Bosnia Jewish Tour

Are you looking for an intellectually rich, carefully crafted Jewish tour of Bosnia? We may be able to help. Our Jewish heritage tour of Bosnia serves as the grand opening of our unforgettable journey through the rich Jewish heritage of the Western Balkans. Our 12-day Jewish heritage travel itinerary offers a comprehensive exploration of the rich Sephardic and Ashkenazi culture, history, and traditions of the Jews of former Yugoslavia.

The undisputed star, however, of our Sarajevo Jewish tour — and of our whole Bosnia Jewish tour — has to be the magnificent Sarajevo Haggadah. The gorgeous 14th-century illuminated manuscript is housed at Bosnia’s National Museum and was only recently put on display. You will learn how it was courageously saved from the Nazis by Dervis Korkut, the museum’s Muslim curator. During WWII, Korkut and his wife also saved the life of Mira Papo, a young Sarajevo Jew, and were recognized by Yad Vashem as Righteous Among the Nations. During the Yugoslav wars of the 1990s, as Sarajevo was shelled by Serb forces, Enver Imamovic, the museum director, saved the manuscript by transporting it to the vaults of the national bank.

No less fascinating are the splendid Ashkenazi Synagogue (1902) — doubling as the Jewish community center — and the Old Sarajevo Jewish Cemetery (established in the early 1600s), one of the oldest Sephardic cemeteries in Europe. The rounded shape of the tombstones is one of the unique features of Bosnian Jewish cemeteries. Our Sarajevo Jewish tour also makes stops at the 1930 Sephardic Great Temple (Il Kal Grande), the Sarajevo Menorah monument, and the Jewish high school.

As we leave Sarajevo, our Bosnia Jewish tour follows the route of an annual local Jewish pilgrimage to the grave of Moshe Danon, Bosnia’s celebrated 19th century rabbi, who was at the center of a notable series of events known as the Sarajevo Purim. On our way to rabbi’s Danon’s grave in Stolac, we will also make a stop in beautiful Mostar. The Old Bridge over the Neretva river is one of the most iconic symbols of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Email us at [email protected] to request a detailed day-by-day itinerary of our Bosnia Jewish tour or send a message through our contact form.

Sarajevo Jewish Tour with Funky Tours

The Sarajevo Jewish Tour, comprising visits to both Sephardim and Ashkenazi synagogues, Haggadah book at the National Museum, Jewish cemetery and Vraca Memorial Park, provides a very comprehensive insight into the Jewish role of the dynamic Sarajevo past. This 4 hour experience will help you to better rationalize the true meaning of the most known Sarajevo nickname: “Little Jerusalem” (Ladino: “Chico Yerushalaim”) and to become more familiar about the Jewish role during the vibrant historic events.

White City Tour

The ultimate Tel Aviv encounter through the lens of Art, Architecture and food

Get to know Tel Aviv’s History through the perspective of its UNESCO protected architecture, diverse food culture and Street Art. The tour will take us into the heart of the city, the Carmel market , the oldest neighbourhood of Tel Aviv, the American colony and the up-and-coming Florentine. The guide will share his knowledge, personal stories and anecdotes and bring his experience both as professional artist and chef. The following is some of the content that I cover in my tours:

Food:
Cultural diversity and influences on local cuisine/ Is there such a thing as Israeli food?/ Hummus – a love story from the bible / Ashkenazi vs Sephardic/ Kosher law

Architecture:
What is Tel- Aviv without Jaffa / From sand dunes to city / Eclectic style, Bauhaus, brutalism, contemporary/ Le corbusier’s five points of architecture / Garden city / White city, city of
balconies, city of kiosks / Yehuda Magidowitch / Zeev rechter/ Arpad Gut / Joseph Berlin Rothchild/ nahmani / ehad haam/ maze/ Allenby / neve zedek

Graffiti:
Florentine history  – bourgeoisie to urban decay to hipster to posh/ Gentrification – the good the bad and the ugly / Techniques of street art – stencil, free hand, paste up / Street art vs Graffiti / Graffiti lingo- tag , bomb, masterpiece, etc.

