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World Jewish Travel Official July 31, 2022

Welcoming Purim 2022: A Jewish Carnival of Hamantaschen, Parades, and Plenty of Alcohol

Purim 2022: The Purim Holiday is Back and Better Than Ever From Europe to the Middle East, Jews have been subjected to some of the most ruthless minority treatment in history. There have been many moments where Jewish communities around the world have thought, "This is the end." However, most of the time it all works out and as a result, a new holiday is born. One choice joke that American Jews often like to employ during such holidays is, "They tried to kill us, they failed, let’s eat." On Purim, this sentence is altered to read, "They tried to kill us, they failed, let’s party." For the last two years, the pandemic canceled this opportunity. However, Purim 2022 is returning with vengeance and several major events in Israel. Grab your Purim costume and your alcohol of choice and take to the streets and bakeries for all the merriment. [caption id="attachment_33622" align="alignnone" width="590"] Plate of traditional Hamantaschen cookies[/caption] Hamantaschen: A Tasty Symbol of Jewish Victory Sure, there are plenty of parades and things to do in Tel Aviv during the Purim holiday. Yet before all that you need to set a good carb base for all the alcohol you will surely consume. There is no better pre-drinking snack than some classic hamantaschen. These triangle shaped treats are sculpted to look like the three pointed hat of the famous Jewish enemy Haman. Haman wanted all the Jews of Persia massacred. It was through the efforts of Queen Esther, that the Jews of Persia were saved. She convinced King Ahasuerus to spare her people and execute Haman in the place of her Uncle Mordecai. For this reason, on Purim Jews read the Megillat Esther and indulge in some delicious little Haman hats or hamantaschen. Some of the best hamantaschen to be found in Tel Aviv is at Puni or Lechamin Bakery.  Puni, the first cake shop in Yaffo, was built by a Polish immigrant by the name of Avi Puni, who came to Israel in 1922. The bakery specializes in many assortments of sweet and savory baked goods. All of these tasty treats are made using recipes straight from the Puni family cookbook. Throughout the year they are known for their signature bourekas and marzipan but during the Purim holiday, the hamantaschen reign supreme. Lechamin Bakery is known for its shelves of freshly baked and delicious loaves of bread from sourdough to rye. Exiting Lechamin without an assortment of fresh baked goods is next to impossible. This Purim 2022, indulge in their classic chocolate hamantaschen and pair it with a cup of their delicious coffee. [caption id="attachment_33531" align="alignnone" width="678"] Participants of the Zombie-Walk Tel Aviv dressed in a zombie Purim costume[/caption] The Walking Dead: Purim 2022 Edition Purim costumes come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, however, for certain occasions a dress code is required. Start prepping some fake blood and your finest ripped shirts for the Zombie Walk on March 19th. This is one of the most beloved themed Purim parades in all of Israel. People from far and wide come to Tel Aviv to take part in this celebration of the dead. In earlier years, the number of walkers was in the thousands. This year, volunteers are hoping for a similar turnout. The parade kicks off at 9:30pm at the corner of King George and Sderot Ben Tzion. Everyone is welcome, the young, the old, and do not be afraid to take your costume to another level of terrifying.  [caption id="attachment_33625" align="alignnone" width="614"] Parade participants dressed in Purim costume[/caption] Adloyada is Aramaic for Stinking Drunk  The Adloyada parades are by far the most celebrated events in Israel for the Purim holiday as well as the most historic. The first parade took place in Tel Aviv in 1912 and from that point on have been a staple of the Purim holiday in Israel. The Amaraic phrase that gave birth to the name Adloyada is “Ad Delo Yada'' roughly translated as “until no one longer knows.” Traditionally you must get so drunk on Purim that you can no longer tell the difference between the names Haman and Mordecai. These names look completely different in the Megillah so you have got to be pretty wasted.  The Adloyada parades not only consist of people but some fairly elaborate floats. In the past, these floats paid homage to the history and culture of Israel. Some designs included giant Ben Gurion heads reading Israel’s declaration of independence or the twelve tribes of Israel. Today, the floats reflect a more modern touch of Israeli culture. The criteria are outlandish, colorful, and loud. DJs and musicians from across the nation come to spin their records and blast their horns from atop the floats. The overarching theme is diversity and difference, which can be seen in each and every float and every Purim costume.  [caption id="attachment_33137" align="alignnone" width="518"] Purim Items: Hamantaschen (Oznei Haman), Purim masks, and Gragger (traditional noise maker)[/caption] Purim: A Much Needed Celebration of Life  This Purim 2022 is possibly the most needed holiday in the last few years for the Jewish people and Israel. After all the stress, isolation, and precautions, it is high time that the entire nation let its hair down. Celebrating the continuation of life is a key pillar of many Jewish holidays, including Purim. This upcoming Purim holiday will be a celebration of survival not only for the Jews of ancient Persia but also Jews of the modern age.

