The 2021-2030 European agenda for promoting Jewish life and combating anti-Semitism appears to be distorted in Portugal. The first national coordinator of European strategy, Prof. Bacelar Vasconcelos was only appointed at the beginning of 2023 and left office at the end of the same year due to the fall of the government in a process of alleged corruption. At the beginning of 2024, Ambassador Manuela Franco was appointed to the same functions as her colleague, but has now resigned as well, allegedly due to a lack of working conditions in a position that is not even paid.
While all this is happening, the best Yom Kippur in Europe is celebrated in Portugal, the best European Day of Jewish Culture event is celebrated in Portugal, the only Holocaust museum belonging to a Jewish community is located in Portugal, the largest Chabad Center in Europe is in Portugal, and the only Jewish community that produces history films lives in Portugal.
In the few months she was in office, ambassador Manuela Franco had the opportunity to travel to Porto several times to visit the largest synagogue in the country, the Holocaust museum, the Jewish museum, the painting gallery of the local Jewish community, and the cinema Jewish, where he even attended the premiere of the film "1506 - The Genocide of Lisbon". The ambassador was also present as a speaker at an event by B'nai B'rith Portugal and the International Observatory of Human Rights, which presented a book written by young Jews from 40 countries.