Approaches and subject matter – political, site specific work, protest base, decorative

Sened, Dede, Mihal Rubin, The MissK, ID, Solomon Souza, Nitzan Mintz, Logik, yigal shtayim, hashtag, Sarah Erenthal, Kislev

Shuk and Cook

Join me on a culinary adventure in Tel Aviv’s historic neighbourhood of Florentine or the Yemenite Quarter. We will visit Levinsky or Carmel Market and learn about their history and evolution. You will be introduced to shop owners and their heritage and taste traditional dishes. You will be shown the unique ingredients that make up the diverse cuisine found in Israel. The adventure will continue in my kitchen with a workshop on signature dishes found in Israel using ingredients from the market. We will conclude with a feast of flavours and cocktails

Please watch promo: https://youtu.be/MpaVWOIYG6o

Tasting treats from the market

Gazoz – A refreshing reinterpretation of a soda (cool drink) using seasonal ingredients, fresh herb and bubbles.
Anti-pasta platter from a Turkish deli including signature olives
Burekas – stuffed phyllo pastry in a Turkish style
Churchkhela- a Georgian sweet of nuts encased in grape jelly.
Halva – a sesame based confectionary found in the middle east and the Mediterranean amongst others in different varieties.

Cooking workshop

Starters
Baba ganush with green tahini (flame smoked eggplant with a sesame dip sauce blended with lots of parsley)
Almond labane with zaatar and pomegranate    (zesty nut cheese with a special herb and sesame seasoning)
Freekeh (smoked green wheat) salad with dried figs, pistachios, parsley, mint and sumac dressing

Mains
Kebabs on cinnamon sticks
Mejadara ( a Levantine dish of rice and brown lentils with mounds of caramelised onions)

Dessert
Malabi in two flavours – classic rose with pistachio and halva with silan and salted almonds

Also includes:
– Cocktails: arak with grapefruit, mint and cucumber
– Local wine with meal
– Recipe booklet and spices to take home
– Menu and tastings may vary according to season

Hours:

Mondays-Thursdays 10: 30 -14:30 or 15:30 – 19:30

Fridays 9:30 – 13:30

Inside Jewish United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is one of the world’s fastest growing tourist and business destinations, boasting world-class hospitality, ultramodern infrastructure and a location at the crossroads of the Arab World and Asia. The Jewish community of the Emirates has seen exponential growth in recent years, particularly following the signing of the 2020 Abraham Accords which normalized relations between Israel and the UAE.

Inside Jewish United Arab Emirates is a unique opportunity to explore a Jewish community that values creativity and inclusivity in a flourishing region. JDC is working alongside the emerging Jewish community of the Emirates to support its development. In the UAE, these efforts are being carried out through a JDC Entwine Jewish Service Corps Fellow, who is working with the Jewish Council of the Emirates (JCE) to better serve the needs of the Dubai Jewish community as it grows and evolves, strengthen the JCE’s community engagement and communication methods, and design and execute a suite of cultural, social, and educational programming alongside community leaders. This work is part of JDC’s historic work bolstering Jews and Jewish communities in the Arab world including ongoing efforts in Morocco, Tunisia, and Egypt.

A Jewish Oriented Trip to Dubai and Abu Dhabi

The United Arab Emirates, is a federation of seven principalities in the Arabian Peninsula united into one country in 1971. The largest and most famous of which are Dubai and Abu Dhabi. In August 2020, Israel and the United Arab Emirates announced the normalization of their relationship, thus actually allowing Israeli tourists to visit the magical kingdom on the shores of the Persian Gulf.

Today the seven emirates enjoy unimaginable abundance and wealth. In the UAE they have been able to utilize the huge funds received from the utilization of natural resources, especially oil, in order to flourish the long-standing wilderness, promote the country and make it special and extraordinary. All wealth and prosperity grew in less than fifty years. The rugged Arabian desert dances and magical and secluded bays of the Persian Gulf. At that time the inhabitants of the principalities made a meager living mainly from sheep, cattle, basic agriculture, fishing, and pearling.

