Belmonte, Trancoso and Guarda
I had no idea what to expect when I planned to spend Shabbat in the almost mythical Converso community of Belmonte, but what I experienced I won’t ever forget. There, […]
Category Archives: Travels
My Odyssey to Discover and Touch Past and Present Spanish Jewish Life
Coimbra University
A paper trail of Jewish life remains in Portugal, and is preserved in the libraries of Coimbra University. It is the oldest university in Portugal, dating back to the 13th […]
Porto Remnants
Memories of Jewish life lie just beneath the surface in Portugal. Amazingly, most of the people that I’ve met have told me that they have Jewish ancestry, ‘Jewish customs’ (cleaning […]
Mekor Haim Synagogue, Porto
In my mind, Portugal has been one of those place that Jews left, and not where Jews go. But here I am arriving. My three hour plus layover in Lisbon, […]
Returning to Portugal
On Wednesday, November 27, 2013, I return to Portugal. Well, return might not be the right right word, as I’ve never been there before, and as far as I know, […]
Gomez Mill House
Before even starting my first day at Shearith Israel, I set out to connect with its past, in August of 2009. And that I did with an excursion up the […]
Touro Synagogue – Newport, RI
In June, 2009, I first interviewed for my current position at Shearith Israel. Little did I know that it would mark the beginning of a journey that would lead not […]
Mikveh Israel – Philadelphia, PA
One of my favorite places to spend a Shabbat is at Mikveh Israel, the Spanish & Portuguese Synagogue, of Philadelphia. I went for Thanksgiving weekend in 2012 and had such […]
