In a solemn and historically resonant ceremony, the International Observatory of Human Rights, in partnership with B’nai B’rith Portugal, posthumously honored Captain Arthur Carlos de Barros Basto, a decorated Portuguese war hero and pioneering Jewish leader who was expelled from the military under circumstances widely acknowledged today as driven by antisemitism.
The tribute, held at the headquarters of B’nai B’rith Portugal in Porto, recognized Captain Barros Basto’s extraordinary contributions to Portuguese society and Jewish heritage. Often referred to as the “Portuguese Dreyfus,” Barros Basto’s story mirrors that of Alfred Dreyfus, the French Jewish officer unjustly convicted of treason. In 1937, Barros Basto was dismissed from the army following a secret military tribunal, accused on the basis of anonymous slander—a decision now viewed as motivated by antisemitic sentiment.
At the heart of the charges was his campaign to help descendants of Jews forcibly converted during the Inquisition reconnect with Judaism. That effort, controversial at the time, earned him both admiration and hostility, particularly from conservative elements within Portuguese society.
“Captain Barros Basto is more than a historical figure,” said Luís Andrade, president of the International Observatory of Human Rights, as he presented a certificate of recognition to the family. “He is a timeless example of how personal sacrifice, national and cultural pride, and moral conviction can shape a better, more fraternal world.”
Born in 1887, Barros Basto fought with distinction during World War I, surviving a deadly gas attack in Flanders and receiving commendations for bravery. In the years that followed, he channeled his energies into reviving Jewish life in Portugal. In 1923, he founded the Jewish Community of Oporto and later helped build the city’s grand synagogue with the backing of international Sephardic Jewish donors. His mission: to restore a vibrant Jewish presence in a country that had all but erased it following centuries of persecution, forced conversions, and expulsion.
His granddaughter, Isabel Lopes, who serves as vice president of the very community her grandfather helped establish, spoke emotionally at the ceremony. “My grandfather didn’t just deal with what’s beautiful in the world,” she said. “He also had to deal with the lowest elements of society, with slanderous anonymous letters, with the police raiding his house and frightening his children. My mother often saw him crouched in his house, with his head on his knees, crying out for divine justice.”
The ceremony drew a distinguished group of attendees, including military officials, scholars, and Jewish community leaders. Among them was Admiral Silva Ribeiro, former Chief of the General Staff of the Portuguese Armed Forces. “It is important to show this man was the best of the best in the Portuguese Army,” he said. “Captain Barros Basto was an exemplary officer.”
Israel’s ambassador to Portugal, Oren Rozenblat, also delivered remarks, invoking a passage from the Mishna: “In a place where there are no men, strive to be a man.” He added, “This represents the great work of Captain Barros Basto. He strived to be a man—or as we say, a mentsch—in a place where, if he hadn’t acted, there would have been no one else to do it.”
Gabriela Cantergi, president of B’nai B’rith Portugal, underscored the breadth of Barros Basto’s legacy. “He founded an official community together with Ashkenazim, built a monumental synagogue with the support of the Sephardic diaspora, and even tried to rescue hundreds of people who lived in remote regions of Portugal to formally become Jewish, traveling great distances on foot, on horseback, or by train. So many worlds within one man.”
Jorge Martins, a historian who has extensively researched Barros Basto, emphasized the officer’s broader historical role: “More than the rescue of Judaism in Portugal, the ‘Portuguese Dreyfus’ initiated the rescue of the Jewish Portuguese identity lost since the expulsion decree of 1496, the forced baptisms of 1497, and the Inquisition that followed. Barros Basto stirred both Portugal and the world to recognize the Jewish roots of Portuguese identity.”
As Portugal continues its efforts to reconcile with its historical treatment of Jews, the ceremony served as a powerful reminder of the enduring impact one man can have in reclaiming dignity, justice, and heritage for an entire people.
