In Memoriam Robert Nunes Carvalho (1907-1996)

<plain_text><page sequence="1">In Memoriam Robert Nunes Carvalho (i 907-1996) Robert Nunes Carvalho was born in London and educated at University College School and Oriel College, Oxford. After graduating, he qualified as a solicitor and joined his father, Samuel Nunes Carvalho, in the family practice which he eventually inherited. In his youth he was badly injured in an accident, which disabled him and caused him much pain. His main interests were his legal practice and Jewish communal work, in which he was a close collaborator with his friends Alan Mocatta and Richard Barnett. His first concern was the Spanish and Portu? guese Jews' Congregation, which benefited greatly from his wisdom, imagination and conscientious labours. He served as chairman of its educational foundation, the Society of Heshaim (Etz Haim) from 1948 to 1967 and as a parnas, gabbai of the Congregation and, in 1982-4, as President of the Elders. In the wider com? munity he was most active in the Anglo-Jewish Association, of which he was President in 1971-2 and in the Jewish Memorial Council. I remember him as a warm, charming and considerate man, whose advice was wise and readily given when sought. After my father's death, he accepted my brother, Andrew, as an articled clerk, gave him a first-rate professional training and took him into partnership. I know, from him, that Robert was an exceptionally fine teacher and colleague and a model of high ethical standards and diplomatic skill. xiii</page><page sequence="2">Preface He wrote a charming essay in Three Hundred Years, published in 1957 in connection with the tercentenary celebrations, entitled 'On being the "Oldest Inhabitant"', in which he pointed out that seven generations had passed since his ancestor Isaac Nunes Carvalho settled in England. He then went on to argue that 'CarvajaP, the surname of the first founder of our Community, was just a Spanish translation of 'Carvalho'. This misled some readers to suppose that Robert was a relative of Antonio Fernandes Carvajal, which was not so, and went beyond Robert's claim. We now know that CarvajaPs Portuguese surname was not 'Carvalho', but 'CarvalhaP, after the village where his father was born. He also was at pains to point out the importance of his Ashkenazi ancestry. Robert Carvalho was for many years an active member of our Council and served as our President in 1971-3. Our sympathy goes out to his widow, Esther, who survives him. Edgar Samuel</page></plain_text>