A Jewish community has existed in Turkey since the 4th century BCE, as archaeological findings have indicated Jewish settlement in the Aegean region such as in Sardis with ancient synagogue ruins, Miletus, Priene, and Bursa on the Mediterranean, Black Sea coasts. In 1492, Sultan Bayezid II offered refuge to the Jews fleeing the Spanish Inquisition; […]
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Chabad-Lubavitch establishes a new center on Spanish territory near Morocco Walking down the street just before Rosh Hashana in Puerto de la Cruz, a city on the island of Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands, Anna saw a Chassidic-looking man walking down the street. “Go run after him,” she told her daughter. “Hashem brought us together!” Her daughter […]
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There’s a new gem in the heart of Japan. Three prefectures to the north of Tokyo, have banded together to form a dazzling new tourist area – all within around 2.5 hours of travel north of Tokyo under a catchy name: the Diamond Route. In three prefectures north of Tokyo – Ibaraki, Fukushima, and Tochigi […]
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Jewish culture has been interwoven throughout Morocco for centuries and offers a golden opportunity for Jewish and non-Jewish travelers alike to discover the stories of the Jewish Mellah, the vibrant Jewish community, Synagogues, Andalusian and Moorish architecture, tombs, and holy places, and the only Jewish Museum in the Islamic world. “Casablanca” film references aside, Morocco […]
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The Jewish presence in the Iberian Peninsula existed long before Portugal itself became a country. The contribution of Portuguese Jews to the arts, philosophy, commerce, and sciences helped create this nation’s rich cultural heritage. This beautiful journey shows a growing interest in Portugal’s Jewish legacy in places such as Lisbon, Porto, and many smaller villages […]
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The contribution of Portuguese Jews to world history is enormous and its history is inseparable from the Jewish presence in Portugal between the 5th and the 15th centuries. In the northern region of the country are villages, cities, and small towns where important Jewish communities once thrived. It would be hard to trace back the […]
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Most Americans know of Oskar Schindler, the German businessman who saved more than 1,200 lives during the Holocaust, by hiring Jews to work in his factories and fought Nazi efforts to remove them. But not so many people know about Chiune Sugihara, the Japanese diplomat who disobeyed his government’s orders and issued visas that allowed […]
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Among my favorite stopovers in Morocco is this artsy, blue-washed mountain village of 45,000 people. It is a uniquely beautiful small city in the northwest part and set against the backdrop of the Rif Mountains. This quirky town is probably one of the prettiest I have seen in Morocco because of its gorgeous blue alleyways […]
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Tangier is a mixture of North Africa, Spain, Portugal, and France. it is the ideal melting pot and has a rich Jewish history. This beautiful city, only 35 minutes from Spain by hydrofoil or two hours by normal ferry boat service, is a multicultural society, predominantly Muslim, but with small Christian and Jewish communities who […]
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The Alentejo is the beautiful region of Portugal that lies between the Algarve and central Lisbon region. This vast and sparsely populated area covers over 30 percent of Portugal and is characterized by its rolling hills and historic fortified towns. Alentejo, Portuguese for “beyond the Tagus River,” is the world’s largest producer of cork, and forests […]
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