Hi All,Recently, I wrote about a visit to Lisbon. Below is part two on the Jewish community of Porto. Located in the north, Porto is Portugal's second-biggest city. And, unlike Lisbon which was devastated in a mid-1700s earthquake, much of Porto's old, narrow alley ways, where the Jews once resided, remain intact. It is those alley ways that inspired Harry Potter's author, JK Rowling,...along with the fantastical-looking bookstore in Porto where she sat down to write her first book.But I digress! Much more movingly, a visit to the Jewish community in Porto is, in quite simple terms, a meeting across centuries between those Jews who fled and those who stayed...a sort of reunion of old friends and neighbors. I met one gentleman whose parents never spoke a word to him of his Jewish heritage but, with the advent of the Internet, began to discover it on his own...and continues today with that rediscovery. Then there was another gentleman I met who is aware of his ancestral connections, based on certain family traditions growing up, but does not speak of it directly. Finally, I met one of 17 people from the community who made a journey together to Israel a few years ago to undergo a halachic return. It was a pleasure to meet all of these people.Porto boasts a large, beautiful synagogue which itself has quite a story. Jorge Neves from the community very kindly provided a tour. Dedicated in 1938, it is the outcome of an effort by Portuguese Capt. Barros Basto, a descendent of forcibly converted Jews, to reawaken many others like him to return to Judaism. The synagogue's construction was supported by Spanish & Portuguese communities around the world and its opening was attended by many of their leaders from New York, London and elsewhere. And because of its existence, the new synagogue was able to serve as a precious refuge for some 1000 Jews fleeing the Nazi onslaught. Many of these refugees slept in the synagogue itself.Barros Basto, however, has a sad end. In 1943, the Portuguese Army under Fascist leader Antonio Salazar stripped him from the officer corps apparently because of his renewed Jewish faith and support of other crypto-Jews and of religious tolerance in general, He died in 1961, having never been exonerated. And so there is an effort now, mentioned by another poster here last week, to obtain that exoneration. Seems like a quite worthy aim.Lastly, a wonderful geneticist at the University of Porto, Ines Nogueuro (a member of this group), is conducting a study in relation to Jewish communities that existed in the northeast villages of Portugal. She has previously posted a note here about her study. She is seeking anyone with S&P roots who would like to provide a (very, very tiny) blood sample. It sounds very interesting and I'm sure she would be happy to provide more details.Finally, finally...if you are ever contemplating a visit to Portugal, I highly recommend it!