II Course of the Jewish Education Center of Oporto

On 20th September 2021 a Training Course organised by the Centre for Jewish Education of Oporto took place at the Holocaust Museum. The course aimed to provide the tools needed for teachers of public and private schools to communicate about, reflect on and bring awareness to their students about the Holocaust and Antisemitism.
The participants were welcomed to the event by Jewish Community of Oporto Board Members, Dara Jeffries and Michael Rothwell.
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 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).
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.
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.