A Jewish project that, in addition to becoming the world leader in promoting Jewish culture, also faithfully maintains a minyan for over 4,000 days, shows that the malice, envy, vanity, and mediocrity of opponents, were not capable of defeating Jewish competence, good fortune, energy, and resilience in the face of adversity.

On July 4, 2026, with the completion of Shabbat Pinchas, which in Porto was celebrated with two reinforced minyans both at the central synagogue and at the study center, the path is increasingly open for the Jewish Community in Porto to celebrate 11 consecutive years of minyanim. There is not even any record that the community managed to gather the minyan for a year, between the expulsion edict and 2015.

There are now 11 individual parashiot (Torah portions) left to complete the 54-portion annual cycle in the Diaspora. The cycle concludes on the holiday of Simchat Torah (October 3, 2026) with the reading of V'zot HaBerakhah. The remaining readings include Matot-Masei (combined, July 11), Devarim (July 18), Vaetchanan (July 25), Eikev (August 1), Re'eh (August 8), Shoftim (August 15), Ki Teitzei (August 22), Ki Tavo (August 29), Nitzavim / Vayeilech (usually combined (September 5), Ha'azinu (September 19), and V'zot HaBerakhah (October 3).

The Jewish Community in Porto has moved beyond merely surviving to a state of sustained, everyday vibrancy. An uninterrupted minyan in Shabbat and Yom Tov for over a decade in Europe is a profound symbol of Jewish resilience and institutional revival in a region historically decimated by the Holocaust. Only as Shabbat, between the 2015 and 2026 Simchat Torah cycles, exactly 594 weekly Torah portions were read in the Diaspora.

Beyond rebirth, maintaining a minyan for 4,000+ consecutive days symbolizes a dedicated core of congregants, demonstrating that the community has successfully passed the mantle of tradition from older generations to newer ones, as well as integrating new arrivals.

Porto shows European Jewish life extends beyond seasonal holidays or commemorative events. The is a rhythm of normalcy and belonging where public Torah readings and communal prayers can occur. Members mutually rely on one another to ensure mourners can say Kaddish.

It will be up to Chabad Lubavitch - the strongest Jewish religious organization in the world - to keep the minyan cohesive and even develop it in the coming decades.

The size or global presence of an organization does not protect its members from state-sponsored persecution, as demonstrated by the long history of totalitarian regimes targeting prominent Jewish institutions. However, to combat Chabad becomes much more complicated than to combat the individual Jew.

The individual Jew has no chance when attacked by power political, media and judiciary united. The Portuguese Dreyfus Affair (1937) clearly demonstrated this fact. He ended up stripped of his profession, labeled a pantheist by the establishment press, and with his Jewish community destroyed.

Chabad operates over 3,500 institutions and community centers worldwide, with a presence in hundreds of cities spanning North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. The work of Chabad-Lubavitch extends to thousands of institutions across every inhabited continent. Its vast network frequently intersects with high-level politics in Israel, the United States, Russia, and beyond.

Chabad positions itself as a religious and humanitarian organization that maintains open channels with governments globally. Their mandate to serve Jews universally regardless of their affiliation allows them to reach millions of people.

American politicians across both the Democratic and Republican parties routinely show support for Chabad, often attending public religious services or utilizing the Chabad Locator to reach Jewish constituencies.

Chabad’s relationship with the Russian government is highly unique. Through state-level relationships, Chabad has successfully reclaimed communal properties and established a dominant Jewish institutional presence in the country, with its leadership maintaining direct lines to the Kremlin.

Chabad holds significant cultural and social sway in Israel, with hundreds of branches heavily integrated into local communities, disaster relief, and social services. Politicians from across the ideological spectrum frequently engage with its leaders.