DETAILS

The cost of the workshop is $2950 and includes all nights of hotel (double occupancy), most meals, all transportation within Portugal, all museum admissions, film screenings and educational resources listed below. Airfare to and from Portugal not included.

Instruction is in English. Topics covered include:

• Rescue and resistance during the Holocaust. Guest speaker: renowned Holocaust historian and authority on rescue Dr. Mordecai Paldiel
• US immigration policy during World War II and the heroic role of Eleanor Roosevelt. Guest speaker: filmmaker Laura Seltzer-Duny, director of acclaimed Emmy-nominated PBS film Nobody Wants Us
• Chronology of World War II and the Holocaust
• Portugal as a neutral country headed by the dictator Salazar
• The moral courage of Aristides de Sousa Mendes to issue life-saving visas without his government’s approval
• Portugal as a safe haven for refugees as a result of the action of Sousa Mendes and the tradition of hospitality of the Portuguese people
• The hidden Jews of Portugal – forced to hide their identities by The Inquisition
• The journey that saved Curious George, whose authors Hans and Margret Rey were saved by Sousa Mendes. See an inspiring exhibition and hear from guest speakers Louise Borden and Allan Drummond, author and illustrator of the best-selling children’s book The Journey That Saved Curious George

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

The following unique educational resources will be distributed to all participants:

Heroes of the Holocaust – Rescuer Playing Cards – This deck of cards custom-made by the US Playing Card Company for the Sousa Mendes Foundation includes 52 inspiring stories of rescue from 25 countries and a full-length essay on Holocaust rescue by the renowned historian Dr. Mordecai Paldiel. An education in a box!

Curricular Unit and Powerpoint for classroom use, and more!

Lisbon

This city of seven hills is one of the great European capitals. It was here that the refugees of 1940 said farewell to Europe and set sail for their new lives across the ocean.

Porto

This historic wine-making city was a refuge for Jews fleeing Nazi persecution during World War II. Walk the cobblestone streets and the waterfront, and learn the history. See the largest synagogue in the Iberian Peninsula and visit the new Holocaust Museum of Oporto.

Belmonte

In this hilltop village lived the secret Jews of Portugal for hundreds of years. The Belmonte Jewish Museum tells their story.

Cabanas de Viriato

In this village, tucked in the Portuguese countryside, stands the majestic Aristides de Sousa Mendes Museum, in the impeccably restored former home of the diplomat-hero.

Vilar Formoso

This village on the border with Spain was the site where refugees arrived in Portugal during World War II. Next to the picturesque blue-tiled train station stands the inspiring museum, Vilar Formoso – Frontier of Peace, filled with the stories of the refugees who found safe haven in Portugal.