Special Visit to Holocaust Memorial Brings Institutions Together in São Paulo
In July, the Holocaust Memorial, located in the Bom Retiro neighborhood of São Paulo, hosted a special visit that brought together around 50 participants. The group included representatives from TJCII – Toward the Second Council of Jerusalem and CPP Montemor, along with other visitors who joined the guided experience.
Among those present were Christopher Walker, national coordinator of TJCII; Felipe and Roberta Moraes, directors of CPP Montemor; Eduardo C. de Oliveira, pastor of Convergência Church in Monte Mor; as well as leaders Luiz Montanini and Matheus Alves from TJCII, and Pastor Claudio Isidoro from Esperança Church in Americana.
The reception was led by the Memorial’s dedicated team — Sarita Mucinic Sarue, Ilana Iglicky, Janaina Mendes, Nanci Nascimento, and Ianca Loureiro — who, with sensitivity and deep knowledge, guided the groups through an immersive journey into Jewish culture and the darkest chapters of history: from pogroms to Kristallnacht, culminating in the horrors of World War II.
The Holocaust Memorial
Housed in the former Bom Retiro Synagogue, the Memorial occupies the top floor of the Jewish Immigration Memorial and is open to the public free of charge. With an interactive and audiovisual collection, the space reconstructs — through photographs, videos, historical objects, and installations — the tragic episode that claimed the lives of millions of Jews in Europe during the Holocaust.
Antisemitism in Brazil: A Troubling Panorama
The report “Antisemitism in Brazil – Current Panorama (2025) & Trends” reveals alarming data about the persistence of anti-Jewish hatred in the country.
Impact on daily life
- 46% of Jews have experienced antisemitism in their professional lives.
- 25% reported antisemitic incidents in the workplace.
- 39.8% have concealed or considered concealing their identity out of fear of moral or physical aggression.
Broader social context
- 59.2% of Brazilians rely on social media as their main source of information about the Israel-Palestine conflict.
- Only 53% can correctly define what the Holocaust was.
- 87.3% have never participated in any educational activity on the subject, inside or outside of school.
Reflection
The visit to the Holocaust Memorial underscores the importance of memory and historical education as tools to counter the advance of intolerance. In a context where digital misinformation and limited historical knowledge create fertile ground for distortions, initiatives like this are essential to preserve truth and combat antisemitism in Brazil.
