Florence, Italy – Sephardic Transcendence
I was deeply moved by my visit to Florence. Of course, no one would be surprised by that reaction, but for me it wasn’t a result of the city of […]
Category Archives: Travels
My Odyssey to Discover and Touch Past and Present Spanish Jewish Life
Livorno, Italy – The Forgotten Sephardic City
As much as I love discovering the communities of the Western Sephardim, I’ve come to realise that sometimes travel isn’t enough – some things are only preserved in the pages […]
Lido, Italy – Venice’s Jewish Cemetery Island
Venice’s Jewish cemetery is reachable only by boat. It is located on the island of Lido, just to the east of the lagoon city. In fact, it’s been Venice’s place […]
Behind the Scenes in Venice, Italy
Since visiting Venice for the first time last year I’ve been dreaming of going back. For me Venice is more about being there than about anything in particular that you […]
Curacao’s Jewish Archives and Cemeteries
You can’t have a Caribbean Jewish history like Curacao’s Mikve Israel-Emanuel without leaving a footprint. These physical echoes not only tell us about the past, but they also can tell […]
Mikve Israel-Emanuel – Curacao
There is a magical feeling in Curacao’s Mikve Israel synagogue (‘Snoa’). Constructed in 1732, it is the oldest surviving synagogue in the Americas. It is gorgeous. With its sand floors and […]
Curacao – The Caribbean’s Jewish Island
Even today, the signs are all still there. The Maduro and Curiel’s bank, the Senior Curacao Blue liquor, the Gomez store, the Penha building, and the Jewish year 5466 written […]
Hughenden Manor – How Jewish Was Benjamin Disraeli?
Since my arrival at Bevis Marks Synagogue I’ve felt conflicted about Benjamin Disraeli’s place within the S&P narrative. Disraeli was born a Jew in 1804, was a member of Bevis Marks, and is […]
Hamburg, Germany – Gateway to the West
I recently discovered more significant Jewish history in Hamburg than I had ever expected to find there. It turns out that Hamburg played an instrumental role in both the early […]
11th Street Cemetery – New York
Tiny and hidden away is the second cemetery of New York’s first Jewish congregation, Shearith Israel. Located in Greenwich Village on West 11th st., it was in use from 1805-1829. This […]
Shalom Says Hello 