Project description:

The Holocaust Museum of Porto, founded in 2021 by the Jewish Community of Porto (CIP/CJP) in partnership with B’nai B’rith International and Holocaust museums worldwide, is dedicated to preserving and promoting the memory of the Holocaust. The Museum serves as a vital educational institution, engaging a broad public and especially young people through exhibitions, research support and professional educator training. As an important partner in Portugal’s national initiative “Never Forget,” the Museum honors the memory of the Holocaust and works towards building a society in which such horrors never recur.

The Museum’s work extends far beyond preservation of memory. It plays a crucial role in combating antisemitism and intolerance, aligning its efforts with the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. The institution preserves and presents historical documents and artefacts left by refugees at Porto’s synagogue during the Second World War — tangible reminders of interrupted lives and stories that must never be forgotten. Managed by members of the Jewish Community of Porto, many of whom have personal connections to Holocaust victims and survivors, the Museum operates with deep responsibility and authenticity. It is part of a broader ecosystem that includes the Jewish Museum of Porto, educational enlightenment programs, school visits and collaborative charitable initiatives with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Porto.

The FAIR Foundation supports the Museum’s ambitious educational initiatives. This support will help the Museum engage approximately 1,000 pupils in the near future, introducing them to critical issues of antisemitism, bullying and tolerance in the broader sense — values that the Foundation considers more necessary than ever to convey to the younger generation. This includes educator training, research initiatives, public exhibitions and community engagement programs designed to deepen understanding and foster empathy.

Beyond direct educational impact, the FAIR Foundation regards this project as a meaningful contribution to the development and viability of Porto’s Jewish community and, in the wider sense, to the promotion of humanity, dignity and mutual respect amongst all people. The Foundation looks forward to this initiative becoming a landmark educational experience and the beginning of a long and productive partnership in service of memory, education and hope.