Synagogue found behind false wall

[Behind the Aegis]

A 16th-century synagogue has been uncovered in the city of Porto, northern Portugal, after builders tore down walls in a building in the city's historic centre.

The synagogue, built when Jews could be burned at the stake for worshipping, was hidden behind a false wall in a four-storey building on a side street in what was once Porto's Jewish quarter.

The synagogue was discovered by a Catholic priest, Father Jardim Moreira, who was in charge of turning the building into an old people's home. Fr Moreira, a keen local historian who knew the neighbourhood had been the city's Jewish quarter in the 15th century, was told by builders about the false wall. "I knew there had to be some kind of Jewish symbol behind it," he told Associated Press.

Behind the wall was a carved granite repository, about 1.5metres (5ft) tall, arched at the top and facing east towards Jerusalem, in which the Torah scrolls were kept. The find matched written descriptions of a local synagogue by a 16th-century Jewish scholar, Immanuel Aboab.

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[salin]

1. Wow - I am glad that it was found

very historic; The article doesn't say whether or not it is going to be preserved (I hope) given that it was found during demolition.

[Journeyman]

3. It sounds more like renovation of the building rather than demolition. . .

but yours is a point well taken. Since a religious figure found it, then made its existance public knowledge, I would suspect it will be saved -- or at least its preservation will be discussed with the local Jewish community.

[salin]

4. I would certainly hope so

now with international press coverage it would be hard not to do so.

[XemaSab]

2. Interesting article! Thanks for posting!

(and this picture is but a link away:))

[Kolesar]

5. Torqemada?

I can't "torqe" him outta anything!

(It's a Mel Brooks joke)

[sakabatou]

12. The Inquisition, let's begin...

If only I could find a website with the lyrics to that movie...

[Ian David]

6. What right did they have to build a wall in the middle of someone's home?

:sarcasm:

[zbdent]

7. And American "Christians" try to claim that they're persecuted

in this day and age . . .

[AnneD]

8. At the rate and way things are going in this country....

false walls and hiding places may be features that one might want to incorperate in your housing.

[PsychoDad]

9. Wow, that's a great discovery.

At a time when much of our past is being bulldozed over for malls, let us hope that this historic jewel is restored, remembered and revered.

Let it also be a symbol of the hate and intolerance of the past, and present, that we as a species may one day say, "never again".

Peace and Eid Mubarak.

[Texifornia]

11. Interesting

I've seen a similar building in Toledo, Spain. A Synogogue turned curch after the "Reconquista" and rediscovered as a Jewish site centuries later. In most of Islamic Spain all three western religions flourished. For Spanish (and Portugese) Jews, it was a golden age of literature and architecture.

There are very few Jews on the Iberian penninsula today because the Christians forced them out or forced their conversion along with the Muslims.

[Sequoia]

10. Thanks. I did a google and found out

that in 1506 the Jews were ordered to bring their kids to Lisbon on Passover and their kids were torn from their parents arms and given to find unpstanding Catholic couples. Some Jewish parents killed their kids and themselves instead. What a horrible time to be living. My husband's family is from Spain and were Methodists. We think that way back when maybe they were secret Jews but will never know for sure. We do celebrate the Festival of Lights in our own sorry way though.