Old Recife

Today we were back in class and it was really interesting to discuss the differences between our trip to the sertão and the trip to the beaches (aka tourist trip). While I learned a lot from both, there were some pretty big differences. More on that later on the trip. I am writing a paper for my internship so I will probably share parts of it as it develops.

In the afternoon we went around Old Recife (Recife Antigo) and it was amazing to see all the older buildings. Some were even older than many of the buildings of the 13 original colonies of the United States. One of the most interesting things I have seen on this trip is the Synagogue Kahal Zur Israel. Because of the Inquisition and political persecution many Jews that had converted to Christianity in Portugal had immigrated to Brazil. Under the Dutch occupation of Northeastern Brazil these Jews that had practiced Catholicism on the outside and had secretly practiced where able to openly practice. The Dutch, even being Calvinists, allowed more open expression of other faiths. Under this time period of 1630-1654, the Jewish community prospered and built the synagogue. When entering into the synagogue the guys of the group put on kippahs, so it was interesting to see how much of what I had learned from World Religions last semester came back.

The caption on the bottom says "Road of the Jews"

Afterwards we went to one of the oldest churches in Recife. Capela Dourada or 'The Golden Chapel' is plaited over the molding with a thin layer of gold and it is stunning. There are many wooden statues inside that look like stone or even flesh. Some of the older statues of Jesus have actual human hair from worshipers in the 1800s. The Baroque style is unique because among the complex decorations are native fruits from Brazil like pineapple and caju, so it is often called 'Tropical Baroque'.  

Well, I had some great pictures I wanted to upload. But they didn't, so go to Facebook!