of the Jews changed. They were given more political autonomy. In 1986, one of the members of the Belmonte community, João Diogo, was elected to the Municipal-Council. In November, 1987 there was a ceremony that welcomed Sabbath in the Municipal Auditorium. A total of sixty-three people attended, and was held by Rabbi Haim Shapira. Garcia claims this event marked ‘a renewal of the organization that was interrupted in 1930, and its purpose was to carry out the declared wish of the community of Belmonte: to return to the bosom of traditional Judaism.’ There was a slow ease out of secrecy, and the end of António de Oliveira Salazar’s dictatorship contributed to Portugal’s acceptance after the 1974 transition to democracy. The Kehilah (community) of the Jews of Belmonte was created. As all its members had not all converted, it was called ‘The Community’. To demonstrate the nation-wide acceptance, its legitimacy was published in the “Diario da Republica” on January 9, 1989. Finally, the following month on the 8th of February, the list of rights and responsibilities of the community members were published: To spread the Jewish religion among the members; To spread the Jewish cultural tradition; To encourage and motivate unity and mutual assistance among the Jews of Belmonte and in general among the Jews of Portugal; To be involved, as an autonomous community, in the Jewish community of Lisbon, since it is the only body that represents the Jews of Portugal; To inform the Jews of the entire world about the return of the Crypto-Jews of Portugal to the bosom of Judaism; To act toward cooperation with Jewish individuals and organization to achieve the aforementioned goals ... The history of Crypto-Judaism in Belmonte is an active interest in present day society. Garcia reports on the ‘International Conference in Trancoso on the History of the Beriras and the Jews of the Iberian-Peninsula’. The conference included: lectures, exhibitions, films, tours of the Jewish quarters and other historical sites of Belmonte. As a result of this conference, it is evident that the Sephardic tradition of Crypto-Judaism did represent a hub of Judaism and resistance against anti-semitism, because at the conference ‘it was also reported that they intended to make Belmonte in Portugal into the sister-city of Yavneh in Israel.’ Today, there is an active synagogue and museum dedicated to the history of this tradition, and dedications throughout the town paying solace to those