They settled in localities along the Amazon River, such as Belém, Cametá, Santarém, Óbidos, Parintins, Itacoatiara and Manaus in Brazil, some venturing as far as Iquitos in Peru.

[5][6] During the 20th century, the Jews of the region became concentrated in its urban areas, and some moved to other Brazilian cities such as Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, joining other Jewish communities there.

After achieving a certain prosperity, they often returned to their native land to visit their families, marry Jewish women, and bring them back to Brazil.

Their prosperity and their continued contact with the original communities stimulated new migrants, who would have the financial and social support of their acquaintances in Brazil.

Later migrants were able to marry those from Jewish families who had previously come with their parents or who were already born in Brazil, thus maintaining their religious traditions with their descendants in the new communities.

[5] The rubber boom continued under the new regime and led to the rapid development of the cities of Belém, Manaus and Iquitos, including running water and sewers, electricity (a novelty at the time), wealthy residences, luxurious buildings, theaters, and railroads.

With the economic decline, Jews left the smaller localities in northern Brazil, concentrating in the cities of Belém and Manaus.

[5] Many Jews also left the Amazon region altogether, moving to other Brazilian cities such as Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, joining the existing Jewish communities there.

Although unknown in Belém, Rabbi Muyal visited the Jewish communities in many smaller localities in the region, as well as Manaus and Iquitos.

The local Catholics started to revere the rabbi as a saint, making pilgrimages to his grave and placing commemorative plaques giving thanks for miraculous cures.

[20] The Jewish communities of Belém and Manaus maintained synagogues, schools, recreation centers, and social groups for women, children and seniors.

[9][10] A Sephardic synagogue in Rio de Janeiro was also maintained largely by descendants of Moroccan Jews who left the Amazon region, becoming part of the larger Jewish community of the city.

Very few of their spouses or children converted to Judaism, while the vast majority of their caboclo or mestizo descendants gradually abandoned the religion or were raised as Catholics, but some kept certain Jewish practices to various degrees.

After years of study, with the help of Conservative rabbis from Lima, the United States, Argentina and Chile, 98 of the descendants converted to Judaism in 2003, followed by about 180 in 2005, and 284 in 2011.