Amid Putin's war in Ukraine, the scandal erupting over Abramovich's shady acquisition of a Portuguese passport under a law granting Sephardic Jews citizenship imperils far more than one sanctioned Russian oligarch
Amid Putin's war in Ukraine, the scandal erupting over Abramovich's shady acquisition of a Portuguese passport under a law granting Sephardic Jews citizenship imperils far more than one sanctioned Russian oligarch
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Apr. 4, 2021 10:44 AM
PORTO – While most European countries are contending with declines in their Jewish populations, one Portuguese community is experiencing a remarkable renewal some 500 years after the Inquisition.
The maritime city of Porto in northern Portugal has seen its Jewish community increase more than tenfold since 2013, and while it currently only totals 500 members, that rapid growth is still noteworthy.
“Jews coming to Porto have found an environment of tolerance, little antisemitism, and an active and welcoming community,” says Michael Rothwell, a member of the board of the Jewish Community of Oporto (as the city is also known in English). He explains that there are weekly Shabbat services, Sephardi style (on the High Holy Days, both Ashkenazi and Sephardi traditions are observed), a kosher hotel and restaurant, and a Jewish education center.