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. I highly recommend! After surnames, the next best place to start is relatives, particularly older ones. These documents include a birth certificate, a copy of a valid passport, and a criminal background check. Our emigration law office specializes in helping the descendants of Spanish and Portuguese Jews prove their ancestry so as to obtain a Portuguese passport. 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. His partners and employees are very blessed to work with him. They are quick to respond, engaged, and obviously top-notch lawyers. Included are names, ages, birth information, profession, citizenship of refugees, as well as the names and addresses of relatives abroad. Just found your page and it is fantastic! You will need a lot more than that. All the above may be presented in Portuguese, Spanish, French or English. With this letter, we can apply and get the clock started on the 24-29 month wait for citizenship. We are Jews. But you will not be able to request a passport with a letter from the Jewish Community alone. However the law does state that the following documents should be presented, including their translation into Portuguese, duly certified by the Portuguese consulate at the country of origin or residence and bearing the Hague Convention Apostille: The Portuguese Central Registry Office charges a non-refundable and pre-paid 250 fee per applicant. Timeframes for the application vary, but most people should expect the process to take around 2 years. Once Portuguese citizenship has been granted, the Portuguese Central Registry Office will send a Portuguese birth certificate to your address. The government may accept three types of documents. Closed on Shabbat, Jewish Holidays and Portuguese Bank Holidays. We found Decker, Pex, Ofir & Co. On the internet and began working with Ariel in late November 2021. God bless you dear Maria, you have exceeded your professional duty by containing us and collaborating with us in hard times, very hard, for that we want to thank you publicly, you are unique!!! Slanting white walls intersected by blue forms mark the exterior of a 2.5-story building designed by Studio Libeskind, led by Daniel Libeksind, for Lisbon's upcoming Jewish Museum. They are doing outstanding work. A big thank you to Irina especially from the Jerusalem office. Go to the Junta da Freguesia. If Im going to have this citizenship, I think its my responsibility to speak the language of that country, he says. However, it costs a lot of money to maintain and expand our services. The 1826 Constitutional Charter recognized only Catholicism as the religion allowed to Portuguese citizens, being the other cults only permitted to foreigners. JDC events and trips offer a rare window into corners of the global Jewish community that often go unseen, and an opportunity to witness firsthand the life-changing impact JDC makes every day . Trevor speaks what he describes as passable Portuguese, having studied through Duolingo and later through a Portuguese class he took in London. Finally, Jonah got in touch with the Rabbi from his childhood synagogue who connected him with a Sephardic rabbi. 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. Any documents used to create that family tree. The first grave is of Jos Amzalak, who died on February 26, 1804, and buried on land belonging to the English Cemetery of Estrela, undoubtedly because of the English nationality of the first Jews in Lisbon, originating, as seen, from Gibraltar. They really care about helping their customers without any other interest We highly recommend Advocate Joshua Pex! You showed me from your experience how it can be done differently. Full passport copy certified by a Portuguese Consulate or apostilled 3. The certification period of the Jewish Community of Lisbon varies and will depend on the quality and organization of the documentation with which the process is submitted by the applicant and the degree of complexity of the respective process. Some hid their practice of Judaism over the years and are generally designated as secret, hidden or crypto-Jews. Administration staff to answer all questions, receive and perform a pre-check of the documentation. Donations. A legal team that is friendly and cares for a superb result As of February 2020, the Israeli Community of Lisbon requires the payment of a donation amounting 500 for the first certificate application and 250 for the applications of any other members of the same family. Oh dear, like so many people in this post, I too would really appreciate a list of solicitors as well. This single document is seen as the most important document in the process. 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. Make your donation here. This is the old Calada das Lages Cemetery, presently known as Afonso III . - March 1, 2023. They also both provide a bullet-point list to guide you through the application. Thankfully for Trevors aunt, family members who have the same family tree typically have a faster application process once one family member has already been accepted. ? 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 may be represented by a third party in your application and you neither have to come or reside in Portugal nor to speak Portuguese. Construction of the Shaar Tikv Synagogue. I was impressed with his incredibly solid character. Personal family name, records and documents (including image, video and audio) of family ceremonies,weddings, burials, registration at Jewish communities, birth certificates, property deeds, bibliography and book quotes, copies of inquisition archives and alike. The Shaar-Tikv synagogue celebrates 100 years, see here. Cristina. Despite numbering around two dozen, they are the only option in town other than the Orthodox, which numbers around 500, as the Masorti (Conservatives) shut down a few years ago. Despite the expedited application, however, with research included the entire process still took around 17 months. highly recommended. side in this intense legal transit whom we bless on every occasion. A while ago, visitors who eat only kosher food were required to bring back from home their own products to eat. Born in Brazil, Rabbi Peres grew up in New York and received ordination there as well as from Chacham Pinchas . The team of lawyers and assistants are incredibly professional. Thank you for your guidance and support. 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. 