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World Jewish Travel Official July 31, 2022

The Jewish Story of Izmir, Turkey

Evidence of Jewish life in Izmir dates back to Hellenistic and Roman times. Regional archeological findings point to a thriving Jewish community in this coastal city, then known as Smyrna. While this Romaniot community seems to have enjoyed considerable importance in antiquity, its presence started declining in the late Byzantine period, as Jews got settled in surrounding towns, rather than Izmir itself.  It appears that in the year 1424, when the Ottomans conquered the, by then, small and relatively unimportant town, Izmir no longer had an organized Jewish community. The expulsion of the Jews from Spain (1492) and Portugal (1497), however, opened a new page in the history of Ottoman Jewry. Thousands of exiled Jews settled throughout the Empire, where they made considerable contributions to local trade and economies. In different time periods, including Ottoman Empire and Republic of Turkey, some Ashkenazi groups from various countries also settled in the city, but the population superiority was always kept by the Sephardi.  [caption id="attachment_30221" align="alignnone" width="1368"] Etz Hayim Synagogue[/caption] The resettlement of Jews to Izmir and the reestablishment of the community took place by the end of 16th century and the beginning of the 17th century. This period coincides with the time of the extraordinary economic growth of the city; when the port of Izmir began to develop into the most important trading center in the Levant.  The region reserved for Jews according to the settlement order of the Ottoman Empire, was neighboring the Turkish quarter together with the harbor and bazaar area. Taking the advantage of this location many Jews started to find commerce related jobs like translator, trader etc. Known as the "Juderia” (later to be named as the “First Juderia”), this region consisted of a group of neighborhoods whose names and numbers changed over time. Daily life structures such as houses, workplaces, places of worship, schools and hospitals were built in this region, in which the Jewish community lived for several centuries. By the middle of the 17th century, the Jewish community numbered in the thousands, and displayed a large degree of heterogeneity. As the waves of Jewish immigration to Izmir during the 17th century came from several different sources (within and outside the Ottoman Empire), the community organized in several synagogues, had their own leadership and institutions, and maintained contact with other Jewish communities.  [caption id="attachment_30220" align="alignnone" width="1368"] Beit Hillel Synagogue[/caption] Born in Izmir in 1626, Shabbetai Zvi and his Sabbatean movement left a deep mark on the history of Izmir’s Jewish community. Indeed, Zvi’s messianism movement reverberated throughout the entire Jewish world, and some consider it to have represented an existential threat to Judaism in the 17th century. The later Ottoman period in Izmir was characterized by the growth of the Jewish population and the maturing of religious and secular intellectual life, evidenced by important spiritual leaders like Rav. Hayim Palachi, as well as the great number of the Jewish newspapers and secular literature from this period. Starting from the second half of the 19th century, the westward spread of the urban settlement attracted the attention of the Greeks and the Muslims, as well as the Jews.  Thus, the adventure of the “Second Juderia”, i.e., the new Jewish quarter which was formed in this new part of Izmir lasted only for about a century. The wealthier or more educated members of the community moved to this neighborhood first. Structures required by daily life were built, activities required by community life were organized, but most differently and importantly, in this new settlement area the neighborhoods became multicultural and multi-religious. [caption id="attachment_30218" align="alignnone" width="1368"] Algazi Synagogue external view[/caption] By the last quarter of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, due to regional and World wars, the Jewish community of Izmir faced a lot of emigration traffic, both inbound (mainly from Central and Eastern Europe) and outbound (mainly to Europe and the Americas). Finally, the establishment of the State of Israel, also created a big immigration wave. Ever since, the community continued to diminish gradually due to economic and political reasons, as well as issues like low growth of population, inter-marriages, youngsters moving out for education / job opportunities, etc. As another result of the settlement movement, the structure of both neighborhoods changed. By the 1950s, the number of inhabitants of the "First Juderia '' dwindled considerably, and later to be abandoned completely. Those who did not go abroad from the “Second Juderia” began to move to the Alsancak region, which they considered as a more upscale area. [caption id="attachment_30219" align="alignnone" width="1333"] Alsancak region of Izmir[/caption] Out of many magnificent synagogues built in previous centuries in Izmir, only a few survived for centuries due through disasters like earthquakes, fires, etc and declining population. The remaining synagogues, some preserved and some in ruins, together with the cortejos, the cemeteries, and an elevator tower, constitute a living testimony to community’s life in Izmir, which was one of the most spectacular of its kind and had the most spiritual and cultural influence on all Jewish diaspora communities in the 17th and 18th centuries. [caption id="attachment_30225" align="alignnone" width="1368"] Shalom synagogue[/caption] The tangible cultural heritage examples located at the First Juderia, within the borders of "the heart" of the city, create a unique historical value with the structural density formed in the area. On the other hand, although not managed by the community any more, located in the Second Juderia, a street elevator -one of the city's landmark towers, and a hospital continue to serve the wider society of the city. Musicians from various periods have contributed to different styles of music and gained fame beyond the community. Also, some culinary contributions from Sephardic cuisine to local street food culture, turning out to be one of the symbols of Izmir in the present day, is to be recognized as an important intangible cultural heritage. [caption id="attachment_30224" align="alignnone" width="2048"] Izmir Sephardic Cultural festival[/caption] A festival has been created under the name of “Izmir Sephardic Culture Festival” to introduce the Jewish heritage of Izmir. The festival organized during Hanukkah holidays in 2018 and 2019, has received extraordinary attention and participation right away from the local citizens. It is planned to continue with wider participation, as soon as national and international pandemic regulations permit.   

