The Rabbi of the Algarve...

This story began around 20 years ago when a South African called Ralf Pinto decided, with the help of his family – and later with that of the international Jewish community – to restore an old Jewish cemetery that existed in the city of Faro and to form a makeshift social Jewish Community.

In August last year, the keeper of this slice of Jewish heritage died – but not before seeing the realisation of a long-held dream. “He was a lay-person but at the same time saw the need to take things to another level. He was looking for a spiritual leader” for the 60 or so Jewish families that currently live in the Algarve – and this is how North American Rabbi Zev Schwarcz came into the picture.

Schwarcz has one objective: to found a synagogue and Jewish Center in Albufeira, with the capacity for between 30-40 people for regular Friday night services.

“Apart from the building, we also need some books and religious items”, he explains. It sounds simple - until you learn that a simple used “Torah Scroll” (The Five Books of Moses that begin the Hebrew Bible) costs 12.000 US dollars! “The price is explained because the whole thing is produced by hand by a very specialised individual. The ink, the paper, the characters – everything has to follow certain special rules”, he tells.

Even so, Schwarcz hopes to be ready by the second fortnight in April – the next important event in the Jewish calendar. His ceremonies are in Hebrew, but he may well have translations organised into English and Portuguese.

“Anyone will be welcome. I think this could also be interesting for Portuguese people who believe they have Jewish roots and are curious to find out more about Judaism”, he adds.

“Being Jewish is a way of life. The Torah is a guide for personal improvement. It’s basically showing us how we can become better people. The rules of the Torah can be divided into two groups: the first demands respect in the way we interact with others, and the second in the way we behave with God. But all the rules have personal development – while we’re living beings – as the objective”, he explains.

Schwarcz’ second mission is for a community centre “for events that people want to do together”. In general, synagogues were always places for meetings and socialising.

Questioned about Portugal, the Rabbi has already formed an opinion. “For me, to have a new opportunity in life is fantastic. Of course, I can always return to the United States, but the economic situation there is no better than it is here. In some aspects, with regard to laws and regulations, people here have more liberty”, he adds, pointing the finger at the influence of progressives on the other side of the Atlantic. “Even though Portugal is a Catholic country, it’s not a fanatically religious nation. The Portuguese people have their convictions, but they keep them to themselves. They are very tolerant. I think it’s because of this that more and more Jewish people move here. They feel comfortable and welcome here”, he says. “I think Portugal has unique characteristics,” he continues.

“I have met many people who are really trying to achieve something in life through small businesses – from tourist trips, to wine growing and running small restaurants. This was the kind of spirit that we used to have in America – and I see it more here than in any other country. Obviously there are lots of problems, too, but I think it’s this attitude that makes Portugal so attractive”.

Schwarcz thinks the Portuguese are very enterprising, too. He found another example of this recently in Alenquer. He went to Kosher certify a winery there that has been producing “kosher” wine since 2010 – destined for the Portuguese Jewish community and for export to places like New York and Amsterdam. The only “different” thing about this wine, in reality, is that the grapes have to be picked by a machine, and every aspect of the production has to be done under the supervision of the Rabbi. This complies with one of the ritual principles of the Laws of Kosher – which prohibits anyone outside the Jewish community from handling the grape juice and wine.

In the Algarve, the Jewish community is mainly made up of foreigners – the majority of them retired, from South Africa, Canada, England, Holland and Germany. “We have a bit of everything”. Another of the reasons to establish a base in the centre of the Algarve is it’s the destination most chosen by Jewish people from Europe and America. Some of them consider a long-term stay.

“Many Americans seek a good place to spend their retirement. I think the standard of living here is very good – it’s not a 3rd world country in the least”. But didn’t he think it had become de-characterised and excessively urbanised? “No. Perhaps if I had come here 20 years ago, I would agree with you. I can see there’s a problem, yes. I’ve been looking for good fado, and haven’t yet found it. If you’re in Seville, for instance, there’s flamenco everywhere! But people here – if clever enough - could easily recover their lost heritage and culture”.

We talk of history – and Zev has no doubts that Portugal, like Spain, is paying the price today of a number of historic mistakes. “I think these two countries never recovered the stature they had on the world stage from the moment they decided to expell their Jews” for religious reasons, at the beginning of the 16th century.

“It’s intriguing because in Portugal Jews were always valued. The government didn’t want them to go. They simply wanted them to convert to Catholicism - and this was more for political motives than for reasons of hatred. The Marquis of Pombal tried very hard to remove the problems confronting the Jews. He was a great humanist” particularly in the way that he stalled the work of the Inquisition.

The Rabbi also recalls the shelter afforded to Jews in Lisbon and Oporto during the 2nd World War. So we ask him about anti-Semitism…

“It’s an issue that has been discussed by many philosophers and Jewish leaders over time. I think that other religions that had their origins in Judaism tried to assert this, and perhaps this is part of the explanation. Another reason is that Jewish people are supposed to have a very strong sense of morality, and that very possibly causes resentment in others”, he adds. Zev finished his secondary education and went on to study the Torah. It was a “very intensive course that, taken seriously, required at least eight to ten hours study a day”, he tells. He spent seven years in the seminary.

It was a personal choice, totally of his own making. “Yes, it’s a challenge for the mind – and beyond that, I always knew I wanted to teach others”, in the way I had been taught. He concludes that he believes religion to be a very positive thing in life, as it gives perspective and a moral attitude. “Sadly, many of these principles have been obfuscated by fanaticism” he considers.

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