Jewish Presence in the Azores
In 1836, a group of Marrano Jews of Sephardic origin purchased a house on Rua do Brum, in the heart of Ponta Delgada, with the intention of transforming it into a Synagogue and the rabbi’s residence. This marked the second Jewish presence in the Azores, following the expulsion of Jews from Portugal in the 15th and 16th centuries, during which many were either forced to convert to Christianity or exiled.
With the death of the Albo sisters, the last descendants of the rabbi, the house fell into disrepair in the early 1970s. At that time, there were 170 Jews living in the region. The building’s decline continued until, around 2000, at the suggestion of North American Jews, the Synagogue was restored and reopened as the Hebrew Museum Sahar Hassamaim – Gates of Heaven on April 23, 2015.
The museum is divided into four sections:
Mikeve, the former ritual bath area
Space of Memory, dedicated to the cultural and historical legacy of the Jewish presence in the Azores
The Albo Sisters’ Memory Room
Sahar Hassamaim Synagogue
Among the Jewish families with ties to the Azores are well-known surnames across Portugal, such as Abecassis, Anahory, Bensaude, Buzaglo, Delmar, Sebague, and Oulman, among many others.
In addition to being a museum managed by the Ponta Delgada municipality, the Synagogue regularly hosts Hebrew music concerts and offers the space for religious services. The restoration was coordinated by Azorean historian José de Almeida Mello, who is also the museum’s director.”
