^{The Oporto synagogue}

Today, Israel and Jewish communities around the world marked the one-year anniversary of the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust, as well as a major rise in global antisemitism. The suffering persists for the dead, the wounded, the traumatized, and endures for those whose relatives were kidnapped, and nothing is known of them, or it is known that they have been mistreated, violated, murdered and used as human shields.

Oporto synagogue

The Oporto synagogue welcomed hundreds of people. Gabriel Sendrowicz, the president of that community said in the largest synagogue of the country that "October 7th was not a distant event. Just last month, the body of Eden Yerushami was found, a young girl who was the niece of our Chazan. A beautiful young woman, full of love, energy, and joy. The world will forever be deprived of her and her descendants that she never had the chance to bear."

Senderowicz added that "What happened on that day also happened during our history everywhere and will happen again sooner or later, unless Israel can protect itself and also its diaspora scattered around the world."

^{The Oporto synagogue}

In Oporto also spoke Rav Yoel Zekri, Noam Revach and her husband Omri, who personally endured the tragedy. The barbaric murder of Noam’s mother, an act perpetrated with all the cruelties imaginable, reveals the full horror of what happened at Kibbutz Be’eri, which suffered enormous losses, with 102 people murdered and others taken hostage.

However, Noam and Omri embody the spirit of the Jewish people, as since October 7th they have been working tirelessly on initiatives aimed at healing and rebuilding Israel. They are involved in projects that address trauma among various affected populations—soldiers, music festival survivors, and displaced families.

Lisbon synagogue

Before ambassadors from other countries and members of that community, the president of the Libon Jewish community, David Botelho, mentioned that "the responsible for the UN [António Guterres], always so ready to condemn Israel, is always so quick to condemn those who attack Israel", and told about the "ideological bias that led Israel to go from being attacked to being an aggressor". Botelho also lamented that "United Nations officials were involved in what happened."

^{The new Israeli ambassador to Portugal, Oren Rozenblat}

The Lisbon synagogue welcomed the new Israeli ambassador to Portugal. Speaking in Portuguese, Oren Rozenblat highlighted that "Israel was forced to accept a war it did not want", "Israel fights to live, against those who fight to die", and has no doubt that "Israel will win". He recalled that "God's covenant with the people of Israel will never be broken" and ended his intervention with the old Jewish adage, "Am Israel Chai" (The People of Israel live).

^{The new Israeli ambassador to Portugal, Oren Rozenblat - Credit: X/IsraelinPT}

Jewish history always repeats itself

While these ceremonies have had focus primarily on the commemoration of the murder of some 1,200 people, the injury of thousands more and the kidnapping of more than 250 — nearly half of whom remain in captivity — this was the first official opportunity to place what happened in the context of Jewish history writ large.

^{The Oporto synagogue}

Gabriel Senderowicz said today that "What happened on Oct 7 had already occurred in Hebron, Odessa, Paris, Bernes, York, Seville, Lisbon, Alexandria, in all places, throughout history. What happened on that day was not just an attack on individuals but an assault on the very essence of who we are as a people. This is why we make a huge investment in promoting Jewish history in Portugal, in our museums, films, books, painting galleries and so on."

Naama Klar, director of the Koret International School for Jewish Peoplehood at Tel Aviv’s ANU – Museum of the Jewish People, wrote recently that “Designing the memory of the tragedies has always been the responsibility of Jewish leadership. Some generations have succeeded, some generations failed and these moments in history we don’t even collectively remember.”

^{The Oporto synagogue}

A new documentary: "Pogrom(s)"

Before the ceremony in Oporto, the local Jewish community was at the Jewish museum watching the documentary "Pogrom(s)" it supported. In the meantime, the filmmaker Pierre Rehov told CBN's The Global Lane he dedicated the film to his beloved father who died two years ago.