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FBCEI - Fondazione Beni Culturali Ebraici in Italia August 4, 2022

The Jewish Story of Rome, Italy

The center of Italy’s cultural and political life, Rome has one of the greatest concentrations of artistic treasures and historic monuments of the world. The Roman Jewish community is the oldest of the Diaspora: its ancient origins, its rich historical and artistic heritage, and monuments that have survived to the present day make the community of Rome a unique example not only in Italy but in the whole Diaspora.  Credit: www.visitJewishItaly.it  This long continuous presence has left traces stratified with those of the other inhabitants with whom through good and bad the Jews have lived for over two millennia. Thus many ancient Roman monuments bear signs or memories for their presence. One great example is the Arch of Titus, in the Roman Forum, with scenes showing the deportation of Jews from Palestine, including prisoners carrying a seven-branched candelabrum to Rome after the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem. A constant factor in the Jewish history of Rome was papal policy. For centuries it meant persecution and discrimination. [caption id="attachment_30195" align="alignnone" width="2048"] Jewish Museum in Rome[/caption] There are several places of Jewish interest and the most important is surely the Ghetto, the specific area bounded by the Isola Tiberina section of the Tiber, the Ponte Fabricio (Ponte Quattro Capi), Via del Portico d’Ottavia and Piazza delle Cinque Scole. This was the area designated as Rome’s Ghetto by Pope Paul IV in the bull ‘Cum nimis absurdum’ of July 14th, 1555. It is today the center of Jewish life, with the most important synagogue and a Jewish school, kosher restaurants and shops. This area is very surprising since Jews were already living here in Roman times.  

