For the first time since the Portuguese monarchy compelled its Jews to convert to Catholicism five centuries ago, kosher for Passover wine is again being made in Portugal.
At a ceremony held in the northeastern Portuguese village of Covilha, the Adega Cooperative da Covilha recently celebrated the launch of its new vintage, Terras de Belmonte, which is certified kosher for Passover by the Orthodox Union. It is being marketed in the United States by the Abarbanel wine company, owned by descendants of a family that originated in Portugal.
"We wanted to make Portuguese wine available to the small Jewish community in Portugal as well as to Jews abroad," said Rui Moreira, president of the winery. "Producing a kosher wine here is historically significant, and it also makes good business sense."
Using a blend of five types of Portuguese grapes, the winery produced some 60,000 liters of wine, most of which it hopes to sell to kosher consumers in America and elsewhere. Three separate vats were set aside for the production process, which was overseen by Rabbi Elisha Salas, an emissary of the Jerusalem-based Amishav organization who serves as rabbi of the local Jewish community of Belmonte.
Belmonte's Jews are descendants of Anousim, who preserved their Judaism in secret after Portugal's Jewish community was forced to convert to Christianity by King Manuel in 1496. Thirteen years ago, over 100 of them formally returned to Judaism under the auspices of a special rabbinical court dispatched to the area by Israel's Chief Rabbinate.
"This marks the closing of a historical circle," said Amishav Director Michael Freund. "Centuries after the Jewish presence in Portugal was nearly snuffed out, kosher wine is again being produced here."
The festive ceremony marking the launch of the wine was attended by Yaakov Zecharia, Israel's Consul-General in Lisbon, Rabbi Eliyahu Birnbaum of the Israeli Chief Rabbinate and Amishav Director Michael Freund. The event received wide coverage in the Portuguese press and media.
At a ceremony held in the northeastern Portuguese village of Covilha, the Adega Cooperative da Covilha recently celebrated the launch of its new vintage, Terras de Belmonte, which is certified kosher for Passover by the Orthodox Union. It is being marketed in the United States by the Abarbanel wine company, owned by descendants of a family that originated in Portugal.
"We wanted to make Portuguese wine available to the small Jewish community in Portugal as well as to Jews abroad," said Rui Moreira, president of the winery. "Producing a kosher wine here is historically significant, and it also makes good business sense."
Using a blend of five types of Portuguese grapes, the winery produced some 60,000 liters of wine, most of which it hopes to sell to kosher consumers in America and elsewhere. Three separate vats were set aside for the production process, which was overseen by Rabbi Elisha Salas, an emissary of the Jerusalem-based Amishav organization who serves as rabbi of the local Jewish community of Belmonte.
Belmonte's Jews are descendants of Anousim, who preserved their Judaism in secret after Portugal's Jewish community was forced to convert to Christianity by King Manuel in 1496. Thirteen years ago, over 100 of them formally returned to Judaism under the auspices of a special rabbinical court dispatched to the area by Israel's Chief Rabbinate.
"This marks the closing of a historical circle," said Amishav Director Michael Freund. "Centuries after the Jewish presence in Portugal was nearly snuffed out, kosher wine is again being produced here."
The festive ceremony marking the launch of the wine was attended by Yaakov Zecharia, Israel's Consul-General in Lisbon, Rabbi Eliyahu Birnbaum of the Israeli Chief Rabbinate and Amishav Director Michael Freund. The event received wide coverage in the Portuguese press and media.