The Jewish Museum of Porto and the broader Jewish Community of Oporto are deeply committed to preserving the history of the Portuguese Jews and host frequent initiatives to honor prominent Portuguese Jewish figures and events.
Tuesday June 30. It was marked the Kadoorie Synagogue's first stone on June 30, 1929. While fundraising and municipal authorizations as late as November meant official large-scale foundation work officially kicked off later that year, June is historically cited in academic journals as the milestone moment when international visitors observed the early construction of the great Kadoorie Synagogue.
Construction of the Kadoorie - Mekor Haim Synagogue was spearheaded by Captain Artur de Barros Basto. While early initiatives began in 1927, the laying of the "first stone" and official breaking of ground for the current building took place in late 1929, following a formal license application filed on November 13, 1929.
The project nearly stalled due to a severe lack of funds and a shifting political landscape under the Estado Novo. It was only in 1933—and heavily subsidized again in 1936—that construction resumed thanks to the children of Laura Kadoorie, a Jewish woman of Portuguese descent, which is how the building got its name.
The Synagogue of Porto was not officially inaugurated until 1938.Today, it is the home of the Comunidade Israelita do Porto. The Synagogue of Porto also houses a museum and continues to operate as the active cultural and religious center for local Jews, though visits are tightly regulated for security and community protocols.
The month of July marks a pivotal legal milestone for the memory of Captain Artur Barros Basto and Portuguese Jews. In July 2012, the Portuguese Parliament unanimously approved Resolution 416/XII, which officially overturned his wrongful 1937 military dismissal, formally recognizing it as a severe violation of human rights.
Known widely as the "Portuguese Dreyfus," Barros Basto was the founder of the modern Jewish Community of Oporto and the driving force behind the creation of the Kadoorie Mekor Haim Synagogue. Today, his life and legacy are often commemorated at the Jewish Museum of Oporto.
