In a Europe of open borders whose "Plan to Promote Jewish Life" involves helping communities bear the costs of security, the Jewish Community of Oporto has just announced that it paid 135,856.11 euros for policing the central synagogue and the Holocaust Museum in the last four years.
On days of religious services, Oporto's central synagogue, called Kadoorie Mekor Haim, is protected by its security team and paid police. It is the largest synagogue in the country and even in the Iberian Peninsula.
The Holocaust Museum, aimed mainly at school teenagers, also operates with private security and paid police. In recent years, the museum has welcomed around 15% of Portugal's teenage population.
The Jewish Museum is left out of these reports because in 2019 the police refused to protect the space, even if the community paid for it, claiming that in Portugal there was no threat that would justify policing a Jewish museum. That's why the museum never opened to the public, only being open to the Jewish community and schools.
This museum and other community spaces, including synagogues, achdut centers and restaurants, are protected by the community security team, which has grown considerably in recent years, as well as the community.
An European Commission's Plan aims to "recover" the large Jewish community that Europe had eight decades ago, with around 9 million Jews. Today it is estimated that the European Jewish population is around 1 million people.
