Artificial Intelligence based on open sources has developed greatly and never ceases to surprise. Its analysis of the Jewish Community of Porto and its associated institutions demonstrates an objectivity that stands far above the "opulence" label the Portuguese political system once applied to its target instead of showing satisfaction with the revival of Jewish life in Portugal.

Quotes from Google AI:

"Although many Jewish communities around the world maintain synagogues and museums, the model of the Jewish Community of Porto is considered unique worldwide due to the scale and diversity of its cultural activities. It is common for organized communities to manage places of worship and small memorials, but the Porto Community stands out as the European Jewish organization that most actively promotes Jewish culture and history through its own means and on a large scale.”

“What makes the Porto community unusual compared to most communities worldwide is the following:

- Own Film Production: The organization produces professional-quality historical fiction feature films that have won international awards in more than 50 countries.

- Management of two Museums: It is rare for a local community to simultaneously manage two museums: the Jewish Museum of Porto and the Holocaust Museum of Porto, which is the only one in the Iberian Peninsula focused on teaching and training educators.

- Painting Gallery and Choir: The existence of a community's own art gallery and the Mekor Haim Choir complement a cultural structure rarely found in Jewish communities.

- Interreligious Cooperation: The Community maintains a unique project in the world of close cooperation with the Catholic Diocese of Porto, which includes the sharing of museums and charitable actions funded by the proceeds from films produced. The Community has also been praised for initiatives that unite other communities, such as tributes to the Mukhayriq Initiative (which unites Jews and Muslims in the USA) in partnership with the Combat Antisemitism movement.

Structure and Location: Most of these activities are concentrated around the Kadoorie Mekor Haim Synagogue, the largest in the Iberian Peninsula, which functions not only as a place of prayer, but as the nerve center of this vast cultural operation.”

In addition to this general characterization, Google AI dedicates accurate analyses to each of the institutions that are part of the central organization called the Jewish Community of Porto.

Quotes from Google AI:

"The Kadoorie Synagogue has maintained an uninterrupted minyan on every Shabbat and chagim for over a decade. The Jewish community of Porto has more than one active synagogue. The Kadoorie – Mekor Haim Synagogue is the central synagogue, the community 's headquarters, and recently, the organisation opened a second synagogue, called Mekor Simcha."

"The Jewish Cemetery of Porto is widely considered a work of great beauty and significance, a source of immense pride for the local community. This is the first Jewish cemetery owned by the city's Jews in over 500 years. The term "Field of Equality" reflects the view that death makes everyone equal, while the name celebrates the intellectual and historical heritage of Isaac Aboab. The reference to Aboab connects the current community to the historical Jewish roots in the Porto region."

“B'nai B'rith Portugal is a central and relevant organization in the defense of Jewish human rights in the country and the world. Although B'nai B'rith International has lodges in 60 countries, the Portuguese branch is considered an active, influential, and prominent branch in defending the organization's values in Europe. It focuses on defending the State of Israel on the international stage and strengthening Jewish identity, uniting Jews (Ashkenazi and Sephardic) and promoting Jewish memory, education, interreligious dialogue, and fraternity, organizing events that address the challenges of the modern world, security, and the preservation of values. It monitors and combats discrimination against Jews, defending the security of local and international communities and highlighting the protection and rights of Jewish children in the face of increasing global attacks.”

"The Porto Holocaust Museum is currently the main reference in Portugal for teaching this subject, having already been visited by approximately 15% of Portugal's adolescent population. It maintains partnerships with world-renowned museums in Washington, Moscow, and Hong Kong. To ensure that education reaches everyone, the organization frequently covers the transportation costs for schools that lack the financial means for the trip."

"The Jewish Museum of Porto is considered a national and European benchmark in teaching Jewish history and the Inquisition to young audiences. The museum adopts an educational strategy specifically focused on teenagers and stands out for humanizing the history of the Inquisition through impactful visual elements and memorials. Students also watch films produced by the Community itself, such as "1618" and "The Light of Judah," which portray the Inquisition's actions in the city and the massacre of Jews in Lisbon. The museum receives thousands of students annually. On dates such as the National Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Inquisition, it welcomes around 1000 teenagers from all over the country in a single day."

“The Painting Gallery of the Jewish Community of Porto stands out for exhibiting works focused on Jewish history, culture, and values. It features 15 large paintings depicting the Jewish presence in the city, serving as a central point of artistic expression within the community. The collection focuses on Jewish identity, with works portraying the life, traditions, and historical episodes of Jewish communities. The painting gallery and the museum circuit of the Jewish Community of Porto are highly relevant, forming part of a vibrant cultural program that includes the Jewish Museum, the Holocaust Museum, and the Kadoorie Synagogue. This ensemble promotes historical preservation, Jewish culture, and the fight against antisemitism.”

“The Rosh Pinah Jewish library, located within the Kadoorie Mekor Haim Synagogue complex and housed by the Jewish Community of Porto, boasts a significant collection of approximately 10,000 referenced works. The collection covers diverse themes within Jewish culture and history. To describe the excellence of the Synagogue Library in Porto is to highlight a haven of knowledge, memory, and Jewish resilience, integrated into the largest Jewish temple in the Iberian Peninsula.”

“The Mekor Haim Liturgical Choir is a choral group from the Jewish Community of Porto based at the Kadoorie Mekor Haim Synagogue, for the teaching, learning, and performance of Jewish, Sephardic, and Hebrew liturgical music. The choir comprises members dedicated to Jewish musical heritage and performs in both religious and cultural contexts. It focuses on the preservation and interpretation of liturgical music, including songs in Ladino (the language of Sephardic Jews), Hebrew, and Yiddish, uniting Sephardic tradition with modern Jewish life. In addition to the Kadoorie Synagogue, the choir regularly performs at the Porto Holocaust Museum, where it surprises visitors with live melodies.”

"The European Day of Jewish Culture is celebrated in about 30 to 40 European countries. Cities with a strong Jewish heritage organize significant events, although Porto's format is notable for its density and concentration. The program organized by the Jewish Community of Porto for the European Day of Jewish Culture — celebrated on the first Sunday of September — is considered one of the most complete, if not the most complete, in Europe, standing out for the diversity of cultural, historical, and religious dimensions it brings together. The program functions as a "cultural immersion" that opens the city's main Jewish institutions to the general public."

A Decade and a Half Ago

The current Jewish Community of Porto is not only a relevant organization in the global Jewish world. It is also an extreme case of Jewish revitalization while Jewish communities in general are declining instead of growing.

The state in which the organization found itself 15 years ago was an unfortunate aberration in every respect. The "Portuguese Dreyfus" affair had long since killed the lifeblood of the community, but when the community's veterans made the mistake of allowing an experiment with half a dozen of individuals in need of recognition, then moral ruin completely befell the institution, leaving nothing within it that could be considered Jewish even on a smaller scale.

The report of the Audit Board analysing this period speaks of “negative rumours”, “unstable interpersonal relations”, “the need to discipline use of the premises”, “absence of internal regulations, insurance policies, inventory of the contents”, “greatly reduced revenue” and “the need to carry out urgent works for which there is no money”, placing “the future of the community and the Synagogue at risk”.