Tourists ‘agog’ for ancient Brazilian synagogue
Holidaymakers are flocking to Brazil to visit the oldest synagogue in the Americas, according to new reports.
The Recife synagogue, which is a two-storey place of worship predating 1641 built by Sephardic Jews, became an important symbol of Judaism in the now-Catholic nation and has begun attracting a wealth of tourists, reports Reuters.
Head of the Jewish Historical Archive in Recife, Tania Kaufman, told the international news agency: "[The synagogue] challenges the stereotypical view that Brazilian culture is based on a tripod of Portuguese, native Indians and Africans.
"We now know Jews were a fundamental part of Brazil’s cultural melting pot."
An exhibition entitled "Pernambuco, Brazil – a gateway to New York" attracted around 20,000 visitors earlier this year and caused "much interest" in the US.
The Brazilian tourist board, Embratur, reports that tourism in Latin America’s biggest economy is growing by 7.2 per cent annually.
It is not hard to see why – 90 per cent of Brazil is located within the tropical zone and it has launched over 14 eco-tourism sites in recent years where travellers can experience the biodiversity of the country first-hand.
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