Colonial Jewish New York
I spent one of my last evenings in NY before moving to London at the location where it all began. In 1730 Congregation Shearith Israel constructed the first ever synagogue in […]
Category Archives: Travels
My Odyssey to Discover and Touch Past and Present Spanish Jewish Life
I Am Moving To London!
I’m thrilled to share with you that I’ve accepted an offer to become the rabbi of Bevis Marks Synagogue in London. Bevis Marks is the oldest synagogue in the UK, […]
Castelo de Vide – Portugal
This post will leave you stunned. I’ve returned to Portugal, this time with a group of 40 Jews from Israel and America. One place that we visited that was entirely […]
Sha’are Shalom – Kingston, Jamaica
I finally made it to my first sand-floored Caribbean synagogue! Originally constructed in 1885, and then rebuilt in 1912, Sha’are Shalom delights with an absolutely stunning edifice and sanctuary. It […]
Old Jewish Burial Ground – Savannah, G.A.
The ‘Old Jewish Burial Ground’ in Savannah is surrounded by a tall wall outside of old Savannah. My visit to it therefore felt very much like a privileged introduction to […]
Mickve Israel – Savannah, G.A.
You’ve never seen a synagogue like this! Constructed in 1878, Mickve Israel is the only neo-Gothic style synagogue building in America. It is similar to many other religious buildings in Savannah, though Mickve […]
Coming St. Cemetery – Charleston, S.C.
I now know that the most impressive early American Jewish cemetery is in Charleston, South Carolina. I was struck by its size, and by the variety of its tombstones. The […]
Beth Elohim – Charleston, S.C.
To visit Charleston today is to step back in time to the period between the American Revolution and the American Civil War. During those years cosmopolitan Charleston was considered ‘America’s […]
Geopolitics and the ‘Spanish & Portuguese’ Diaspora
My understanding of the ‘Spanish and Portuguese’ Jewish diaspora is now far more nuanced, having recently visited the S&P communities of London, Amsterdam and Paris, coupled with my intimate familiarity […]
Temple Buffault – Paris
During my recent swing through Europe, and my visits to the Spanish and Portuguese congregations of Amsterdam and London, I also visited the Portuguese synagogue of Paris, Temple Buffalt. I […]
Shalom Says Hello 