TRAINING COURSES

The Training Courses organised by the Centre for Jewish Education of Oporto aim to provide the tools needed for teachers of public and private schools to communicate about, reflect on and bring awareness to their students about topics such as Jewish History, the Holocaust and Antisemitism.

On 20th September 2021 one such course took place at the Holocaust Museum. On this occasion the course included testimonies from Holocaust survivors. Miriam K. Kassenoff referred to her family's dramatic journey from Hungary to the USA, passing through Portugal, and Chaja Lassmann, who is the mother of a member of the Jewish community in Oporto, told her story as a survivor of Block 10 at the Auschwitz Concentration Camp.

Teachers were offered copies of the book "Ten Myths Against the Jews". The content and importance of these myths in the historical context of the Holocaust and the present were explained at the beginning of the event.

The participants were welcomed to the event by Jewish Community of Oporto Board Members, Dara Jeffries and Michael Rothwell.

The talks delivered were: The role of antisemitism before, during and after the Holocaust (by Esther Mucznik), The fate of Jews of Portuguese origin in Greece during the Holocaust (by Miriam Assor), The Righteous Among the Nations (by Hugo Vaz), One of the four Portuguese Righteous Among the Nations - Father Joaquim Carreira (by António Marujo), Father Carreira and Christian values (by Father Joaquim Santos), The State of Israel and the foundation of ALPI - Portuguese Association of Portugueses for Israel (by Madalena Barata).

After lunch, participants visited the Holocaust Museum of Oporto and interacted with visitors. The Course ended with the teachers receiving their Participation Certificates and the recording of participants' feedback.