Most synagogues are Conservative or Reform. The Paulista Israeli Congregation (in Portuguese: Congregação Israelita Paulista) is located in São Paulo, Brazil. It is the largest synagogue in Latin America, serving more than 1500 people. It was founded in 1936 by a group of refugees from Nazi Germany, as a Reform synagogue, but also has links with the Conservative movement. In recent years, the Chabad movement has made inroads in São Paulo, establishing several synagogues and Mikvaot (ritual baths), as well as a kindergarten.
Jews lead an open religious life in Brazil and cases of antisemitism are rarely reported in the country. In the main urban centers, there are schools, associations, and synagogues where Brazilian Jews can practice and transmit Jewish culture and traditions. Some Jewish scholars say that the only threat facing Judaism in Brazil is the relatively high frequency of mixed marriages, which in 2002 was estimated at 60%.
In terms of religious identification, Brazil’s Jewish population encompasses a wide spectrum of streams of Judaism, from liberal to Orthodox. Most of the Jewish community in Brazil identifies itself as a Zionist.