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World Jewish Travel Official August 3, 2022

The Jewish Story of Harbin, China

The city of Harbin is the capital of Heilung Kiang province in northern Manchuria, northeast China. The city's development began with the invasion of the Russians in Manchuria in the 19th century when the Russo-Manchurian treaty allowed Russia to build the Chinese Eastern railway. During this time Harbin became the center of the railway project and the chief engineer of the building board was a man named Alexander Yugovich who was born into a Jewish family but later converted to Christianity. When the line opened for traffic in 1903, many Russian Jewish families moved into Harbin where they were granted a better status than they had in Russia. The Karaites and Jews, both minority groups in the city, were granted plots of land on the outskirts of the city and were allowed to establish businesses. [caption id="attachment_31100" align="alignnone" width="2560"] Harbin Museum of Jewish History and Culture | Old Synagogue[/caption] Credit: xiquinhosilva from Cacau, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons In 1903 the Jewish community of Harbin had around 500 residents and this number quickly grew to 8,000 by 1908. The community decided to build a synagogue which they called the "Main Synagogue" and it took just under 2 years to build. Today, the synagogue can be found on Tongjiang street, Daoli district. The community also established the first Jewish cemetery in China in 1903, which later had more than 2,000 tombs. Within the community several businesses flourished including a hospital, several clubs, and an elderly home. The hospital provided care for the Jewish residence as well as much of the general population.  Thought the town also had a religious elementary and secondary school, many of the Jewish students attended non-Jewish schools due to lack of classes. [caption id="attachment_31142" align="alignnone" width="1800"] The new synagogue in Harbin[/caption] Following the outbreak of World War I in November 1914, Harbin's Jewish community  joined the Jewish Committee for the Help of War Victims. This organization was active until 1920, but it was able to help over 200,000 war refugees have access food, dormitories, hospitals, and professional courses. After World War I, the Jewish community had an influx of Jewish refugees and the population peaked to 10,000 or 15,000 by the early 1930's. However, the population quickly declined to about 5,000 1939. The population continued to thrive after the war and a new synagogue, a Jewish library, a new hospital, a school for women, a Jewish National bank, and another Jewish secondary school were established.  Because Harbin was well-known as being a cultural center, many famous Jewish actors came to perform in Harbin. Twenty Jewish newspapers were established between 1918 and 1930 and several youth clubs associated with the Zionist movement were created. Between 1921 and 1925, several youth groups from the HaShomer HaTzair Zionist movement emigrated to Palestine and the Harbin branch of the HaShomer HaTzair was set up in 1927. In 1929, Betar, the Zionist youth movement, was founded by a large group of former members of the HaShomer HaTzair movement. When Zionism was outlawed in the Soviet Union, Harbin because a hub of Zionism and another wave of Jewish immigration occurred with the Soviet Union's New Economic Policy (NEP) in 1925. In December 1937, Harbin held the first of three Zionist conferences for Jewish communities in the Far East. Under Russian rule, the Jews community of Harbin enjoyed the same rights as all other foreigners but there was an economic crisis in 1928, when the Chinese Eastern Railway was handed over to Chinese, and many Jews left Harbin. The Jews who left went to Shanghai, Ten-Tsin, other cities in China, or the Soviet Union. The good living conditions of the Jews in Harbin quickly changed when the Japanese took control of Manchuria and establishment of a puppet regime, which allowed Jews to be subjected to terror and extortion. When World War II began, Jews in Harbin became even more oppressed and anti-Semitic politics were put in place. Under Japanese rule, the Zionist youth movements helped to keep Jewish national life alive; with the help of Betar and Maccabi, Jewish cultural activities continued to be organized. Four synagogues had been established until 1950, but many Jews left Harbin at the outbreak of the war. They emigrated to the United States, Australia, Brazil, and other countries. Between 1945 and 1957, Harbin was under Soviet control and many Jewish leaders were arrested and sent to the Soviet interior. After the war ended, most of the Jewish in Harbin left and even 3,500 settled in Israel and established their own society of Chinese Jews. The cemetery was moved to a new location during the 1960's and the last Jew in Harbin left in 1985. [caption id="attachment_31105" align="alignnone" width="2560"] Harbin Museum of Jewish History and Culture | Harbin "Main Synagogue"[/caption] Credit: xiquinhosilva from Cacau, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons Most of the Jewish sites have been left intact or have been renovated and there are two synagogues, a rabbinical school, and the largest Jewish cemetery of the Far East with about 700 gravestones, for visitors to see. The new Synagogue has been converted into the Harbin Museum of Jewish History and Culture which is open year round to tourists and locals interested in the rich history of Jews in Harbin. The old synagogue was recently renovated into a concert hall, known as the Old Synagogue or Laohuitang Concert Hall.  

