In northern Brazil, Sephardic converts are giving dwindling Jewish communities a new lease on life

RECIFE, Brazil (JTA) — Preparing to leave this city’s main Jewish community center, Sabrina Scherb peeks beyond its blast-proof gate into a quiet street strewn with branches and shredded mango fruits.

The debris, left over from an overnight tropical storm, is not what’s worrying Scherb, a 22-year-old university student and volunteer dance instructor.

“I’m looking to see if it’s safe,” she said, walking briskly to a friend’s parked car after giving an Israeli folk dance class. “I’m afraid all the time of robbery, or worse. I plan my life so I spend the least amount of time on the street. We all do.”

Originally published here: https://www.jta.org/2018/12/26/global/in-northern-brazil-sephardic-converts-are-giving-dwindling-jewish-communities-a-new-lease-on-life?utm_source=mjl_maropost&utm_campaign=MJL&utm_medium=email&mpweb=1161-8060-109347