Nearly a hundred Jewish ladies from the Park Avenue Synagogue visited the Kadoorie Mekor Haim Synagogue and the Jewish Museum today. They were received by Isabel Lopes, Vice-President of CIP/CJP, and also by a "son of the Community", the Portuguese-Israeli journalist Henrique Cymerman.

During the visit to the Synagogue, Isabel spoke to that delegation. She said “when my grandfather decided to create this great synagogue, and before its inauguration, he was the victim of anonymous denunciations and his life was destroyed. The community was also destroyed for decades. The millennial history of the Jewish community in Oporto is a story of work, anonymous denunciations and arrests.” 

Referring to more recent times, Isabel revealed that “From 2011, the community managed to rise. In a few years it became one of the strongest in Europe, with synagogues, museums, movies, restaurants and much, more more. And then, once again the community was the target of new persecution based on anonymous denunciations. I myself saw the police enter my house based on anonymous denunciations.”

The audience was shocked by Isabel's statements and this state worsened when they visited the "Room of Modern Anti-Semitism" at the Jewish Museum, and watched the 7 min film entitled "Soviet Anti-Semitism in Portugal". One of those present commented that the delegation "spent several days in Lisbon listening to songs. It is shocking that the captain has not been reinstated, it is shocking that the community has gone through the same now. This will have consequences."

Speech of the Vice President in full:

"In the year of its centenary, the Jewish Community of Oporto has published a book in Portugal about its history. This bilingual book in Portuguese and English, tells the story of the long presence of Jews in the city.

The influence of the Jewish people gave the city part of the stamp that characterizes it: a city of hard work, with a commercial vein and a globalist nature. The book shows that the history of the Jews of Oporto has always repeated itself. It was a story of work, anonymous denunciations and arrests.

In antiquity, when the Jews of Oporto began to prosper, they were soon anonymously accused of melting gold and silver, which led to their persecution.

At the end of the 15th century, after having made Portugal and Spain the greatest powers in the world, the Jews were expelled. Those who remained were burned by the Inquisition, always based on anonymous denunciations, testimonies and witnesses that the defendants never knew.

In the 20th century, when my grandfather decided to create this great synagogue, and before its inauguration, he was the victim of anonymous denunciations and his life was destroyed. The community was also destroyed for decades.

From 2011, the community managed to rise. In a few years it became one of the strongest in Europe, with synagogues, museums, movies, restaurants and much, more more.

And then, once again the community was the target of new persecution based on anonymous denunciations. I myself saw the police enter my house based on anonymous denunciations.

This is the history of the Oporto's Jewish community."

The Community also offered to the New York delegation dozens of copies of the book entitled "Two Millennia of the Jewish Community of Oporto, Chronology 1923-2023". The book has already been given to international organizations, governments, embassies, consulates, as well as to the Portuguese President of the Republic, parliamentarians of all parties, party leaders and former leaders, mayors, councillors of the main municipal councils of the country, libraries, universities, museums, foundations, courts, security forces, the ombudsman's office, the bar association, parish councils of the city of Oporto, judges, prosecutors, lawyers, academics, journalists, cultural figures and others.