After a tumultuous journey of delays and lots of preparation, my family touched down in beautiful Lisbon, Portugal. We were met by family from all over the world. Relatives reunited from South Africa, Israel, the UK, and Florida around a delicious dinner spread at Lisbon’s kosher restaurant, Genesis. Our hosts welcomed us like their own family with every kind of Israeli delicacy possible, gathering to sing Siman Tov U-Mazal Tov to the almost bar mitzvah boy, Zachary.
The next morning, a crisp and sunny Thursday, we walked together to the beautiful Shaare Tikvah Synagogue, a historic gem in Lisbon. Shaare Tikvah, established in the early 20th century, has been a cornerstone for the Jewish community, preserving Sephardic traditions and culture. Upon entering the rigid and immense metal gates, we were welcomed into a beautiful cobblestone courtyard with an abundant shaded flowering tree. The congregation’s name means “Gates of Hope.”
The city of Lisbon (Lisboa) and the country of Portugal have a rich Jewish history, one that is filled with persecution and trauma, but also incredible resilience, persistence, and hope.
We were welcomed by Rabbi Ruben Suiza and his wonderful wife, Debbie Suiza. One warm embrace from Debbie brought back memories of my youth growing up in the Sephardic congregation in Cape Town, South Africa.
Watching Rabbi Suiza and my father helping Zachary put on his tefillin for the first time, witnessing family standing beside him and helping lift the Torah, blessing him and supporting him for his parshah, and having complete strangers come in on a Thursday to celebrate a young man coming into adulthood left me speechless and in tears.
Zachary’s bar mitzvah signifies the fifth generation Rabbi Suiza has stood beside our family in tradition and life’s milestones. From Zachary’s great-great-grandparents, the marriage of Zac’s grandparents, and the blessing of the birth and bat mitzvah of me (his mother) back in South Africa, and now my son – Zachary’s bar mitzvah on a completely different continent. The rabbi delivered an emotional summary of the significance, sweets were thrown, songs were sung, and yes, another delicious spread of food was eaten.
As I reflect, although the setting was breathtaking, it was family and tradition that made that day truly inspiring. Zac’s family is spread far across the world. He has gotten a small glimpse of the resilience and plight of our Jewish people. But today, we all came together in a city far from our own homes, and absolutely everyone was and felt like family and very much as one.
From the medieval castles of Obidos, abundance of azejulos, the seven bridges of Porto and the emerald greens of the Algarve, we spent the next 13 days taking in the rich history of Portugal and the natural beauty of her coast. In addition, we experienced Shabbat dinners overlooking the Atlantic, thanking Hashem for being surrounded by family, and lighting the candles with prayers that others may be returned to their family soon.