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Delphine Yague January 3, 2023

The Jewish Story of Troyes, France

©Texts by Troyes la Champagne Tourisme - ©Rashi Route information by CulturistiQ. Troyes La Champagne, capital of the department of Aube, is a unique destination to explore once and again, 160 kilometers south-east of Paris and 120 kilometers from Reims. First on the list of things to see, is the fabulous collection of half-timbered houses which makes the town proud. They have received a glorious facelift, adorning them in a multitude of colours. Water, on which the town was established, has also taken centre stage again. The quays of the Seine are an eloquent testimony to this. Before winding through Paris, the river passes through the former capital of the Champagne counts, where it is infused with the spirit of moderation. [caption id="attachment_30844" align="alignnone" width="2051"] Troyes Tourism Office© A. Lallemand - Troyes La Champagne Tourisme-0781[/caption] The venerable town of Troyes dates back to antiquity. The region was populated by nomads during the lower Palaeolithic period, around 400,000 BC, and was settled around 5,000 BC. The first traces of permanent settlements date from the end of the 6th century AD. Greek and Latin authors wrote of the Gallic people Tricasses around the 5th and 4th centuries BC. It is estimated that in the first centuries AD, the city of Augustobona Tricassium (Troyes) had around 6,000 souls and a surface area of around 80 hectares, bordered on the north and south by marshes.  In the 12th century, Troyes experienced rapid commercial and financial expansion, as well as an incredible intellectual and cultural explosion. The Counts of Champagne helped the city to expand by stimulating the celebrated “Foires de Champagne” that attracted traders from around Europe, thanks in part to the fairs’ code of conduct, set up in 1137. In the time of the Counts of Champagne, while Troyes is famous for Chrétien de Troyes, it is also associated with two other key figures from the Middle Ages: Rashi and Saint Bernard de Clairvaux, whose names remain indelibly linked to the city of Troyes and the Aube département to this day. Both men were eminent thinkers and scholars who played a key role in their respective eras. At this time, Troyes was home to a large Jewish community. One of the city’s children would go on to become the world’s most famous Jew and an iconic figure in Judaism: Shlomo Ben Yitzhak, better known as Rashi (1040-1105).  The famous Troyen is best known for his extraordinary talent as an interpreter and commentator of the Bible and the Talmud. He founded a Talmudic School in his native city, which attracted students from far and wide, keen to learn more about his comments on the sacred texts. His teachings remain influential today, representing a model of openness and dialogue between cultures. Rashi’s works also provide an important insight into the French language during his era (the second half of the 11th century), when French remained a variant of the ancient Champenois dialect and was still in its infancy. The Rabbi translated difficult and technical terms from Biblical Hebrew into this burgeoning language. Just like Chrétien de Troyes, Rashi made a major contribution to the expansion of French-language literature in the central Middle Ages. [caption id="attachment_30846" align="alignnone" width="1000"] RashisHouseExhibition_Library_P5©J. Boitelet2017[/caption] Later, in the 16th century, the city was an artistic hotbed. Troyes is largely a 16th century city, with most of today’s buildings and layout dating from what locals call the “beautiful 16th century”. A reference to a prosperous period in the city’s history, when Troyes was a melting pot of artistic talent and creativity in fields as varied as sculpture, painting, tapestry, embroidery, goldsmithery and glasswork. Arts flourished with the famous Troyes Schools of Sculpture and Painting or the Master Glassmakers school. Their talent, already recognized in the 13th century, were to create marvelous works and make Troyes a “blessed town of stained glass”.  The saying goes that France is home to 80% of the world’s stained glass windows, that 80% of French stained glass windows are located north of the Loire, that 80% of the stained glass windows north of the Loire are in the Champagne region, and that 80% of the stained glass windows in the Champagne region are in the Aube département! A quick calculation would therefore suggest that around 40% of the planet’s stained glass windows can be found right here in Aube… Nowhere else in the world will you find the sheer number and quality of stained glass windows as you can here. Aube is home to some 9,000 sq. m of stained glass windows, from the majestic Troyes cathedral to the smallest village church! This priceless treasure is spread across some 200 religious buildings. No fewer than 1,042 listed windows come from the era known locally as the «beautiful 16th century» alone.  [caption id="attachment_30847" align="alignnone" width="2100"] Troyes City Center ©CulturistiQ[/caption] Troyes is also famous for its Renaissance mansions, opulent residences built in the Renaissance period: Hôtel Juvénal des Ursins, Hôtel Marisy, Hôtel Mauroy, Hôtel du Petit Louvre, Hôtel du Moïse, Hôtel des Angoiselles, Hôtel de Chapelaines, Hôtel de Vauluisant, Hôtel du Commandeur….  This pivotal era, spanning both the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, has left a lasting legacy on Troyes as it is today. The city was ravaged by a great fire in 1524, but has been rebuilt to its original appearance, with buildings replacing their fire-damaged predecessors in exactly the same locations.  The 19th century saw Troyes undergo an economic and industrial transformation, driven by the hosiery industry. The “factory shops” were born in TROYES in the 1960s, to sell off local manufacturers’ ends of lines. At first only open to factory staff, little by little they were opened to the general public. Let’s remind ourselves of some of Troyes great brands such as Lacoste, Doré Doré or Petit Bateau! [caption id="attachment_30848" align="alignnone" width="1124"] Portail Institut Rachi Crédit ©CDT Aube Valentin COLIN[/caption] This legacy has bestowed upon Troyes its unique identity.  Today, the town is undergoing a significant transformation which began in 1970. This slow and patient restoration programme of the town’s heritage sites is coupled with the evolution of its economy. The modern city is a direct descendant of its medieval predecessor. This venerable city is now living through its fourth golden age. Troyes La Champagne is also full of historical and architectural gems. Explore and get astonished through its museum collections: History, Fine Arts, Modern Art, Hosiery, Apothecary, Archeology, Arts and popular traditions. The town is on a human scale, and the countryside is never far! Troyes Champagne Métropole now welcomes visitors passing through with pleasure. Troyes and its surroundings also benefit from multiple little greenery spots that are like many places where you can take a breath besides the frantic race of everyday life. The landscape reflects the local style, unless it is the other way around: modest in height, moderate in area, and accessible to all.  [caption id="attachment_30849" align="alignnone" width="2000"] Champagne Vinyards ©CDTAube[/caption]   Then there are the Champagne plains with endless farmland, the Grands Lacs de Champagne and the viticultural island of Montgueux, which surround the town. Or the completely different valleys of the Pays d’Othe, home to the vast and truly enchanting Chaource forest. The modest surroundings are a treasure chest for those who know where to look. In Troyes, Historic Capital of Champagne, the nearest vineyard is about ten kilometres away (Montgueux), so it would be a sacrilege to talk of gastronomy without mentioning the famous sparkling nectar of the region, Champagne! It is not well known that the Aube is the 2nd largest producing département of five of Champagne, after the Marne. The actual Champagne appellation vineyards planted and in production cover 6,500 hectares and supply a fifth of the production, with a potential of 50 million bottles, of which 6,3000,000 are produced by winegrowers and winemakers of the Aube. The 59 communes of the appellation are for the most part concentrated in the south of the département the length of the “Cotes des Bar” (from the Celtic “Bar”, meaning peak), between Bar-sur-Seine and Bar-sur-Aube, with a prolongation onto the slopes of Montgueux that overlook Troyes and, and to the northwest near Villenaxe-la-Grande. The Champagne Tourist Route has its own signposting system and the winegrowers there are ready with their welcome.  In that context, since 2019 Aube département has become part of the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe, which includes the Route of Jewish Heritage, as the cradle of a universally known recognized intangible Jewish heritage. In Aube département, the Rashi medieval Route of Champagne crosses two other prestigious European Routes: the Templars Route and the Cistercian Abbeys Route. To invigorate the territory, the Rashi Route proposes a combination of a cultural and tourist offering centered on the history of the ancient prestigious Jewish communities of Champagne.

