applicant, etc. In the meantime, some of them might be available at a FamilySearch Center near you. Somehow they managed to translate the law lingo into language we actually understand and their outstanding YouTube videos helped us to have a better grasp of what process we had to go through. You may be represented by a third party in your application and you neither have to come or reside in Portugal nor to speak Portuguese. His family members were also regularly married a day before a major Jewish holiday, another trait of Sephardic Jews. Learn more 4 hours (approx.) Jonah coincidentally already had a strong connection to Portugal, as he was previously dating a Portuguese girl. Located at the number 59 of Alexandre Herculano Street, it had to be built inside a walled yard, since it was not allowed the construction with frontage to the public road of temples not of Catholic religion, then the official religion of the State. These returning Jews originally worshipped in their homes. Can I file a family application? Shaar Tikvah S ynagogue. It felt a lot more authentic, he says. Those who wish to apply for a Sephardic heritage certificate can apply online at . A big thank you to Irina especially from the Jerusalem office. Kaplan became inspired about the topic while researching her 2008 book, Dominican Haven: The Jewish Refugee Settlement in Sosua, 1940-1945, which chronicles the eventual path taken by German Jews who had been able to cross the Atlantic by way of Lisbon.Expanding upon that focus, she sought out diaries, letters, and other archives housed at the USC Shoah Foundation, the Fortunoff Archive at . They helped me to obtain my expert working visa in Israel and even after that they responded further questions and gave me advices related to administrative issues in Israel which saved me a lot of time. To be on the safe side, Trevor collected more documents from the synagogue and was able to trace his family tree back even further. Today, Portugal is home to between 5,000 and 6,000 Jews with the majority in Lisbon and Porto, whose communities have around 500 formal members each. $32.95. We have been working with Decker, Pex Ofir & Co - Law Firm in Tel Aviv for many years very well. Lisbon's modern Jewish community: Lisbon's main synagogue called Shaare Tikva, or Gates of Hope, is a historic synagogue in Lisbon. Despite the expulsion and the persecution of their ancestral territory, they have kept, along with their descendants, not only the Portuguese language, in some cases, but also the traditional rites of the ancient Jewish worship in Portugal, saving their surnames over generations, objects and documents proving their Portuguese origin, along with a strong memorial connection to Portugal. and must be sent through the We Transfer system. Both have slightly different requirements, and theres a lot of debate on the Facebook groups as to which one is better. Very much recommended! I admire the Austrian citizenship team in Tel-Aviv branch! Each member of the family, including the children, should file the application separately although, for the purpose of the certification issued by our community (step 1 above), having already checked the documentation of a member of the same family does make it easier to check the documentation. We heard of Advocate Pex through a friend of a friend. We will be applying from the US. They really care about helping their customers without any other interest Application Form Model B - example List of documents. This royal diploma has a real historical importance, as it represents an implicit recognition, although not yet formal, of the Hebrew Community of Lisbon. Considering this historical heritage, the Portuguese Citizenship Act (Lei da Nacionalidade) was amended as to permit the acquisition of Portuguese citizenship by the descendants of Portugal's Sephardic Jews. 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. For Trevor, the process was a long one. ? and the Hebrew Hospital, providing at a daily basis food, clothing and health care to the refugees. Once you have that, you can then apply for a Portuguese passport via your nearest Portuguese consulate or embassy. You can either apply yourself or use a specialist service who will help you with the application and make sure that you have all the necessary documents. Contact us. Donate. We so much appreciate Mikes representation of us. Could you please also send me a list of the lawyers you recommend. I know that my son can qualify for Portuguese Citizenship because all our ancestors are Sephardic and spoke Ladino. Visit to Shaar Tikva, the synagogue of Lisbon. Can you suggest any genealogist and lawyers we can use? PUBLIC ATTENDANCE: Monday to Thursday from 10am to 1pm | 2pm to 5 pm. The Ohel Jacob Synagogue ("Tent of Jacob") was founded in 1934 by a small Jewish group of Ashkenazic origin from Central Europe. However, it costs a lot of money to maintain and expand our services. We recently received our permanent residency after 23 years in Israel. 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. 3603 Quentin Road Brooklyn, NY 11234 (347) 434-3973 [email protected]. But are they worth it? And while the Jewish Communities were delegated governmental authority for the purpose of recognizing applicants as descended from Jews, they are otherwise unconnected to the government. Decree Law No. The Jewish Community of Lisbon has made available: The burden of proof rests on the applicant, who must provide as much evidence as possible, of all kinds, showing direct or collateral progenyand the tradition of belonging to a Sephardic community of Portuguese origin. International Association of Jewish Genealogy Associations. Is a recommendation letter from the Jewish community in Porto or Lisbon enough to acquire Portuguese citizenship? The political opening of the post-April revolution and of the borders, with the entry of Portugal in the European Union, has provided the arrival to our country of Jewish Citizens from different countries, from Europe and Brazil. While both Jonah and Trevor recommend sites like Ancestry.com, the main resource they recommend are the Facebook groups dedicated to the subject of Portuguese and Spanish Sephardic ancestry. It was the first synagogue built after the antisemitic laws of 1496. How do you get the access code if you are posting off documents? 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. which must respect the order of the documents as they appear in the table indicated in the procedures But, despite that stumbling block, both Trevor and Jonah have developed strong ties to Portugal. 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. For example, duringpassover, his family would always eat rice, something that is very specific to Sephardic Jews. 2. Have you received a letter of recommendation from one of the Jewish Communities in Portugal, whether Porto or Lisbon? The service is amazing! His grandmothers grandmother was British and belonged to the Bevis Marks Synagogue in London. I am a Jewish, 80-year-old American, and my wife is not Jewish. The answer to all the above questions is no. The most popular Jewish Quarter of Lisbon is located in Alfama. 