The Jewish Museum in Porto houses artifacts, books, paintings, epigraphs, documents, historical films, and a vast collection of Jewish memories from the present day to the most distant past.
Last week, three letters have now been added to the museum's collection to further enrich it. The authors of the letters are not irrelevant characters. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, and Chairman the B'nai B'rith World Center Dr. Haim Katz are prominent national and international Israeli institutions.
The PJN publishes an excerpt from each letter, which nevertheless deserves to be read in full, in the museum, given its depth.
Letter by Dr. Haim Katz, Chairman of B’nai B’rith World Center ∙ Jerusalem: "We would like to show our support for the Oporto Jewish community following the shocking and unjust series of brutal actions against it. This astonishing totally unproven accusation was based on nothing other than the assumption that corruption surely exists when a group of Jews prosper."
Katz, the most renowned lawyer of the Jewish community of Porto for over a decade, leads an organization that functions as a primary link between Israel and global B'nai B'rith International communities, focusing on diaspora relations. The promotion of Jewish human rights and the outspoken fight against antisemitism are its fundamental missions.
Letter by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: "It is empowering to hear about a strong Jewish community confronting the rise of antisemitism".
Netanyahu leads the executive branch of the State of Israel and exerts major influence on geopolitics. The protective activity of Israeli security forces regarding the Jewish diaspora depends heavily on the Israeli government, specifically through state-directed intelligence-sharing, diplomatic coordination, and official threat assessments issued by bodies like the National Security Council.
Letter by President Isaac Herzog: "I encourage and look forward to ongoing dialogue between the Jewish community of Porto and my office, as a reflection of the deep bonds that connect the Jewish people around the globe and Israel."
Herzog acts as a unifying national figure representing Israel to the broader Jewish diaspora. He is viewed as a representative for global Jewry due to his role as Israel's head of state, his former leadership at the Jewish Agency for Israel, and his prominent family legacy.
