According to Epstein's publicly available files, in 2015 he considered applying for Portuguese nationality, invoking his Sephardic origins. Given that the Portuguese Jewish population constituted about 20% of the world's Jewish population five centuries ago, and that even that disgraced American citizen may have considered living in Portugal, the question arises as to whether he was in fact a Jew of Portuguese origin.

The Epstein and Benveniste families (of Levite origin, i.e., descendants of the tribe of Levi) are genealogically linked. Lineage and family memory studies attest to a common ancestry between both families in the Iberian and European Jewish context. The Epsteins trace their lineage back to the Iberian Peninsula in the 13th century, where the family patriarch in Castile had the surname Benveniste.

After the expulsions of Iberian Jews in 1492 and 1497 (Spain and Portugal), the Benveniste family spread from Iberia to the Ottoman Empire maintaining Sephardic rites, and to Central and Eastern Europe adopting the Ashkenazi rite. In the city of Epstein, Germany, part of the Benveniste family adopted the city's name as their surname. Thus, the surname "Epstein" was born.

Regarding the presence of the Benveniste-Epstein family in Sephardic Jewish communities in the diaspora, it is important to highlight this presence in practically all main countries and cities. While cities like Amsterdam, Hamburg, London, Antwerp, and Livorno stand out in Europe, the Ottoman Empire integrated virtually all communities of Iberian origin, starting with Kahal Kadosh Portugal in Smyrna and Kahal Kadosh Évora in Thessaloniki.

The children of a citizen named Jeffrey Epstein, but from the Jewish community of London, not the United States, were certified by the Jewish Community of Porto in 2020 as being a Jew of Sephardic Portuguese origin. It is unknown whether they have since obtained nationality.

Portugal

It is now known, according to Epstein's publicly available files, that in 2015 he considered living in Portugal and researched the law that would restore nationality to Jews of Sephardic Portuguese origin. Apparently, he abandoned the idea and never contacted the Portuguese Jewish communities or the Portuguese Ministry of Justice.

There are not only historical connections between Portugal and the Benveniste-Epstein family. Members of the Benveniste family returned to Portugal in the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries, especially to integrate into the Jewish communities of Faro, Lisbon, and Porto. Even today, the Chair of Sephardic Studies at the University of Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, bears the name of Alberto Benveniste, and two members of the Epstein-Benveniste family are cousins of Marilyn Fliterrman, the oldest member of the Jewish Community of Porto, and contributed financially to the rehabilitation of the city's central synagogue in 2012 and remain connected to the community to this day.

Was Jeffrey Epstein the monster that is now taken for granted around the world?

Jewish history recommends caution in these cases. The target is dead. It's always easy to kick dead men. Today there is almost unanimous condemnation. There is no shortage of those who accuse him of the most sadistic behaviors imaginable, including pedophilia, human sacrifices, cannibalism, promoting pandemics, and much more. The international press has no other subject to debate than the attempt to destroy Epstein's reputation and link him to Donald Trump and Jewish finance.

Jews in general hate Epstein because he completely debased Judaism, especially considering his status as a Levite, and placed them all in yet another historically dangerous situation. Israelis couldn't have a better opinion of the target of their criticism, because apparently he tried to undermine the democratic state of Israel by "exporting" a large number of far-left Jews to interfere in elections and lead to the ruin of the Jewish state as it has been known since 1948.

However, in recent statements on social media, his former girlfriend and lover Karyna Shuliak claimed that Epstein never participated in the rituals he is accused of, but rather that a large part of the Western political, media, and scientific elites did.

What is the truth?

Shuliak is a Belarusian-born dentist. She was Epstein's primary partner for approximately 10 years and he reportedly referred to her as his fiancée. He gave her a 33-carat diamond ring "in contemplation of marriage" shortly before his death.

Within Epstein's inner circle, Shuliak was nicknamed "The Inspector" because she managed his schedule and high-profile contacts. She was the last person Epstein called from jail before he was found dead in August 2019; the unrecorded call lasted approximately 15 minutes.

Epstein named Shuliak as the primary beneficiary of his estate, then valued at about $600 million. He intended to leave her $100 million, his New York townhouse, a Paris apartment, and his private islands.

Currently, Shuliak is believed to be living in New York City and has not been charged with any crimes. It's at least strange that Karyna Shuliak's name isn't plastered across every newspaper cover, and even stranger that apparently no one wants to hear what she has to say.