Portugal has one of the most fascinating Jewish-related histories in the world.
Historians divide the world’s 13 million living Jews into three groups: Middle Eastern, or Oriental, Jews; Sephardic Jews from Spain and Portugal; and Ashkenazi Jews from Europe. Although the Bible traces Jewish roots back to the time of Abraham some 4000 years ago, most historians have concluded that the actual Jewish identity dates to only a little over 2000 years ago.
Jewish populations have existed in the area long before the country was established, back to the Roman era, even though an attested Jewish presence in Portuguese territory can only be documented since 482 CE. With the fall of the Roman Empire, Jews were persecuted by the Visigoths and other European Christian kingdoms which controlled the area after that period.
The Sephardic Jewish heritage in Portugal has significantly marked the country’s development throughout the ages. Sephardic, known as the Jewish communities of the Iberian Peninsula, contributed to the settlement of the territory conquered from the Moors in the country’s foundation.
1-Castelo_Vide_Jewish_Quarter_Portugal
1-Castelo_Vide_Jewish_Quarter_Portugal
Belmonte_Jewish-Tours
Belmonte_Jewish-Tours
Jewish_Tours_Portugal_Belmonte_Synagogue
Jewish_Tours_Portugal_Belmonte_Synagogue
Trancoso_Jewish_Tours_Portugal_Belmonte
Trancoso_Jewish_Tours_Portugal_Belmonte
Jewish_Tours_Portugal_Synagogue_Trancoso - Copy
Jewish_Tours_Portugal_Synagogue_Trancoso - Copy
Tomar_Synagogue_portugal-tours
Tomar_Synagogue_portugal-tours
Jewish Tours Lisbon Portugal
Jewish Tours Lisbon Portugal
Lisbon_Jewish_Memorial
Lisbon_Jewish_Memorial
Protected by the Portuguese monarchs although belonging to a different religion, the Jews enjoyed the freedom of worship and education.
These communities of businessmen, men of science and of letters, philosophers, doctors, and astronomers made great contributions to the country.
In 1496, the Edict of Expulsion of the Jews from Portugal obliged them to convert to Catholicism and become New Christians. Many left the country, but many others remained and secretly kept their faith, forming the so-called Marranos or crypto-Jews. The symbolic marks and inscriptions of those times can still be seen carved in the houses of former Jewish quarters, whose traces survive in places like Trancoso, Belmonte, Guarda, and Castelo de Vide.
For almost 10 years, I have been conducting and guiding customers from all over the world, interested in learning more about the Jewish History in Portugal.
For that reason, 5 years ago I have created the Jewish Tours Portugal, the first project in Portugal, fully dedicated to Jewish Private Tours in our country.
Some of the most important places in Portugal for Jewish History are the following:
Lisbon (including Synagogue)
Porto (including Synagogue)
Belmonte (including Synagogue)
Tomar (including the oldest Synagogue/Museum in Portugal/Spain)
Castelo de Vide (including the old Jewish Quarter)
Vilar Formoso (including the Museum related with the WWII)
Trancoso (including the old Jewish Quarter, and the Isaac Cardoso Synagogue)
Evora, and much more
Please find here two suggestions for tours in Portugal, Jewish-History oriented:
These are just three suggestions, I’m available for any tailor-made and customizable plans.
The journey starts from Lisbon, where you will land, and depending on the time you have available, I can plan your trip between 5 to 12 days total.
Please let me know your thoughts by email here or WhatsApp available here
Passionate traveler, travel planner, private tour guide, and travel article writer in Portugal. Owner of The Lisbon Guide with more than 250.000 pages visited every year (5 million views in 12 years)
I'm based in Lisbon/Portugal and experienced in travel planning, tour guiding, and entrepreneurship since 1996, and guiding customers for over 20 years across Portugal. Helping customers from all over the world, planning their stay in Portugal. I'm also an avid TripAdvisor user level 6 with more than 300.000 readers worldwide, assisting thousands of travelers yearly to plan their perfect trip.
*Disclaimer: All articles on this website express solely my opinion, and some services can be provided directly by myself, or through any partner.
