Collection of Booklets by Artur Carlos de Barros Basto, "the Portuguese Dreyfus" – Porto, 1913-46 – Works on ...

Collection of Booklets by Artur Carlos de Barros Basto, "the Portuguese Dreyfus" – Porto, 1913-46 – Works on Judaism for Descendants of Conversos

26 booklets by Artur Carlos de Barros Basto (Avraham Yisrael Ben-Rosh). Porto: various publishers, 1913-46. Portuguese.
Large collection of booklets by Artur Carlos de Barros Basto, a celebrated officer in the Portuguese army, a hero of the 1910 revolution, and a Jew who dedicated his life to "Obra do Resgate" (a "Mission of Rescue"), which involved locating descendants of Marranos and conversos ("Crypto-Jews") in Portugal, and returning them to the Jewish faith. He was dubbed "the Jewish Dreyfus" for being vilified with false accusations connected to his unrelenting and unabashed efforts on behalf of the renewal of Jewish life in the coastal Portuguese city of Porto.
The present collection comprises twenty-six booklets – products of Barros Basto’s own unique printing enterprise – published over a period of more than thirty years for the sole purpose of introducing the great community of descendants of conversos to the wealth of Jewish knowledge that was lost to them over many generations.
The booklets address such topics as the Jewish religion and tradition; Jewish theology and philosophy; Jewish history; Jewish poems, songs, and customs; and more. They were printed by a number of different publishing houses established by Barros Basto in Porto under several different names, including Oryamismo; Comunidade Israelita do Porto; A. C. de Barros Basto (Ben-Rosh); and Instituto Teológico Israelita (Yeshibah Rosh-Pinah).

Artur Carlos de Barros Basto (1887-1961; Hebrew name: Avraham Yisrael Ben-Rosh). Officer in the Portuguese army. Fought in the 1910 revolution and the First World War; decorated several times for acts of bravery and promoted to the rank of Capitão (Captain). Renowned for nurturing a rebirth of the Jewish community in Porto, and for returning thousands of descendants of Portuguese Marranos and conversos to the Jewish faith. Born in northern Portugal; received a Catholic education. Discovered at a young age that he was descended from Jewish conversos, and familiarized himself with Jewish customs upon reaching adulthood. Underwent halakhic conversion, and married the daughter of one of the leaders of Lisbon’s Jewish community. The main objective of his ambitious efforts was the renewal of the Jewish community of Porto, several centuries after it had been destroyed with the expulsion of the Jews from Portugal. As part of his mission – and while still pursuing his military career – in 1927, Barros Basto founded a journal titled "HaLapid" ("The Torch"). He also published books, articles, and research papers on various Jewish topics. Many of these can be found in the present collection. In addition, he established a yeshiva by the name of "Rosh Pinah."
In order to locate Portuguese Crypto-Jews, Barros Basto would ride his horse through the rural areas surrounding Porto, accompanied by a "mohel", and whenever he came across male descendants of conversos who showed an interest in returning to Judaism, he would suggest they consider undergoing circumcision.
In the early 1920s, he began realizing his goal of re-establishing a Jewish community in Porto, centered around a synagogue originally located in a small apartment. This institution grew and eventually relocated to a large, magnificent building. Known as the Kadoorie – Mekor Haim Synagogue, it was funded by donations from the Baron Edmond de Rothschild and the Baron Lawrence Kadoorie, and was inaugurated in 1938.
Barros Basto’s far-reaching endeavors aimed at renewing Jewish life in Portugal – and in particular, the circumcision ceremonies he promoted – aroused the wrath of the Catholic Church. They also drew the attention of officials in the autocratic regime of António de Oliveira Salazar, sparking an anti-Semitic backlash. As a result, he was falsely accused of assorted crimes, put on trial, and despite his complete innocence, dishonorably discharged in 1937 from the ranks of the Portuguese armed forces. This course of events earned him the title of "the Portuguese Dreyfus." Barros Basto died in 1961 and was buried in his place of birth, Amarante.
Long after his death, in 2012, Barros Basto’s name was officially rehabilitated by an act of the Portuguese Parliament, and he thus posthumously regained his status as a Portuguese national hero.

26 booklets. Approx. 19 cm (with slight variations in size of booklets). Condition varies. Overall good condition. Bound along with original covers in new bindings inscribed with gilt impressions on spines (with several of the booklets bound together).

Also enclosed: 6 booklets by various authors, published by the "Instituto Teológico Israelita (Yeshibah Rosh Pinah), " founded by Barros Basto. Porto, 1942-47.
For a comprehensive overview of the prolific writings of Artur Carlos de Barros Basto, see:
Dov Cohen, Uma aproximação à atividade literária do Capitão Barros Basto, Cadernos de Estudos Sefarditas, no. 18, Cátedra de Estudos Sefarditas Alberto Benveniste, Lisbon, May 2018, pp. 61-98 (Portuguese).
A complete listing of the booklets will be delivered upon request.