Porto, the second-largest city in Portugal after Lisbon, is slated to inaugurate a new Holocaust museum, the first museum of its kind.
Mayor of the coastal city Rui Moreira and Porto Jewish community president Dias Ben-Zion will preside over the opening ceremony, scheduled to take place on Jan. 20.
Expected to attend are by a host of dignitaries, including UNESCO Focal Point for Holocaust Education program official Karel Fracapane; head of the Portuguese delegation to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance Ambassador Luíz Barreiros; commissioner of the Never Forget National Program for Holocaust Remembrance Marta Santos País; the bishop of Porto; and the president of the city’s Muslim community.
The government will be represented by the secretary of state for culture.
The brainchild of the local Jewish community, the museum portrays Jewish life before the Holocaust. It also delves into the Nazi expansion in Europe, labor and extermination camps, the Nazi Final Solution, death marches, the post-war period and the founding of the State of Israel.
Under the auspices of members of the Porto Jewish community, whose parents, grandparents and relatives were victims of the Holocaust, the museum plans to develop partnerships with Holocaust museums in Moscow, Hong Kong, Europe and the United States.
This article first appeared in Israel Hayom.
