El libro des los acuerdos (The Book of Accounts)

Wardens of the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue of London

1664

Escama [Regulation] Added to the 42 Preceding

43. To avoid the scandal and hindrance that it causes in this Kahal Kados on the occasions when English ladies come to see the ceremonies of our religion, it is forbidden, and ordained that from this day henceforth no Yahid [full member—Ed.] of this Kahal Kados may bring them to it, nor rise, nor move from his place to receive them, nor [persons] of any other nation that may be, in order to accompany them, or give them place; and the same applies to the gentlemen who may come to this Synagogue, reserving to the Señores of the Mahamad [board of governors—Ed.] the power to act as they ought according as may seem good to them; for thus it befits the respect due to this holy place; and he who should do the contrary shall be excluded from the Synagogue, and action shall be taken to the full degree that may seem good to the Mahamad which is or shall be in office. And peace be upon all Israel.

David Abrabanel Dormido.

Eliau de Lima.

Moseh Baruh Louzada.

Translated by
Lionel D.
Barnett
.

Notes

Words in brackets appear in the original, unless added by editor.

Credits

Wardens of the Spanish-Portuguese Synagogue of London, from El Libro de Los Acuerdos: Being the Records and Accompts of the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue of London from 1663 to 1681, trans. Lionel D. Barnett (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1931), p. 15. Used with permission of The Society of Heshaim, the Spanish and Portuguese Jews’ Congregation, London.

Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 5.

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Creator Bio

Wardens of the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue of London

David Abrabanel (Manuel Martinez) Dormido (d. 1667) and Elijah (Eliau) de Lima (dates unknown) were the first parnasim (synagogue officers) of the Spanish and Portuguese Jewish congregation in London, while Moseh Baruh Louzada served as its gabbai (treasurer). Dormido, a descendant of New Christians, was born in Andalucía, where he was a tax collector. Arrested by the Inquisition in 1627, he fled first to Bordeaux and later to Amsterdam, where he joined the Jewish community and became one of its leading members. In 1654, he accompanied the son of Menasseh Ben Israel to London, petitioning Cromwell to readmit Jews to England. In 1656, Dormido signed the petition requesting freedom of worship for Jews reclaiming their religious identity. He was one of the first lay leaders of the unofficial community and signatory to the constitution of the community formally established in 1663. De Lima and Louzada were also signatories. Nothing more is known about de Lima. Louzada was a broker. His descendants flourished in England and the West Indies.

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