who were murdered. There is a preserved Hebrew synagogal inscription of 1296-1297, that was planned to be placed above the synagogue ark. When the community finally gained acceptance and could freely practice their faith publicly in the 1970s, a synagogue, Bet Eliahu, was opened in 1996. In 2003, the Belmonte Project was founded under the auspices of the American Sephardi Federation, in order to raise funds to acquire Judaic educational material and services for the community (which now numbers 300). A Jewish Museum of Belmonte (Museu Judaico de Belmonte) opened on 17 April 2005. In the summer of 2006, the American Sephardi Federation ceased to have the Belmonte Project under its auspices. Their Sephardic tradition of Crypto-Judaism is considered unique. William Annyas (or Anes)—a descendant of a Marrano family from Belmonte who immigrated to Ireland and reverted to Judaism—became the Mayor of Youghal in County Cork in 1555, the first person of the Jewish religion to hold such an elected position in Ireland. See also Auto-da-fé History of the Jews in Portugal Portuguese Inquisition Sephardi Jews Spanish and Portuguese Jews References External links jewishwebindex.com (Jews of Portugal, Spain, Gibraltar and Majorca) Jews Bring Prosperity to Iberian Town Belmonte Belmonet Belmonte Belmonte Crypto-Jews pt:Belmonte (Portugal)#Comunidade judaica