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The family name: Maduro
The name Levy Maduro (or short Maduro) comes from the old Sepharad (Spain/Portugal). There are many branches in the USA, Panama, Curacao, Aruba and around the world. They contributed to all the societies they participated in. Some were Rabbi, cantor, doctors, and some have achieved great achievements in their field (art, sports, medicine etc.). The Maduro last name is quite common in Aruba and Curacao, as they were some of the first settlers of the island.
Haaretz article
Haaretz wrote an article about the Maduro family and their history:
"The Maduros are one of the most illustrious and highly respected Jewish families in the Caribbean Islands and Central America. The members of this family meticulously recorded its chronicles from one generation to the next. The first recorded event relates to the year 1512. Antonio and Leonora Roiz lived as marranos (crypto-Jews) in Portugal and concealed their Jewish identity from the authorities. Their son, Diego, added to his family name the title Maduro, which means mature or senior. Diego's son, Antonio Roiz Maduro, was sentenced to be burned to death by the Inquisition in Portugal for "crimes against the Catholic faith and for observance of the laws of Moses." He was burned alive at the stake in the central square of the Portuguese city of Coimbra.
His wife managed to escape to France in 1618 and publicly resumed her observance of Jewish law. Her daughter, Clara, changed her name to Rachel and moved to the Netherlands in 1619, where she met Moshe Levy. As a gesture of respect for the Maduro family, Levy added Maduro to the name of his own family, which from that time on became known as Levy Maduro.
Levy's grandson, Moshe Levy Maduro, arrived with his family in the Caribbean island of Curacao in 1672. He came there to serve as cantor in the local synagogue and subsequently settled on the island, becoming the owner of several farms and an exporter of tropical fruits, which he sent to Europe on his own ships. His siblings settled in Jamaica and on the island of St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands."
Thanks for reading
References:
- https://www.dbnl.org/tekst/benj004ency01_01/benj004ency01_01_0010.p...
- https://www.dbnl.org/tekst/_lux001194301_01/_lux001194301_01_0028.p...
- https://www.haaretz.com/2002-08-16/ty-article/the-worlds-other-jewi...
- https://rdc.reed.edu/i/61f3dca0-8644-4e06-a253-406b36824cb2