THE FUNCHAL MADEIRA CEMETERY
On July, the 20th, 1988, I received a letter from Professor Eberhard Axel Wilhelm, from the University of Lisbon, Department of Germanic Studies with the Faculty of Letters. He was a friend of Professor Salomao Amram, who recommended me in regards to my work with the Faro Jewish Cemetery.
Professor Eberhard had taught at the Center for the Support of the Faculty of Letters in Funchal, Madeira, for five years. He had also done extensive studies on the Jewish Cemetery of Funchal, which was in a wretched state. Professor Eberhard had written several articles concerning the migration of German Jewish immigrants to the Madeira island prior and during the World War II conflict.
Several graves indicate they belonged to German Jewish people. There were several Jewish doctors who settled in Funchal and commuted to Lisbon. Other settlers were businessmen from Austria and Chekoslovakia.
In one of his articles, Professor Eberhard describes in detail the sad situation with the location of the Jewish Cemetery of Funchal, Madeira. The cemetery land is located on a hillside next to the Atlantic Ocean. Due to erosion on several areas, portions of the cemetery land had fallen into the sea below. Fortunately, there were no graves near these areas and none were lost. There was great concern that if the erosion became more severe and more often, there would be a danger of the graves also falling, due to the terrain breaking loose. Professor Eberhard suggested that the cemetery in Funchal also equally deserved to become The Funchal Jewish Cemetery Restoration Fund Inc.
In my letter of response to Professor Eberhard, I pointed out the difficulties I was experiencing in gathering funds for the Faro Cemetery Restoration. No further promises were made and the matter was left at that.
It is of great interest to point out the veritable fact that within 160 years, from the 1830’s to 1990’s, Portuguese Jewish History surfaced in the form of these holy sites, the Jewish cemeteries in Faro, Azores and Madeira. Our main interest was to see these cemeteries would be taken care of in the future. To date, only the Faro Jewish Cemetery has been restored. There is not a single Jewish organisation that overseas proper care of abandoned cemeteries.
Isaac (Ike) Bitton
1230 Davis Road
Woodstock, Illinios
60098 USA
On the east of the city adjoining the Caminho do Lazareto is the Jewish burial ground. Over the entrance gates are written in Hebrew: " House of the Living" This cemetery is relatively "new" as Judaism was not openly practiced on the island. Although there was a large 'Crypto' (secret) Jewish community from the 15 or 16th century, there is no documentation. This is the only remaining remnant of a Jewish presence on the beautiful island of Madeira.
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Pessoas sepultadas por ordem alfabetica.
Abudarham Clara (1887)
Abudaham Fortunato (1868)
Abudaham Jacob da Camara (1903)
Abudaham Joana Buzaglo da Camara (1976)
Abudaham Jose (1869)
Abudaham Rafael Menahem (1896)
Abudaham Reina Pariente (1854)
Abudaham Salomao (1896)
Abudaham Simy Buzaglo da Camara (1931)
Alazar Messad (1856)
Athias Mary (1892)
Bach Emma (1958)
Benady Samuel M S (1940)
Bentata Donna Haasan (1942)
Benyunes Rosa (1942)
Benzecry Abraham (1943)
Bouju Jeanette Edith (1965)
Camara Joana S Bettencourt Abudarham (1976)
Cohen David (1941)
Esnaty Ester Benaim (1941)
Esnaty Haim Bar Issahar (1856)
Ezagul Moises (1910)
Friesner Adolphus (1882)
Goldberg Albert Morse (1971)
Hassan Esther Benaim (1942)
Horwitz Hermann (1901)
Katz Willy Alexander (1945)
Labos Estrela (1943)
Labos Modehay (1942)
Lorie Harry Harry (1966)
Mercado Menahem Rodriques (1856)
Mercado Mordehay Rodriques (1860)
Neugarten Margit (?)
Robins Abraham (1921)
Schnitzer Gilbert (1930)
Schnitzer Pauline Plinette Levy (1964)
Schnitzer Willy Gomes da Silva (1930)
Schwazschild Ferdinand (1868)
Tobelem Baruj (1942)
This list was compiled in good faith with information supplied by the Casa da Saudade Library Dartmouth MA USA.
E-mail: Rufina Bernardetti Silva Mausenbaum
