As the Jewish community of Curitiba, capital of the Brazilian State of Parana, continued its week-long celebration of its 50th anniversary today, one of the principal avenues in the city was officially named “Estada de Israel” — State of Israel. Attending the ceremonies in the naming of the street were the Governor of Parana, Nei Braga; the Mayor of Curitiba; Israeli Ambassador Aryeh Eshel, envoy to Brazil; Chief Rabbi Henrique Lemle; and the archbishop of the local Roman Catholic diocese.
The Jewish community of the city, now numbering 450 families comprising 1,700 souls, was founded officially in 1913 by 17 Jewish people who had moved there. The first two Jewish families in the city had settled there as far back as 1889. The Jewish community of Curitiba has been hailed in this country as an example of a community with keen, Jewish consciousness integrated with the life of Brazil in general.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
