Bordeaux

Sephardic Jews of Bordeaux                                

Jewish cemetery, Bordeaux

In the late 15th century, a group known as New Christians migrated to Bordeaux from Spain and Portugal. They were initially welcomed for their commercial activities and, in 1550, were granted permission by Henry II to reside in the towns and localities of their choice. Although they outwardly practiced Catholicism, they were suspected by the general populace of secretly practicing Judaism, though the authorities turned a blind eye. However, in 1604 and 1612, a more liberal attitude was shown when an ordinance was issued forbidding people from speaking ill of or doing harm to the Portuguese merchants. The New Christians mainly lived in the parishes of St. Eulalie and St. Eloy and claimed the right to be buried in the cemeteries of these and other parishes, as well as monasteries. In 1710, a portion of the Catholic cemetery was reserved specifically for them. Their marriages were performed by Catholic priests, and all the formalities, including obtaining a papal dispensation for consanguinity, were observed. However, in 1710, there was a change in attitude, and the New Christians began to openly profess Judaism. Although priests continued to register their marriages, they added a note stating that the marriage had been or would be performed according to the customary rites of the Portuguese nation.

In the early 18th century, a charitable institution called the Sedaca was established with the intention of providing support to those in need. Regular contributions were made by members according to their ability, which were used to fund the maintenance of Sephardi communities in the “four holy cities” of Eretz Israel, local impoverished individuals, and travelers in need. Later on, the Sedaca expanded its scope by covering the costs of a physician for the poor, as well as officeholders within the community, such as the teachers of the Talmud Torah (established before 1710) and a rabbi. Joseph Falcon was the first to hold the position of rabbi in 1719, followed by Jacob Ḥayyim Athias and his son David.

In 1723, new letters-patent were obtained, officially referring to “Portuguese merchants” as Jews for the first time. Before this, the previous letters-patent had been granted by Louis XIV in 1656. During the turn of the century, openly self-declared Jews arrived from Avignon and Comtat-Venaissin to settle in Bordeaux, numbering 22 families by 1722. However, due to reasons of respectability and other considerations, the “Portuguese” intentionally kept themselves apart from the newcomers. In 1731, the municipal administrator objected to the regulation requiring the “Portuguese” Jews of Bordeaux to pay a protection tax similar to that of the Jews of Metz. Nonetheless, in 1734, this official reminded the Jews of Bordeaux that practicing the Jewish religion in public was prohibited. A report from 1753 referred to the practice of the Jewish religion in seven synagogues as a “scandal”; however, these were actually prayer rooms located in private dwellings.

Zosa Szajkowski reports that family names of the Sephardic Jews of Bordeaux included: Alvarez, Cardoze, Dias, Dacosta, Gomes, Lameyra, Lopes, Mendes, Pas, Pereyre, Rodrigues and Silva.

Sephardic Jewish Genealogy in Bordeaux

The surviving Birth, Circumcision, Marriage and Burial records of the Portuguese-Jewish community of Bordeaux (‘Israélites Portugais’) have been digitised and can be viewed on the Bordeaux Archives website. http://archives.bordeaux-metropole.fr/archive/fonds/FR-ABM243300316_BORDEAUX_GG/view:16036

The registers for the Culte israélite are listed below Culte catholique. Many of the registers have been lost over the years. A couple of registers of the Israélites Avignonnais also survive.

Bordeaux Sephardic Jews’ Birth Register

  • BORDEAUX GG 844 – Israélites Portugais. – Registre des naissances (22 décembre 1738-27 décembre 1792)

Bordeaux Sephardic Jews’ Circumcision Registers

  • BORDEAUX GG 842 – Israélites Portugais. – Registre des circoncisions (28 février 1706-26 janvier 1775)
  • BORDEAUX GG 843 – Israélites Portugais. – Registre des circoncisions (12 septembre 1732-16 août 1793)
  • BORDEAUX GG 846 – Israélites Portugais. – Registre des circoncisions (9 juin 1750-29 juillet 1784)
  • BORDEAUX GG 847 – Israélites Portugais. – Registre des circoncisions (10 août 1773-1er mai 1793)
  • BORDEAUX GG 848 – Israélites Portugais. – Registre des circoncisions (14 janvier 1774-1er décembre 1793)
  • BORDEAUX GG 849 – Israélites Portugais. – Registre des circoncisions (2 décembre 1774-20 février 1793)
  • BORDEAUX GG 851 – Israélites Portugais. – Registre des circoncisions (9 juin 1785-26 novembre 1793)

Bordeaux Sephardic Jews’ Marriage Register

  • BORDEAUX GG 850 – Israélites Portugais. – Registre des mariages (24 décembre 1775-17 décembre 1792)

Bordeaux Sephardic Jews’ Death Register

  • BORDEAUX GG 845 – Israélites Portugais. – Registre des décès (7 janvier 1739-23 décembre 1792)

Books on the Sephardic Jews of Bordeaux

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