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. The Jewish Community of Lisbon (Portuguese: Comunidade Israelita de Lisboa - CIL) was officially recognized in 1913. Ultimately, your goal is to put together clear evidence that you have Sephardic Jewish heritage. April 30, 2021. Therefore, the certificate must be provided with the genealogical tree indicating dates and places of ancestors birth, death and marriage. The Lisbon City Council issues certificates exclusively to Lisbon residents. Furthermore, following the recent scandal, the government of Portugal may choose a different authority to veto the descent of prospective applicants. Once recognition is obtained, the task of granting the status of a Portuguese citizen falls to the government of Portugal. Past events; Future event; January 01,01 09:00:00 In the past, obtaining citizenship this way was simply a case of tracing your family tree back to your Sephardic ancestors. Be patient, but also start early, says Trevor, whose aunt is also now applying. Usually, we expect a pre-approval from the Porto Jewish Community roughly around 48 hours after the Lisbon Jewish Community roughly around 45 days after applying. It is the cemetery of the old Calada das Lajes, today Afonso III, still in operation. Spouses may apply later for citizenship through the Portuguese Central Registry Office, not under this law amendment or its provisions but as any foreign spouse of a Portuguese citizen. It was built in the early 20th century as Jews, some but not all of the Portuguese descent, returned to Portugal from Gibraltar and North Africa. Jewish Community of Lisbon Tel: +351 213 931 130; [email protected]; www.cilisboa.org. 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. Genealogical According to the Conservatria dos Registos Centrais the certificates issued by the Jewish communities must be followed by the applicants genealogical tree. The choice was either convert, try living as a Jew in secret as many did in places like Belmonte, or leave the Iberian Peninsula altogether. Then, the Jews were still considered a foreign colony, and the community had not yet been given legal existence. A simple copy of a valid passport (page containing personal data, picture and signature) expiring date larger than 6 months. Not included. All taxes. Highly Recommended. When finished, be sure to indicate the link for your transfer in the field below. The Jewish Canadian Community Portuguese Citizenship Eligibility, The Portuguese Jewish community in Germany Entitlement to Portugal Citizenship, The Moroccan Expellee Community and Portuguese Citizenship, The Jewish community in Portugal Recommendation letter, Jewish Portuguese Citizenship for Spouses and Children, Multiple Names When Applying for Jewish Portuguese Citizenship, Applying for Jewish Portuguese Citizenship with a Criminal Record, Cost for Jewish Descendants to Obtain Portuguese Citizenship, How Long It Takes to Get Jewish Portuguese Citizenship, Documents for Jewish Portuguese Citizenship, Algerian Jewish expellees communities and eligibility for Portuguese citizenship, Greek Jews Spanish Jewish Expellees Eligible for Portuguese Citizenship, Famous Jews of Sephardic or Portuguese descent obtaining Portuguese citizenship. Their dedication to every legal aspect and their drive its how a true lawyer house can be! Party time in the heart, my beloved husband received his residence after so much time of battles and faith. He was able to get his application expedited to less than 6 months as he was living in London, citing Brexit as the reason. Their dedication to every legal aspect and their drive its how a true lawyer house can be! You'll also stop by historic . We hereby, clarify that, a first opinion by e-mail is not binding. 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). Please note that our internal Experts Committee verifies the information provided but does not run genealogical studies itself. Thank you Site Powered By SiteBuilderAvenue.com They are doing outstanding work. Mr. Joshua Pex is knowledgeable and Professional. Tribunals were set up in a number of towns in Portugal, but also in the kingdoms overseas possessions, namely Brazil, Goa and Cape Verde. A Committee of Experts in Jewish Sephardic genealogy and the historical routes of the Jewish Iberian Diaspora to evaluate the provided means of proof. Thanks for your cooperation. 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. Just found your page and it is fantastic! All the applications and attached documents/means of proof are kept in our records for future reference and a list of all issued certificates is sent monthly to the Portuguese Ministry of Justice. document.getElementById( "ak_js" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 150 Menachem Begin st., Tel Aviv, 6492105, Israel, Tel: (+972)3-3724722, Fax: (+972)774702790. Alex. Both Trevor and Jonah initially turned to the internet for help. It will be sufficient to submit one of the following: Certificate from a Sephardic Community. While he was approved in November of 2018, around 3 years after he began the process, it wasnt until August of 2019 when he received his birth certificate and was able to apply for his passport. We contacted Mr. Pex and he was ready to help us when he heard of our situation. Just found your page and it is fantastic! They are quick to respond, engaged, and obviously top-notch lawyers. This needs to be from a community of Portuguese origin approved under Portuguese law. We reiterate the importance of using this model in order to simplify the analysis. Thank you. 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. Get the book Moving to Portugal Made Simple on Amazon now. Proof of residence such as electricity bills. . The small print: Portugalist may generate a commission from mentioned products or services. Every time we turned to Joshua we always got a professional quick and helpful respond. Under the impulse of Isaac Levy and Simo Anahory a process is started culminating in the creation, in 1897, of a committee for the edification of a unique synagogue, and the election of the 1st Committee of the Jewish community of Lisbon, whose honorary president is Abraham Bensade and the effective president Simo Anahory. All files sent digitally must be accompanied by a SINGLE file with the necessary documents, in PDF, A4 format, I can highly recommend these services! 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. Shaar Tikv Synagogue. Explained the bad clauses in the contract, and their possible consequences. Unfortunately, a right to live in Portugal doesnt necessarily mean that people are able to move to Portugal as wages and opportunities are often lower here than in other Western countries.