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. Since March 2015, several thousands of foreign citizens were granted Portuguese nationality under this law amendment and only a very small number were refused, mostly due to legal and technical reasons or lack of documentation. It is so difficult to get straight answers from the Misrad Hapnim, but you guys are straight shooters. When we have the money, well get a vacation home there, he promises himself. We definitely recommend using them. She was very professional in all her dealings and kept us informed all the way. Important Jewish communities settled in this region and contributed to the flourishing of Its trade and culture. The project of the synagogue was designed by one the greatest architects of that time, Miguel Ventura Terra. The process itself is not complicated but it does take time for the documentation to be gathered, duly translated and certified, and obviously thoroughly verified by all the parties involved. About us. A simple letter will do. By chance when his parents visited Lisbon for their 25th wedding anniversary, a tour guide mentioned this new law that Portugal had passed to allow Sephardic Jews to regain their citizenship. We request that you complete this DIGITAL FORM in order to facilitate and speed up the process of identification and *pre-analysis (non-binding) of the process submitted by the applicant. 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. My wife and I strongly recommend anyone planning to go through this process seriously consider hiring Decker, Pex, Ofir & Co. and, specifically, Ariel Galili. Any conviction with a crime punishable in Portugal with three years or more years imprisonment will make the applicant non-eligible; Power of attorney, when not presented by the applicant himself. A Certification Committee to issue the certificates to be mailed to the applicants or to their legal representatives. I imagine this must be tiring re-sharing with everyone who asks, but would it be possible to share with me your list of suggested lawyers. Such is the case of Conqui (from Cuenca, Cuenca Province) or Cardoso (from Cardoso, district of Viseu). You were a calming energy during a storm - always breathed a sigh of relief after speaking with you. We have been Jews forever. In the meantime, some of them might be available at a FamilySearch Center near you. To be on the safe side, Trevor collected more documents from the synagogue and was able to trace his family tree back even further. They are always answering questions and support during the process. PUBLIC ATTENDANCE: Monday to Thursday from 10am to 1pm | 2pm to 5 pm. The most popular Jewish Quarter of Lisbon is located in Alfama. Highly Recommended. After 3 months of arrival in Portugal, citizens will be required to apply for a certificate at the Municipal Council of . It brings together the Jews of Lisbon. b. Click on "Places within Portugal, Lisboa" and a list of towns and cities will open. During the pandemic, my wife and I decided to move to Israel where I am originally from after living in the U.S. for over 20 years, but we had no idea how to go about securing visas before and after arriving in Israel. That evidence, along with your family tree, is submitted to the Portuguese Jewish community in either Porto or Lisbon. Both communities have records from the time and will be able to verify whether you are, in fact, of Sephardic heritage. Thanks to Michael Decker and the other good people at the law office, as well as to the virtue of my ancestors, the cruelty of the Inquisition, reparations issued in the Iberian Peninsula, and etc, I am delighted to be on track for Portuguese and European Union Citizenship! A simple copy of a valid passport (page containing personal data, picture and signature) expiring date larger than 6 months. [2]https://www.larraurimarti.com/en/amendments-portuguese-nationality-process-for-sephardimwindow.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function() { jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_15863_1_2').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_15863_1_2', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });});. 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. I really appreciate his courteous and direct approach. We were very pleased and content with the services of this law firm. Portuguese ID documents, such as passports, may then be issued by the nearest Portuguese Consulate. Things started moving once Mr. Pex came into the picture. This document indicates that the Portuguese Jewish community recognizes the individual as having Portuguese heritage. During the inquisition period, Jews were persecuted in Spain and Portugal. Click here to get in contact with us. Fee: For the application with the "Conservatria dos Registos Centrais": 250 EUROS - Methods accepted: Cashier's check, in EUROS, of bank in Portugal, payable to IRN, IP; He is trustworthy, fair, and goes above and beyond to advocate for the vulnerable. I will take a look at all of the Facebook groups you mentioned. We receive daily applications both from individuals and law firms. Jonah personally has helped five people in these groups with their applications. The family tree should fit on two pages at most, visible and understandable. 8 hours - Shore private tour - from 299 for 2 people. 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. Until the 60s the community remained demographically stable, but the creation of the State of Israel and the outbreak of the Colonial War lead to the departure of some families. If youre not sure whether youre your surname is potentially Sephardic or not, take a look at Sephardim.co. As well as documents relating to his family tree, Jonah also submitted photos of his Bar Mitzvah, recipes that had been passed down through his family, and any other customs he could think of. Hi James, . This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Since submitting his application, he has been able to trace the family tree back to Amsterdam and even back to Portugal. Best lawyer house from Israel! His husband also speaks Portuguese, having lived in Brazil. In 1904 the Shaare Tikvah (Gates of Hope) Synagogue, still in use today, opened in Lisbon. It is the cemetery of the old Calada das Lajes, today Afonso III, still in operation. That is not the case. A part of the application involves submitting a letter in which you describe your motivations for obtaining Portuguese citizenship and your connections to Portugal.