Since then the inhabitants of the emirates have upgraded themselves significantly and today the emirates are synonymous with luxury, investment, innovation, ambition to which the world bears amazing eyes. The magnificent architecture, the artificial islands, the centers of art and commerce, all embody modernity and groundbreaking progress alongside culture and tradition. A trip to the Emirates is a special and varied experience. The Emirates trip is a combination of futuristic and unique urban landscape alongside dunes and remote deserts, Neve Dekalim, fishing villages, luxury hotels, authentic markets, spectacular beaches, and more like your imagination – the land of unlimited possibilities.

Hamat Tiberias National Park Tour

On this tour, you will explore the Hamat Tiberias National Park. It was built during 286 and 337 CE when the Sanhedrin was headquartered in Tiberias. It is an ancient archaeological site and most famous Israeli national park, which is found on the Tiberias-Zemach road. Admire the beauty of the church, it consists of three panels. The middle one describes a panoramic zodiac, surrounding Helios the sun god, driving his chariot across the sky. Explore the images of four women signifying the seasons arrive in each corner of this panel.

Galilean Cooking Workshop

Experience Galilee’s rich flavors and legendary hospitality in a village cooking class near Haifa, and cook lunch in a local kitchen. Join a Druze, Muslim or Christian family for a traditional coffee then prepare a seasonal menu. Local favorites include makluba, hubeza and sinya; wild greens, smoked green wheat and regional vegetables that infuse the dishes with a distinctive Galilean flavor. Share the feast around the family table, and get a unique taste of village life.

Nazareth, Tiberias and the Sea of Galilee tour

Visit the Basilica of the Annunciation, the site where according to tradition, the annunciation took place. Continue to the Church of Synagogue, that was built on the ruins of the ancient Nazareth synagogue where Jesus studied and prayed.

Then go to Mary’s well – where the Angel Gabriel announced that she would bear the Son of God. Visit Magdala excavations near the Sea of Galilee, where archaeologist claim to have found the house of Mary Magdalene. Continue to Capernaum, the hometown of the apostles Saints Peter, Andrew, James and John.

Head towards the Mount of Beatitudes, where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount and Tabgha, the place of the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes. Visit the Yardenit Baptismal site. Go on and visit Tiberias, the old synagogue and the Rambam’s grave. then go to Hamat Tiberias, the ancient archaeological site with four synagogues.that were built one on top of the other throughout the ages. We will not miss out on the mosaic floor.

🌍 Celebrating One Year of the Jewish Silk Road Portal

World Jewish Travel was thrilled at #IMTM 2024 to present a copy of the WJT Jewish Silk Road Pressbook to the CEO of the Azerbaijan National Tourism Board Florian Sengstschmid and Jamilya Talibzade its Israeli representative Azerbaijan Tourism Board (ATB).

The Pressbook celebrates the one year anniversary of the Jewish Silk Road Portal launch, an amazing example of using Jewish travel as a means of cultural diplomacy, whilst highlighting the significant Jewish contribution to the ancient trade route. Kudos to our participating partners from the Kiriaty Foundation (Turkey), National Board of Tourism of #Georgia, National Board of Tourism of #Uzbekistan, and Israeli Embassy of #India. 

See the overwhelming reaction from the press, by downloading our free pressbook. Special thanks to Moshe Gilad of the @haaretzcom for highlighting this forgotten but important story in the Galeria section of the newspaper and available to download on WJT.

👉Link to WJT Jewsih Silk Rad Pressbook and more is in our bio

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Step into the soul-stirring Pesach traditions of Jerusalem virtually. Experience the resonating echoes of Birkat Kohanim🌿

 Link is in our bio

#VirtualTravel #JerusalemVibes #SpiritualJourney #JewishTravel #Isarel  #BirkatKohanim #JewishJerusalem

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Discover the enigmatic “Donkey Stable” in Jerusalem's underground. Unveil the city's secrets from home. 🌌

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#JerusalemUnderground #CitySecrets #ExploreHistory #JewishTravel #Israel #Travel #WesternWall

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