The Jewish people fled the Iberian Peninsula to escape the inquisition
at the end of the XV Century. Their descendants, traders and
Businessmen in Gibraltar and North Africa, were invited back
to Portugal by the Marquise de Pombal to help rebuild the
economy after the devastating earthquake in 1755.
They settled
in Faro, a thriving 60 family community, locally known as "Little
Jerusalem". They had 2 synagogues of which neither remain
now. The community became defunct due to the migration of
the young to the cities and the aged dying.
The
land of the Cemetery was purchased in 1851 by three community
leaders, Joseph Sicsu the Chazan (cantor), Moses Sequerra
and Samuel Amram. The Jewish calendar date 5638 (1887) above
the entrance gates is thought to be when the wall was constructed.
The first burial was that of Rabbi Joseph Toledano in 1838
and he last burial was in 1932.
In 1984 Isaac Bitton and his brother Joseph went to Faro
to visit their mother's birthplace and it was then that they
found the Faro Jewish cemetery in terrible disrepair and vowed
to restore it to its former sacred glory as a memorial to
the Faro Jewish community.
On returning to the USA Isaac formed the Faro Cemetery
Restoration Fund inc. to save the cemetery, now on prime land
and under threat of development. His fund raising efforts
provided the money for the actual restoration which was arranged
by Ralf Pinto of the Jewish Community of Algarve in 1992/93.
The entire cemetery is now paved with Portuguese calçada
and two large shady trees provide a serene ambience. There
is a Tahara House in which bodies were washed and prayers
were said and is now a Museum.
A rededication ceremony took place on the 16th of May 7993,
in the presence of Dr. Mário Soares, President of Portugal,
and some 400 Dignitaries and invited guests. Click here to see a video of that day.
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