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אירועים, חגיגות וחגים Events, Celebrations & Holidays

Day

Holocaust Survivor Day

Jun 26

On March 6, 2021, Michael Berenbaum and Jonathan Ornstein published the following op-ed in The Jerusalem Post calling for the creation of a "Holocaust Survivor Day." In their words, "Holocaust survivors deserve a day of joy; a day of celebration. Not a day to share with condemnation of the Nazis, but a day to celebrate their lives they built in response to the Holocaust. Survivors represent the best in all of us, the best of the human spirit. They are our treasure and our light and we must shine that light into every dark corner of our world. We call on the world to join us and celebrate the inaugural Holocaust Survivor Day on June 26th." Why June 26? June 26th is Auschwitz survivor Marian Turski’s birthday. This date was chosen to acknowledge the importance and impact of the noted historian, journalist, and the moral conscience of Poland’s Jewish community, and especially his powerful speech at last year’s ceremony commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Mr. Turski had this to say: "Auschwitz did not fall from the sky. It began with small forms of persecution of Jews. It happened; it means it can happen anywhere. That is why human rights and democratic constitutions must be defended. The eleventh commandment is important: Don't be indifferent. Do not be indifferent when you see historical lies, do not be indifferent when any minority is discriminated against, do not be indifferent when power violates a social contract." Join us as and celebrate the lives of the survivors from your own community and the living legacies left by those who are no longer with us.


#WORLDJEWISHTRAVEL

Even in Berlin, you can get a taste of the Middle East at @restaurantfeinbergs!

This restaurant offers Israeli specialties focused specifically on traditional sephardic cuisine. From mouthwatering spiced meats to vegetarian hummus and falafel, Feinburg’s offers a bit of everything – making it a perfect stop for everyone’s Berlin culinary tour.
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If you keep kosher and enjoy traveling, be sure to check out our Kosher Travel page!

We`ve gathered the top kosher tour experiences in countries around the world, allowing you to explore Jewish culture while dining on amazing kosher cuisine.

🔗 Check out our link in bio to find a kosher travel experience!
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One of the highlights from the Jewish Silk Road event was definitely the dancer from Uzbekistan!

Learn more about Jewish culture in Georgia, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Turkey and India 👉 (link in bio)

@experienceazerbaijan @exploregeorgia @jewisheritage @tourismgoi @incredibleindia @visit_tashkent @uzbektourism_official @uzb_travel @goturkiye #WorldJewishTravel #SilkRoad #JewishTravel #JewishHistory #JewishCulture #IzmirTurkey #TravelUzbekistan #TravelIzmir #JewishIzmir #JewishKochin #JewishEurope #TravelEurope #TravelIndia #JewishIndia #JewishAzerbaijan #TravelAzerbaijan
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It`s believed that the Jewish people have been present in Georgia for 2,600 years, making them one of the oldest continuing Jewish communities in the world.

