These are Marilyn Flitterman's two favorite dates on her calendar. Yom Kippur reminds her of her childhood in Brooklyn amidst one million Jews. European Jewish Culture Day is rooted in her lifelong connection to the arts and culture.
In 2026, the European Day of Jewish Culture begins its inaugural celebrations on Sunday, 6 September, while Yom Kippur takes place from the evening of Sunday, 20 September to nightfall on Monday, 21 September.
The Community affectionately calls Marilyn Flitterman "the boss" as a tribute to her vibrant, feisty personality, her deep-rooted history in the city, and her status as an inspiring matriarch of the Community. Born in New York, she moved to Porto in 1970. When she arrived, she found an empty synagogue, giving her a foundational perspective on how the community grew from scratch. She is the oldest living member of Porto's Jewish Community, acting as a bridge between its quiet past and its modern resurgence.
Despite pushing 100 years old, "the boss" is a professional pianist who plays American jazz classics with her own local group, the "Flitterman Jazz Band". Her bold Brooklyn attitude, paired with her unwavering commitment to the rejuvenation of Jewish life in Porto, earned her this endearing title.
The Jewish Community of Porto is today the world leader in promoting Jewish culture. The Yom Kippur ceremony, which brings together the congregations of the central synagogue and the study center, has already been considered by the Israeli ambassador to Portugal as the most remarkable event of its kind he has attended worldwide, including Israel and the US. The atmosphere is captivating for any person of good faith, and there is even a whole minyan composed of Kohanim.
