Description
The objective of the Pre-defined Project “Routes of Sepharad – Enhancement of the Portuguese Jewish Identity in an Intercultural Dialogue” is to restore, conserve and preserve the Jewish cultural heritage as an integral part of Portuguese history and culture. This Project aims at achieving the establishment of the Route of Sepharad through the restoration, conservation and preservation of more than 13 Jewish cultural heritage sites and buildings. In addition the project will stimulate economic development and job creation at a local level by increased cultural tourism in the area. Improved access to the restored, renovated and protected Jewish cultural heritage will open up this heritage to approximately 100.000 people, whilst training courses related to the route will increase people’s competence in this area. The visibility of the route will be ensured for example through signposts in 27 municipalities. The target groups and sectors benefiting from this Project, are the Portuguese people, the Jewish community, tourists, students, service sector such as the SMEs tourist sector and local businesses.
Summary of project results
The Jews have lived in the territory occupied by the present day for Portugal since at least the Roman Empire and they contributed for its development in many ways for many centuries. However, the Jewish people also expelled from Portugal and persecuted by the Inquisition during the middle age. Thus, the Project "Routes of Sepharad – Enhancement of the Portuguese Jewish Identity in the Intercultural Dialogue" resulted from the need to create a cultural Route based on the recognition, study and recovery of an important and still unknown Jewish heritage in Portugal. Through this project it was possible to rehabilitate and musealization buildings, with the aim of providing them with infrastructures that allow the access of visitors to the Jewish heritage. Thus, a large part of the rehabilitation occurred in the interior of the country. The project has contributed positively to the achievement of the target of 13 rehabilitated, renovated and protected sites and buildings. In order to raise awareness of the potential of Jewish heritage, the project also aimed to caring out courses and training, being the target, the tourist agents and technicians of the municipalities. Through the Project, we achieved 12 courses, exceeding this, the established goal of 7 courses planed under the Programme PT08. The courses are: - The Jewish communities in Portugal at the end of the Middle Ages; - The knowledge and role of the Portuguese Jews in the discoveries; - Great Moments in Culture; - The Sephardic in the genesis of the USA; - The host in World War II; - The memory of the Holocaust; - Judaism - Identity Religious Definitions and Practices; - Jewish Heritage in Portugal; - Jewish Jewry - History and Culture; - Two Workshops in Portugal and one in Oslo carried out by the Project Partner. However, in order the Route of Sepharad had more visibility at national level, it was necessary to implement signage in 37 Municipalities. Thus, the Programme PT 08 was exceeds the established target of 27 municipalities.
Summary of bilateral results
Through the partnership with the HL - Senteret it was possible to carry out workshops in Portugal, specifically in the Municipalities of Castelo de Vide and Belmonte, on the Holocaust and Judaic themes. On the other hand, in Oslo, an exhibition was set up in a space provided by the partner, about Judaism in Portugal. The exhibition was composed by the following themes: • Origins/Beginnings of the Jewish presence in the territory; • In the constitution and consolidation of the Kingdom of Portugal; • Dynamics and cultural consolidation; • The illumination; • The growing of intolerance; • Inquisition and Christian; • New Communities; • The planetary Diaspora; • The Jewish resurgence in Portugal after 1821; • The Second World War; • Legacy and Identity; • Sephardic Culture and identity. Essentially, the partnership allowed gives some international visibility to the Project. Thus, since its inauguration (March 30, 2017,) to date, the exhibition had 11.748 visitors. On the other hand, in Belmonte and Castelo de Vide, the technical of HL – Senteret gave workshops about the following themes: - Dissemination of narratives of minority groups within the memory of majority groups; - Find the documents and reveal the story. These workshops supported the Programme to exceed the goal of 7 courses and training activities carried out under the Programme. The bilateral relations fund contributed to the Programme level, since it was used to cover the trips of technicians from the PO to Oslo, in order to follow-up the development of the work between the Promoter and the HL - Senteret.