On the 250th anniversary of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, Jewish leaders and community members gathered in Lisbon on Sunday to honor Rabbi Baruch Portugali, a Portuguese Sephardic ancestor of the movement’s founder, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi.
The ceremony, held at the B’nai B’rith Portugal headquarters, drew more than 100 members from Jewish communities across Portugal. Luís Andrade, president of the International Observatory of Human Rights, presented the tribute to Rabbi Eli Rosenfeld, director of Chabad Portugal.
Accepting the honor, Rosenfeld called it “a deep honor to participate in this tribute in honor of Rabbi Baruch Portugali. His memory connects generations, and his enduring influence reminds us that even through exile and hardship, the light of Torah and mitzvot can shine across centuries.”
Speakers at the event underscored Chabad’s multinational character and deep Iberian Sephardic roots. David Garrett of the Oporto Community highlighted descendants of Sephardic Jews, including Portugali, Rabbi Yosef Karo, the author of the Shulchan Aruch, and the Baal Shem Tov, the founder of Chassidism.
Isaac Assor of the Lisbon Community pointed to the connection between Portuguese Jewry and the United States, recalling Haim Solomon—a Portuguese Jew who became a principal financier of the American Republic during the Revolutionary War—and noting that Chabad’s role in U.S. society is officially recognized on Education and Sharing Day, commemorating the late Rebbe.
For many, the event was about continuity and memory.
“This ceremony honoring Rabbi Baruch Portugali helps us to keep the connection with the past alive, respecting those who have contributed significantly to the world,” said Ido Itshayek of the Algarve Community.
The tribute placed Rabbi Portugali among the great guardians of Jewish tradition, emphasizing Portuguese Jewish resilience and the global reach of Chabad, which now maintains a presence on six continents.
