The beginning of Jewish literature in America

Abstract

The 24 years when the Dutchmen occupied the northeast of Brazil (1630-1654) were treated by classical historiography as a period of relative religious tolerance. The Jews were considered allied politicians of the Dutchmen and were important in the creation of new commercial enterprises, mainly by dominating Portuguese and Dutch languages. The communal life was fortified 1641, with the arrival of the rabbis Isaac Aboab da Fonseca and Raphael d’Aguilar, who left also a literary inheritance: Aboab da Fonseca, is not only the first rabbi of the Americas, but is also considered the first Jewish author in Hebrew of the New World with Mi Chamocha, prayer composed describing the community suffering while surrounded by the Portuguese fleet. In the present text we are going to approach biographical aspects of the referred author, inserting his literary production within the situation of that Brazilian historical period.