The International Observatory for Human Rights and B’nai B’rith Portugal paid tribute last night, at the headquarters of B’nai B’rith, to the first chief rabbi of the kingdom, Yaish ben Yahya, whose cooperation in the 12th century with the first king of Portugal, Dom Afonso Henriques, helped pave the way for modern Portugal.
Distinguished national and international figures attended this public recognition of Yaish’s life which is part of a chain of solidarity events promoting peace and coexistence between peoples, organized by the International Observatory for Human Rights and B’nai B’rith Portugal.
A noted military leader and scholar of the Jewish Bible, Yaish was a direct descendant of King David, through the exilarchs of Babylon, a contemporary of Maimonides, the greatest Jewish intellectual authority of the era and an adviser to the king. The king made him the first chief rabbi of the kingdom, supervisor of tax collection and knight-major of the Order of St. James of the Sword as a reward for services rendered in the reconquest of the territory.
These events resulted in the formation of Portugal as an independent country and served as the foundation of the national character of the country. The first dynasty of Portuguese kings never forgot the services of Yaish and the Jewish community, which already had a significant presence in the country for many centuries. Thanks in part to the relationship between Yaish and the king, Portugal subsequently became a global diplomatic, scientific, economic and military power, controlling large territories around the world.
José Ribeiro e Castro, president of the Historical Society of Portugal and a former member of the European Parliament, said at the event that “Yaish ben Yahya is the first major Jewish figure in the history of Portugal. He is one of the greatest Portuguese figures from 900 years ago. He deserves to be better-known, through more in-depth investigation into historical sources.”
The president of B’nai B’rith Portugal, Gabriela Cantergi, said, “The Jews were linked to the foundation of Portugal and helped in the development of this small county, which became the strongest empire of the age. They were treasurers, chamberlains, astronomers, cartographers, financiers in the age of discovery, masters of trade and even spies in the known world.”
However, Cantergi added, “the Jews were also involuntarily linked to the country’s economic and global descent when they were forced to leave en masse, thus strengthening competing nations. It is important that we give recognition to Yaish as an antidote to rising Antisemitism, especially those who accuse Jews of dual loyalty.”
Luís Andrade, president of the International Human Rights Observatory, which is based in Portugal, said that “the successful victories of King Dom Afonso Henriques are largely due to the great intellectual and warrior, Yaish ben Yahya, a direct descendant of King David. The name of this notable Jew and his talents in the administration of a recently created country should be a matter of pride and honor for Portugal and for all the Portuguese who love their country.”
Rabbi Eli Rosenfeld, president of Chabad Portugal, said, “The story of Portugal cannot be told without the story of the Jewish people.”
Amado Rodrigues, who is director of Lisbon’s Military Museum, the oldest Portuguese museum, highlighted the importance of the first king of Portugal. “D. Afonso Henriques, warrior king and diplomat, founded the Portuguese nation and reigned for 45 years. Without him, there would be no Portuguese national today and possibly not even the name Portugal.”
Rabbi Menachem Margolin, chairman of the Brussels-based European Jewish Association, the largest European Association advocating for and on behalf of hundreds of Jewish communities across the continent, said, “In these difficult times, this celebration of the life of Rabbi Yaish is all the more poignant and important. It is a reminder to all of the significant and important contributions made by Jews to the cultural, civic and economic life in Europe, to the philosophical, the ethical and the wider prosperity that Judaism has added to the concept of what we term Europe and being European.”
“The legacy and history of this great chief rabbi, so bound to the deep roots of Portugal deserves this recognition, not just in Portugal, not just on the Iberian peninsula, but across this wide continent as a whole,” said Margolin.