Welcome to the Kahal Kadosh Blue City – UNICA

Founded in 2025 by the Bronchtein, Gentil, and Salzberg families—who, for different reasons, came to settle in southern Santa Catarina—Kahal Kadosh Cidade Azul (UNICA) emerged as a local Jewish initiative dedicated to creating a space for gathering and study for Jewish families in the region.

Given the geographic distance from established Jewish institutions in the state, a need emerged to organize a center of Jewish life that would enable the preservation of identity, the continuity of practice, and the strengthening of communal bonds within a context of dispersion.

UNICA is structured as a nucleus dedicated to the study of Torah, communal practice, and the cultivation of a meaningful Jewish life rooted in the classical sources of the tradition. Its activities are guided by contemporary pedagogical and methodological frameworks that emphasize classical modes of study, textual rigor, and communal responsibility, always calibrated to the realities and needs of the group.

We maintain ongoing dialogue, partnerships, study connections, and sources of inspiration with leading international initiatives. At the same time, we actively seek engagement with Jewish institutions and leadership in Brazil, understanding this exchange as essential to avoiding isolation and to strengthening contemporary Jewish life.

Based in Tubarão, Santa Catarina—approximately 140 km from Florianópolis—UNICA values a liturgy rooted in tradition, practiced with simplicity, intentionality, and active participation by its members, while maintaining a clear commitment to non-proselytism. We draw inspiration from historical models in which local leadership was deeply integrated into the daily lives of families and guided by the principles of Torah, Avodah, and Chesed.

We understand science and faith as compatible dimensions and clearly affirm our commitment to Zionism. We view Jewish tradition as a living continuum, while maintaining that any potential transformations must be approached with caution, strong textual grounding, and a sense of responsibility —seeking relevance without compromising authenticity.

The city of Tubarão is located in the southern region of Santa Catarina, in a strategic area between the coastline and the Serra do Rio do Rastro. It is part of the Thermal Springs region and has emerged as an important regional hub for integration, commerce, and services.

The toponym Tubarão derives from the Tupi-Guarani expression Tuba-Nharõ, which may be translated as “fierce father,” a name given by Indigenous peoples to the river that flows through the city. Tubarão is also known as the “Blue City,” a nickname coined by the Santa Catarina writer, politician, and journalist Virgílio Várzea, inspired by the blue hue reflected in the river beneath the region’s sky.

Notably, the expression “Blue City” also appears in Jewish historical contexts. Across the Atlantic, the city of Chefchaouen in Morocco is renowned for its buildings painted in shades of blue. According to historical accounts and tradition, following the expulsion of the Jews from the Iberian Peninsula at the end of the fifteenth century, Chefchaouen became home to a significant Jewish community. The color blue came to be associated with spirituality, the heavens, and memory, becoming a cultural marker that has been preserved to this day.

This symbolic convergence inspires UNICA to affirm that, even in geographically distant settings, it is possible to create spaces of identity, continuity, and meaning. Jewish tradition has long taught that Jewish life can be established—even modestly—wherever there is genuine intention.

Members of UNICA travel from across southern Santa Catarina to come together in Tubarão for Shabbatot and Chagim. Also, we maintain a Beit Midrash that nurtures a reflective and living Judaism, fostering the growth of the community and a deep connection to the timeless texts of our tradition.