JEWISH COMMUNITY IN OPORTO NOWADAYS

HISTORY AND CREATION OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY IN OPORTO NOWADAYS

THE JEWISH COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF PORTO

Indeed, the early community was confronted by Portuguese citizens who appeared before the captain stating that they were Crypto-Jews, that is, individuals who were Jewish descendants and had maintained Jewish practices. In fact crypto-Jews were offsprings of families who had long been away from all the Jewish culture, but presumably they kept the Jewish matrilineality (Jew is the son of a Jewish mother) by choosing spouses within households of the same nature and who still practised religion raising their prayers and praises to Adonai (God) in the privacy of their homes and in the comfort of their families.

It was in the early twentieth century that there was an important milestone in the history of the Portuguese Judaism when crypto-Jews (Marranos) were discovered in Portugal. In addition to this there was Captain Arthur Carlos de Barros Basto who was the founder of the Jewish Community of Porto and the main responsible for the building of the Synagogue Kadoorie Mekor Haim (Fountain of Life).

After converting to Judaism, Barros Basto, who was a descendant of Crypto-jews by his father, moved to the city of Porto, where there was no formalized Jewish community.

On July 27 1923 the community was officially legalized and named Jewish Community of Porto. Its founders were the captain and about 20 foreigners, Jews from Central Europe and Eastern Europe.

The legalization of the community and the rented flat, which has been transformed into a "synagogue", were very important at the beginning of the returning of crypto-Jews to Judaism.

THE WORK OF REDEMPTION Morally and materially supported by the

Portuguese Marranos Committee - an

organization based in London to support the

rescue of Portuguese Crypto Jews - Captain

sets in motion a project of human redemption.

It's "Work of Redemption" which quickly

becomes famous and has as its motto "Adonai li

fleece wrath" (God is with me, I fear nothing).

Fig.1"Work of redemption" the newspaper reported

THERE-Lapid, the Jewish Community of Porto.

CONSTRUCTION OF KADOORIE MEKOR HAIM SYNAGOGUE

The synagogue was inaugurated on January ,16 ,1938.

Fig.2. The Construction of the synagogue

In 1929 the construction of the synagogue Kadoorie Mekor Haim starts.

The construction of the synagogue is closely related to the "Work of Redemption“ since its beginning ,

as the Captain wanted to turn Porto the "religious light" of the Portuguese crypto-jews and make this

synagogue a symbol of pride for them.

Fig.3. Inauguration of the synagogue

PERSECUTION OF BARROS BASTO

With the change of regime in 1926, and particularly since

the early '30s, Barros Basto began to be seen as the

opposition, and soon started being persecuted by the

army.

Fig.4. Captain Arthur Carlos de

Barros Basto

He was placed far and far away from Porto, so in an

attempt to keep him away from the Synagogue and

Community.

In 1937, Barros Basto was dismissed by the Board of

Discipline of the Army and was put away from the

institution for allegedly participating in circumcision

ceremonies of the students of the Israeli Theological

Institute in Porto, which the Council considered "immoral"

but which is an important practice for the Jewish people.

ISRAELI COMMUNITY OF PORT O NOWADAYS

THE NUMBER OF ELEMENTS OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY IN OPORTO AFTER

THE SECOND WORLD WAR The community was founded in 1923 by Captain Barros Basto and about 20 Lithuanian

Jews, Germans, Poles and Russians.

Fig.5. Jewish refugees in Portugal

Over 90 years, regardless the organization of their notebooks where they registered the

members, the community had never had fewer than 20 members and no more than 50.

The variations did not reflect significantly during the Holocaust. There were hundred of Jewish

refugees in Porto , but later they made their own way to other places.

CURRENT NUMBER OF ELEMENTS OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY OF PORTO

The Jewish community in Oporto is part of the international Jewish community, recently

considered to be around 15 million Jews.

Fig.6. Interior of the synagogue Kadoorie Mekor Haim

While 'partnership' the Jewish community of Porto has about 50 members enrolled in their

notebooks. They are members from 14 different countries. The Community also hosts regularly Jews from all corners of the world, coming to Porto to

visit the community or even to visit the city and the synagogue.

JEWISH HOLIDAYS CELEBRATED BY THE JEWISH COMMUNITY OF PORTO

Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year)

Fig.7. Celebration of a religious Jewish ritual

Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) Sukkot (The Feast of Tabernacles) Hanukah (Festival of Lights) Purim (Feast of Fates) Pesach (Passover)