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“Cape Verde’s Jewish history stays alive”:
Preservation of memory is critical to the Jewish psyche, and in Cape Verde
there is an uplifting story of remembrance that defies the all-too-common
narrative of anti-Semitism and persecution. Hebrew and Portuguese
inscriptions grace typical Sephardic Jewish tombstones in four small
cemeteries on three islands in Cape Verde. Many reflect the date of death
according to the Hebrew calendar and place of birth such as Tangiers or
Mogador (now Essaouira), in Morocco. The cemeteries have fallen into
disrepair, and since 2008, when I founded the Cape Verde Jewish Heritage
Project (CVJHP), I have worked with a remarkable assortment of people –
Jews and Christians, and even one Muslim monarch – to restore and preserve
them.
I first learned about Cape Verde’s Jewish roots through a scholarship
program I managed for Portuguese-speaking Africa in the late 1980s. Many
of my students bore Jewish surnames, such as Levy, Benchimol, Anahory and
Wahnon, which piqued my curiosity. As a Jew fascinated by Sephardic
history and culture, who also loves Cape Verde and its people, I was moved
by the poignant remnants of this small but influential Jewish community –
remnants that bespeak an important but under-documented chapter in
African/Jewish history.
An archipelago of ten small islands about 300 miles off the coast of
Senegal, Cape Verde is predominantly Catholic as a result of Portuguese
colonial rule. However, in the 19th century, the islands had a prominent
community of Jews, largely from Muslim Morocco. Sephardic Jews from
Morocco and Gibraltar set sail for Cape Verde in the mid 1800’s (after the
abolition of the Inquisition), in search of economic opportunity. During
their heyday in the mid to late 19th century, the Jews played pivotal
roles in the economy and administration of the islands. And to this day,
many descendants continue to distinguish themselves at the highest levels
in government, culture and commerce. For example, Carlos Alberto Wahnon de
Carvalho Veiga, voted in as Cape Verde’s first democratically elected
Prime Minister in 1991, was of Jewish descent.
Because the Jews were few in number and mostly male, many married local
Catholic women. As a result of this assimilation, Cape Verde today has
virtually no practicing Jews, even though many descendants express deep
pride in their Jewish ancestry. Prominent Cape Verdean businessman Daniel
Brigham, grandson of patriarch Abrao Brigham, once told me, “I am not a
religious man, but I try to follow the Ten Commandments. I am proud of my
Jewish rib.”
Many descendants of the Jewish families are collaborating on various
aspects of CVJHP’s mission. For example, Lisbon-based architect Rafael
Benoliel designed the blueprint to restore the Jewish cemetery of Boa
Vista and the Project logo. Several descendants serve on CVJHP’s board of
directors. And recognizing the symbolism of Moroccan Jewish patrimony on
Cape Verdean soil, King Mohammed VI of Morocco is a major benefactor of
the Project. In a world where tensions between Jews and Muslims tend to
overshadow our many points of convergence – theological, historical and
cultural – this gesture by a Muslim monarch, to recover Jewish heritage in
Catholic Cape Verde is inspiring.
Dozens of descendants and dignitaries recently attended the re-dedication
ceremony in May for the Jewish burial plot in Praia, the capital– the
first of four cemetery restorations that CVJHP is financing. The chief
rabbi of Lisbon, who officiated at the ceremony, blessed the deceased and
affirmed that in the Jewish tradition, creating and preserving burial
grounds is actually more important than building a house of worship. The
outpouring of pride from the descendants at the ceremony was gratifying –
as if the project reawakened in many a sense of pride and identity with
the Jewish people.
The encounter between the Sephardic Jews and the predominantly Catholic
Cape Verdean population in the 19th and early 20th centuries teaches us
lessons of tolerance and mutual respect. Unlike in many European
countries, the local people welcomed the Jews. By preserving their burial
grounds and documenting their contributions, we re-affirm Sephardic
history and celebrate Cape Verde’s rich cauldron of cultures. A local
resident who was following local television coverage of the Praia
rededication ceremony put it this way to me: “by preserving Jewish
heritage in Cape Verde, you are preserving Cape Verde’s history.”
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