It is the largest Jewish library in the Iberian Peninsula by far. The Rosh Pinah Jewish Library in Porto houses a collection of approximately 10,000 works. It serves as a significant cultural milestone, gathering thousands of publications written in thirteen languages to preserve Jewish history, memory, and religious text.
It is a key symbol of the modern revitalization of the local Jewish community, which was effectively erased during the Portuguese Dreyfus Affair that united the corrupt powers of the time and slanderous accusations from envious and condemned poor people in 1937.
Alongside the Kadoorie Mekor Haim Synagogue (the largest synagogue in the Iberian Peninsula), the Jewish Museum, and the Holocaust Museum, the library forms a powerful educational hub managed by the Jewish Community of Porto.
The library takes its name from the Yeshibah Rosh-Pinah (the Israelite Theological Institute), which was founded in Porto in the 1920s by Captain Arthur Carlos de Barros Basto. It acts as a dedicated space for preserving memory, fostering open research, and building bridges between different communities and cultures.
Along with the city's Jewish museums, the library frequently features prominently during public events like the European Day of Jewish Culture, positioning Porto as an international center for celebrating Jewish immaterial heritage and safety.
