Kahal Zur Israel Synagogue, Jewish museum and former synagogue on Rua do Bom Jesus, Recife, Brazil

Kahal Zur Israel stands at 197 Rua do Bom Jesus, formerly Rua dos Judeus, in Recife's old city. The original synagogue, serving houses no. 197 and 203, was torn down in the early 20th century; the present two-story house, with two shops on the ground floor, was built on the site and opened in 2001 as a Jewish museum designed after 17th- and 18th-century Sephardic synagogues. Inside are a Torah, a bema and archaeological finds from the original building, including the mikveh.

Established in 1636 by Portuguese and Spanish Sephardic Jews who had taken refuge in Dutch Brazil, the synagogue served a community of about 1,450 Jews, with rabbi Isaac Aboab da Fonseca arriving in 1642. When the Dutch surrendered in 1654, the Jews left, many reaching New Amsterdam. The original structure was demolished in the early 20th century; archaeological excavation confirmed the site, and a museum opened there in 2001.

The name Kahal Zur Israel means "Rock of Israel", not "Light of Israel". The museum opened in 2001 in a two-story house with two shops on the ground floor, built to resemble 17th- and 18th-century Sephardic synagogues. Every November a Jewish festival of dance, cinema and food, from gefilte fish to fluden, draws around 20,000 visitors to the synagogue and Rua do Bom Jesus.

The building is located in Recife's old city center and is easily reached on foot with the surrounding area straightforward to navigate. Visitors should allow time to move slowly through the rooms and take in the details and explanations provided at each section.

The synagogue was partly established by Moses Cohen Henriques, a former privateer for the Dutch who led a Jewish contingent to Itamaracá in 1630 before settling in Recife. The site was confirmed by archaeological excavation, which uncovered a mikveh with seven steps used in purification rituals.