Watch the full video and Jewish Silk Road YouTube playlist of Georgia, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Turkey and India 👉 (link in bio)

@experienceazerbaijan @exploregeorgia @jewisheritage @tourismgoi @incredibleindia @visit_tashkent @uzbektourism_official @uzb_travel @goturkiye #WorldJewishTravel #SilkRoad #JewishTravel #JewishHistory #JewishCulture #IzmirTurkey #TravelUzbekistan #TravelIzmir #JewishIzmir #JewishKochin #JewishEurope #TravelEurope #TravelIndia #JewishIndia #JewishAzerbaijan #TravelAzerbaijan
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The Jewish Silk Road features cities along the ancient trade route where Jewish culture once flourished. Discover Jewish cultural sites from Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Georgia, to India and Uzbekistan 👉 (link in bio)
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@experienceazerbaijan @exploregeorgia @jewisheritage @tourismgoi @incredibleindia @visit_tashkent @uzbektourism_official @uzb_travel @goturkiye #WorldJewishTravel #SilkRoad #JewishTravel #JewishHistory #JewishCulture #IzmirTurkey #TravelUzbekistan #TravelIzmir #JewishIzmir #JewishKochin #JewishEurope #TravelEurope #TravelIndia #JewishIndia #JewishAzerbaijan #TravelAzerbaijan
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We were proud to welcome ambassadors and national tourism board representatives from five countries along the Jewish Silk Road to our launch event at this year’s IMTM in Tel Aviv! With their help, we were able to tell the Jewish story of the ancient Silk Road trade route that played a central role in facilitating economic, cultural, political, and religious interactions between the East and West.

Learn more 👉 (link in bio)
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@experienceazerbaijan @exploregeorgia @jewisheritage @tourismgoi @incredibleindia @visit_tashkent @uzbektourism_official @uzb_travel @goturkiye #WorldJewishTravel #SilkRoad #JewishTravel #JewishHistory #JewishCulture #IzmirTurkey #TravelUzbekistan #TravelIzmir #JewishIzmir #JewishKochin #JewishEurope #TravelEurope #TravelIndia #JewishIndia #JewishAzerbaijan #TravelAzerbaijan
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This past year we’ve been working with the European Jewish Heritage Routes to help promote Jewish cultural tourism across Europe.

As of today, we have over 30 cities from the European Jewish Heritage Routes on our website and are continuing to add more!

If you`re interested in getting your city on the WJT platform, email us at [email protected]

@jewishheritage @izmir_jewish_heritage_project @councilofeurope

#WorldJewishTravel #JewishTravel #JewishCulture #JewishHeritage #JewishCommunity #TravelEurope
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We`re excited to be featured
in @thejerusalem_post magazine!

Check out the link in our bio to read the full article online and discover Jewish culture around the world.

Thanks JPost!
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#jerusalempost #jpost #jewishtravel #jewishhistory #jewishheritage #worldjewishtravel #culturaltourism #heritagetourism #traveleurope #jewishcommunity #jewishtour #jewishtourism #traveltech #traveltechnology
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Looking for a place to spend Shabbat while traveling this summer?

Our Shabbat Around the World page has the top Shabbat dinner experiences in thousands of cities around the world! Experiencing Shabbat abroad is such a unique opportunity and allows you to connect with the local culture.

🔗 Check out our link in bio to find a Shabbat dinner!
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#shabbat #shabbatdinner #jewishtravel #jewishculture #shabbatshalom #shabbattable #shabbat_shalom #heritagetourism #culturaltourism #jewishhistory #jewishheritage #jewishtradition #traveleurope #europetravel
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