The Jewish community of this little island has taken upon itself the task of doing its part for German Jewish refugees. Recently, one of the local Jewish business men brought here at his own expense a German Jewish physician, Dr. M. Friedman, who received a hearty welcome from the entire community.
Ponta Delgada is the only one of the nine Azore Islands that has a Jewish community. There are twenty-six Jews, who worship at a synagogue founded 125 years ago. There is a Jewish cemetery here, and Rev. Feiwel Reich, a shochet (ritral slaughter), was imported from Rumania about a year and a half ago.
The Jews here are descendants of refugees from the Spanish Inquisition. They continue to observe the orthodox ritual, the women being forced to remain in the gallery during synagogue services. All Jewish stores are closed on the Sabbath, and every member of the community attends the services.
There has been no case of intermarriage between Jew and Gentile on the island. The relations between the two faiths, however, are extremely cordial.
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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.
