Luxury Travel: Explore Portuguese Jewish Heritage

Visit the most Important Historic Synagogues in Portugal as part of a Luxury Jewish Heritage Tour.

Portugal is one of Europe’s top tourist destinations. Its sunny climate, beautiful Atlantic coastline, and wealth of historical treasures attract visitors from around the world. Portugal also has a fascinating Jewish history and was once home to thriving communities that developed their own distinctive culture.

The unique Sephardic heritage of Portugal had a profound influence on wider Jewish culture and US Jews are increasingly keen to explore the historic synagogues of Portugal and gain an insight into one of the most interesting chapters of Jewish history.

A Quick Overview of Jewish History in Portugal

Portuguese (and Spanish) Jewish Heritage goes back at least to the time of the Roman Empire. The Roman province of Lusitania was home to a small number of Jews and their descendents, and various newcomers, survived the fall of Rome and subsequent Visigoth invasions. Jewish communities in  Portugal enjoyed relative safety and stability under later Muslim occupation and continued to thrive during the period of the Reconquista. Jews could rise to positions of prominence. One who did was Yahia Ben Yahi who served as the state’s chief tax collector, before being appointed Chief Rabbi by King Alfonso I.

The golden age of Jewish history in Portugal, where Jews made a mark in commerce, medicine, science and diplomacy, ended in tragedy and cruelty. Under pressure from the neighboring kingdom of Spain, Portugal issued an edict of expulsion in 1496 and then an edict of forced conversion. Conversion to Catholicism was no guarantee of safety: 2,000 Conversos were massacred in Lisbon in 1506.

Thirty years later, the Portuguese Inquisition was established. Marranos (also known as Crypto Jews or Conversos) risked their lives to secretly maintain Jewish traditions and customs, but were almost completely assimilated over the next few centuries. Today, around a fifth of modern Portuguese people have some Sephardic DNA.

Thousands of Portuguese Jews fled abroad. They established prosperous mercantile communities in Amsterdam and Northern Europe and settled across the Mediterranean. The most adventurous exiles crossed the Atlantic and settled in the Americas, bringing something of Portuguese Jewish culture and heritage to the nascent colonies of the New World. It was only in the 19th century, following the end of the Inquisition, that Jewish communities in Portugal began to live openly and gradually grew in size.

Exploring Jewish Sites and Historic Synagogues in Portugal

A luxury Jewish heritage tour is a superb way to explore the remaining historic synagogues in Portugal. English speaking guides can provide expert and detailed explanations of the synagogues and their history, and also the communities that they served. Private tours can include special visits to museums and archives, and lectures by historians, as well as meetings with members of local Jewish communities.

Synagogue of Tomar (Sinagoga de Tomar)

The town of Tomar is set in a beautiful rural landscape and was once a fiefdom of the Knights Templar. Tomar also had a significant Jewish community until the Edict of Expulsion. The community worshiped in a gothic style synagogue that was completed in 1460. In the centuries that followed the expulsion and suppression of Portuguese Jewry the Synagogue of Tomar fell into profane use - including a period as a prison!.

In the 1930s - at a time when the Nazis were destroying synagogues - the Portuguese authorities declared the Synagogue of Tomar a national monument. It was fully restored and inaugurated in 1939 as the Abraham Zacuto Portuguese Jewish Museum. A guided tour of the synagogue can include a walking tour of the old Jewish quarter and a chance to explore the modern town.

Shaaré Tikvá Synagogue (Lisbon)

The Shaaré Tikvá (Gates of Hope) Synagogue in Lisbon was opened in 1904 after centuries of official repression of Judaism. Its opening represented the restoration of Portuguese Jewish Heritage and the return of dispersed Jewish communities to Portugal. The Shaaré Tikvá is built in an interesting blend of Romanesque and Byzantine Revival styles - Moorish in effect - and is recognizable by its distinctive white facade.

The Shaaré Tikvá is a focal point for Lisbon’s Jewish community and welcomes foreign tourists. As well as offering regular services, the Shaaré Tikvá holds social, cultural and educational activities. A Jewish travel company can arrange meetings with Portuguese Jews and participation in community events - as well as the chance to sample some seriously appetizing Portuguese food, perhaps as a Shabbat or holiday meal!

Synagogue of Porto (Kadoorie Mekor Haim)

Porto (Oporto) is a city in the north of Portugal that is famous for the export of port wine. The city’s synagogue was completed in 1938 to serve a local community that previously had to travel to Lisbon to worship. It was built with the assistance of London Jews and in particular the influential Kadoorie family (Iraqi Jews with some Portuguese ancestry). The Kadoorie Mekor Haim is one of the largest synagogues on the Iberian Peninsula and is a must-see Portuguese Jewish heritage site.

The synagogue was completed just before the outbreak of WW2 and played an important role in the relief of Jewish refugees who arrived in Portugal. The synagogue is an impressive and distinctive rectangular building with an entirely white facade and a Moorish-Sephardic style interior. It’s an active place of worship with a mixed congregation drawn from Jews from over thirty countries (the Porto Jewish community is highly diverse and eclectic). A guided tour of the Porto Synagogue can include a visit to the Kadoorie library and the Jewish museum.

Plan a Jewish Heritage Tour of Portugal

Summers are hot in Portugal, but late spring and early autumn can be wonderful, with warm sunny days and pleasant evenings. With some careful planning, you may be able to time your trip to coincide with one of the Jewish holidays and join the celebrations at a Portuguese synagogue or community event.

A tailored luxury tour can also include excursions to important Portuguese Jewish heritage sites like the Belmonte Jewish Community (famous for its hidden worship spaces) or interesting historical sites with a Jewish connection like Évora, Castelo de Vide, and Guarda.

Portugal is full of amazing places to explore, but it’s the country’s synagogues that represent the enduring resilience of Judaism and the restoration of a tradition that goes back to the time of the Roman Empire. Talk to Gil Travel today about a luxury kosher tour of Portugal, with a tailored itinerary that takes a deep dive into Jewish history and heritage.

Author Bio 

Iris Hami is President of Gil Travel Group, the largest travel management firm sending people to Israel. She has over 40 years of experience in the travel industry, and uses that knowledge to craft unique Jewish journeys around the world. Her company has won multiple awards, including one from State of Israel Bonds for Extraordinary Achievements Promoting the State of Israel.