(1605-93)
Portuguese rabbi. He was the first rabbi in the western hemisphere. Born a marrano in Portugal, he emigrated to Holland. In 1641 he travelled to Recife, Brazil. He later went to Amsterdam where he was appointed hakham. He was a follower of Shabbetai Tzevi, and a member of the tribunal which excom-municated Benedict Spinoza.
Dictionary of Jewish Biography. Dan Cohn-Sherbok.