Jewish Heritage Travel Worldwide
Discovering your Jewish ancestry is an age-old quest, and Jewish Heritage Travel can offer you the opportunity to uncover your history and much more.
The history of Jewish dispersion has led to the astounding diversity of the Jewish people who have settled in countries as diverse as Spain, Portugal, India and China. There are currently approximately 13.4 million Jews in the world: more than 8 million in the Diaspora, with the remaining 5 million in Israel.
Many Jewish communities that were established for long periods of time were influenced by cross-cultural effects drawn from the original local populations. These influences took the form of the adoption of culinary traits, dress fashions and language.
For example, Spanish and Portuguese Jews are a distinctive sub-group of Sephardic Jews. Both are primarily descendants from families forcibly converted to Catholicism in Spain and Portugal who then later left for other countries where they could revert to Judaism. The main Spanish and Portuguese Jewish communities are located in Western Europe, Italy and the Americas.
Were you aware that the hearty cuisine of Ashkenazi Jews was based on centuries of living in the cold climate of Central and Eastern Europe, whereas the lighter, “sunnier” cuisine of Sephardic Jews was affected by life in the Mediterranean region? In Spain and Portugal, olives are a common ingredient, and many foods are fried in oil. The idea of frying fish was introduced to Britain by Sephardic Jewish immigrants. The Jews of the Netherlands specialized in pickles, herring, butter cakes and bolas (jam rolls). In Poland, Jews made various kinds of stuffed and stewed fish along with kneidl (matzo ball) soup or lokshen (noodles). In Germany, stews were popular. Jewish Heritage Europe is diverse to say the least!
Jewish Heritage Tours Europe offers visits to destinations that will acquaint you with the countries where it all started. For example, were you aware that Jewish life in Portugal began as early as 8th century? Or Cordoba, Spain, which in fact has one of the largest Jewish quarters in the whole of Europe? In Casteo de Vide there is an archaeological museum where the original 14th century stone arch for the Torah can be seen, among other fascinating artifacts.
A Jewish Heritage Tour is an awesome way to educate the family, explore your ancestry and have fun all in one fabulous trip!
Let Jewish Heritage Tours take you back to your roots!
