The Unbelievable Story of the Jews of Belmonte: Due to the Inquisition, They Believed They Were the Last Jews on Earth
"Here in the village of Belmonte, the candle never extinguishes. Here, in the village homes, they secretly observed the Jewish commandments for 500 years. Here, the Jewish soul was not lost": What is the connection between a moving sign at the entrance of a Jewish synagogue in Europe and the terrible Inquisition decrees?<\/strong>
The period of the Inquisition, which completely changed the lives of Spanish Jewry, also profoundly affected the village of Belmonte located on the border between Portugal and Spain. Nevertheless, the 200 Jews living there when the dreadful decrees appeared in 1496 lived outwardly as Christians but devotedly maintained their Judaism in secrecy.<\/p>
In an interesting article published in 'Haaretz', it was mentioned that today the village is home to 3,000 residents, with very few Jews - only about ten families. Interestingly, due to the village's geographical isolation, for over 400 years the Jews of Belmonte believed they were the last remaining Jews in the world and represented the entire Jewish people.<\/p>
In the absence of media communication, it was easy for them to believe this, as the terrible Inquisition decrees had spread to other countries where Jews lived, demanding conversion to Christianity or facing being burned alive (the fate of those who refused to convert).<\/p>
Due to this belief, even after a new synagogue was built for the Jewish community, the sign at the entrance remained unchanged: "Here in the village of Belmonte, the candle never extinguishes. Here, in the village homes, they secretly observed the commandments<\/a> of Judaism for 500 years. Here, the Jewish soul was not lost. Here, the Jewish soul remains forever".<\/strong><\/p> Moving, haven't we said?
