When foreign Jews visit the city of Porto and attend concerts or rehearsals of the Mekor Haim Choir, they are amazed by the unexpected quality of the singers and the vast repertoire presented.
The choir preserves the authentic aesthetic of Jewish liturgical heritage, and it performs high-quality traditional Jewish liturgical music in Hebrew, Yiddish, and Ladino. Their mission bridges historic Sephardic traditions with modern Jewish life, fostering unity and community identity through music.
The choir was established to preserve, teach, and perform rich Jewish liturgical music. Their performances act as a living archive of heritage for locals and visitors alike. They are tied to the broader mission of the local Jewish institutions (including the Jewish Museum of the Holocaust), using music as a tool to celebrate history and combat prejudice.
Based at the monumental Kadoorie Synagogue, the Choir is a vital part of the community's cultural strategy. It impresses by beautifully bridging ancient Sephardic, Hebrew, and liturgical traditions with modern Jewish life. It serves as a profound cultural and musical anchor for the Jewish Community of Oporto, fostering unity while educating the public.
The Jewish community of Porto is the most active promoter of Jewish culture in Europe. It owns museums, an art gallery, a library with 10,000 works, produces historical films, and its YouTube channel has 3 million views.
It maintains the male choir as a fundamental part of its cultural and educational department. They perform regularly at the Community's Holocaust Museum, the Kadoorie synagogue and during major events like the European Days of Jewish Culture. They regularly participate in major cultural and civic events, occasionally performing in joint concerts (such as with the city's Progressive Jewish Choir, HaMakom) to promote inter-communal harmony.
Founded in 2020, the choir's continued success and resonance in the city stem mainly from the impressive dedication of one of its founding members - Yonah Yaphe - a Canadian Jewish doctor of impressive soul strength and music knowledge.
