Gibraltar occupies a small peninsula jutting out from the Spanish coast. Its town is situated at the foot and on the lowest levels of the western face of the Rock, a 1400 foot high block of limestone. A self-governing British colony, Gibraltar has its own House of Assembly, consisting of fifteen elected members, a Chief Minister presides over a Council of Ministers. The colony’s economy is based primarily on tourism and on the provisioning of ships and their personnel; thousands of vessels enter the port of Gibraltar annually.
Sunny beaches, an astonishing variety of plant life; numerous species of wild birds,; the tailless Barbary apes (which have become a symbol of Gibraltar) the Rock’s caves; traces of the Moors and Spaniards, who ruled here before the British took over early in the eighteenth century; as well as old and new fortifications, including World War II tunnels and batteries– attract visitors from far and wide. Facilities for tourists include modern hotels and restaurants and shops carrying a wide variety of imported goods.
Jews settled in British Gibraltar in the second quarter of the 18th century. By 1749 there were about 600 Jews in Gibraltar. One hundred years later their number reached 2000. Most of them came from neighboring North Africa. Jews have played important roles in the life of the colony.
A son of the Gibraltar Jewish community entered the annals of Jewish history as a forerunner of Zionism. He was Rabbi Yehuda Bibas, who was rabbi of Corfu from 1831-1852. Rabbi Bibas maintained that the Jews must first return to Zion on their own, before G-d would redeem them. He strongly influenced Rabbi Yehuda Alkalay, who wrote extensively and travelled widely to propagate the idea of the Jews’ return to the Land of Israel.
At present there are about 500 Jews in Gibraltar in a populations of 25,000. My husband and I travelled to Gibraltar from Tangier by a boat which returns the same day. We wanted to see the Rock as well as learn about its Jewish community. It didn’t take us long to find Jews. Leaving the port area and entering the town, we noticed that many of the big shops on busy Main Street were carrying Jewish names.
In front of a linen store we saw a bearded young man wearing a Kippa and his Tzitzit protruding from his shirt. He was talking to a young woman in a Sheital. We greeted them and introduced ourselves.
The young man, a Ba’al Teshuva, was the son of the owner of the shop and a native of Gibraltar. The woman, whose first name was Keren, was the wife of Rabbi Naftali Lhote, a Shaliach of the Jewish Agency. Both she and her husband are originally from Paris, and have been in Gibraltar for the past two years.
Keren told me that she had been teaching at the Jewish day school. The school which is attended by 70 children aged four to twelve, is housed in a government owned building and is partly supported by the authorities.
Talking about the shuls, Keren advised us to visit the “Nefutzot Yehudah” Synagogue; it was the largest and most beautiful and open most of the day. Continuing along Main Street, as she suggested, we had no difficulty in finding the synagogue which is located on Line Wall Street. The Shul was closed but Mrs. Algeria Britton, who lives next door opened it for us.
The interior, especially the Hekhal, is very impressive. Jewish ceremonial objects are displayed in glass cases. The synagogue was originally erected in 1799. It was rebuilt in 1951.
Mrs. Britton told us that Rabbi Haim Sananes lived nearby and that she could contact him for us. She returned after a few minutes, informing us the rabbi invited us to his home.
Rabbi Haim Sananes received us graciously. The rabbi told us about himself and the community he was serving. He was born in Tetuan, Morocco, studied at the Yeshivot of Sunderland and Gateshead and did some apprenticeship at the London Beth Din.
He came to Gibraltar thirty years ago to serve as Shochet. The slaughtering was done in the slaughterhouse of La Linea, just across the border in Spain. In 1969 Franco closed the border and the community had to import its meat from London and Manchester. Though the border is now open again, the community continued to receive its meat from England. There are several stores which sell kosher meat and other kosher products and one kosher bakery.
Four synagogue serve the community: The Abudraham, Etz Hayim, Nefutzot Yehuda and Sha’ar Hashamayim. The latter is the oldest, having been founded in 1749. Services are held in all synagogues on Sabbath and festivals, but on weekdays there is only one Minyan. In order that none of the synagogues remain closed on weekdays nights throughout the year, the daily Minyan rotates, moving every three months to another Shul. The community has a Mikveh and has erected a new building for its old age home.
Gibraltar’s Jews are very traditional,” the rabbi said. “All keep a kosher home. Almost no one desecrates the Shabbat in public. Jewish business are all closed on that day.”
Rabbi Sananes talked at length about the important positions held by Jews on the Rock. The best know Gibraltarian is probably Sir Joshua Hassan, the Chief Minister. He served for many years as mayor of Gibraltar and as a member of the House of Assembly.
From 1964 to 1969 he was Chief Minister and since 1982 has been serving in that capacity again. He is an observant Jew and an active Zionist. Gibraltar’s present mayor, Abraham Serfaty is a Jew, so is Chief Justice, Sam Benady. There is another Abraham Sarfaty, a lawyer who is very observant. He appears in court wearing a Kippa
For the last one hundred years, two members of the Ben Naim family served as spiritual leaders of the Gibraltar Jewish community.
Rabbi Refael Chaim Moshe Ben Naim was born in Tetuan. In his youth he settled in Palestine where he eventually became a member of the Beth Din of Tiberias. He travelled widely to raise funds for the Jews of the Holy Land. In 1881 on a visit to Gibraltar he was chosen rabbi of the British colony.
He was known for his piety throughout Morocco and was the author of a volume of responsa (Rahamim Peshutim). After his death in 1920, his position was held by his son David, who combined leadership of the community with a very successful career as a merchant and supplier of the British navy. He also held a high post in the government of the colony.
After speaking about an hour with the rabbi, we thanked him for his hospitality and continued our stroll through the town. We passed the Jewish old age home and then took a cable car to the top of the Rock, from where we had a breathtaking view of the Straits of Gibraltar. Spain and Morocco.
When we descended and hurried back to the boat, we stopped off at kosher stores to buy wine and Challot for Shabbat in Tangier.
Jewish Tradition, South Africa, April 1987