Blogs about Italy | World Jewish Travel

World Jewish Travel Official April 7, 2024

The Jewish Tapestry of Europe: A Journey Through Time and Tradition

Europe, with its cobblestone streets, towering cathedrals, and history-soaked cities, holds within its heart a story not often told with the vibrancy it deserves—the Jewish story. It's a tale woven with the threads of resilience, tradition, and an enduring spirit that has significantly shaped the continent's cultural fabric. Let's embark on an enlightening journey to explore the Jewish narrative across Europe, where each destination invites us to immerse ourselves in experiences that are both profound and inspiring.

World Jewish Travel Official December 27, 2023

Jewish Diaspora Virtual Tours: The Anne Frank House, Auschwitz, and Jewish Europe

The Jewish diaspora is a testament to the resilience and strength of a people who have traversed the globe, carrying their traditions, stories, and cultural heritage with them. Thanks to the power of Diaspora virtual tours, we can now embark on a journey through time to explore significant sites that bear witness to the Jewish experience. Join us as we delve into the world of the Jewish diaspora through virtual visits to Anne Frank House, Auschwitz, and Jewish Europe.

World Jewish Travel Official August 31, 2022

The Jewish Story of Venice, Italy

The Jewish Story of Venice, Italy It’s a scene most of us picture when we think of Venice: rows of shiny black gondolas, gently bobbing on the water. Gondoliers in striped jerseys loll against weathered dock posts, drawing lazily on cigarettes as they wait for their next fare. Behind them, across the busy waterway, rises the unmistakable dome of Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute. Turn around and you’ll be facing the magnificent Doge’s Palace on the fringes of iconic St Mark’s Square. There are few places as beautiful in all of Italy.

FBCEI - Fondazione Beni Culturali Ebraici in Italia August 15, 2022

The Jewish Story of Pisa, Italy

Although according to historical sources, Pisa is a city of very ancient origins, the great expansion of the mediaeval city seems to have erased most evidence of Etruscan or Roman settlements. When it became a free commune in the 11th century, Pisa was already a maritime power engaged in the struggle against the Saracens and Arab expansion. The Maritime Republic flourished in the following century. Now, the city’s most famous landmark is the cylindrical Tower built from 1173 to the end of the 14th century which, because of subsidence, now ‘leans’. The base is decorated with blind arcades surmounted by six rings of arcades galleries enclosing a staircase of 294 steps leading to the very top of the tower, where Galileo performed his famous experiments on gravity.

Brenda Lee Bohen March 20, 2022

Virtual Tour of the Ostia Antica Synagogue with Andrea Stoler - Coming this summer 2022

The Ostia Antica Synagogue The Synagogue, the oldest in Europe, at Ostia Antica was initially built in the first or second century (CE), when Ostia became the port on the Mediterranean for Rome, at the mouth of the Tiber River. In a short period of time, this was the seat of commercial activities, notable by the presence of people of diverse religious beliefs and attracted numerous Jews. Grain was one of its most important imports. The city grew and changed, as did the synagogue. Its final reconstruction dates to the fifth century (CE), during a period when the port of Ostia was still busy.

Brenda Lee Bohen March 13, 2022

Tour of Jewish Catacombs in Rome with a Jew from Rome. Micaela Pavoncello

Tour of Jewish Catacombs in Rome with Micaela Pavoncello Pavoncello is a member of the Jewish Community of Rome and she shares specific insights, with majestic detail, about her ancestors - the Roman Jews.

Brenda Lee Bohen February 15, 2022

Micaela Pavoncello Jewish Roma Walking Tours

The Jewish community has lived in Rome for 2,200 years without interruption, which makes it one of the oldest communities present outside the land of Israel. Yet I found that, though the numerous tour guides explaining the ghetto have great interest in the Jewish community, their knowledge about it seems limited, especially about practical details. The purpose of my blog is to educate travel professionals, educational and religious institutions from around the globe to learn and expand their knowledge of the people, neighborhood, synagogues, institutions, and cultural events that shape today’s thriving Jewish community of Rome.

Brenda Lee Bohen February 7, 2022

Sistine Chapel Virtual Tour From a Jewish Point of View

The Sistine Chapel is one of the Vatican’s proudest features. The chapel is famous for its amazing collection of Renaissance art, painted by some of the world’s most famous artists. What grabs people’s attention is that the frescoes completely cover the walls and the ceiling. Also, Popes are elected here, and the history of the world has been changed by the casting of ballots, making it one of the most famous places in the world.

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

The Jewish Story of Ferrara, Italy

Ferrara is the only city in Emilia-Romagna to have an uninterrupted Jewish presence from the middle ages to the present. Although there are no references nor documents before the 13th century CE, Ferrara’s Jewish presence is said to date back to the distant past.

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