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How to Customize Your Kosher Tour in South America

South America is one of the world’s most exciting tourist destinations. The massive continent is best known for its amazing diversity of wildlife and natural wonders, and has a rich and fascinating history. South America also has its own Jewish communities with a history going back to the 16th century. There are some surprising cultural treasures, as well as a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

Kosher South America tours are increasingly popular with American Jews who want to visit interesting and unusual places, without compromising on a kosher diet and Shabbat observance. This blog post will give you an insight into some of South America’s most important Jewish sites, and provide some useful tips on how to organize both kosher tours, and kosher tours for seniors.

A Quick Guide to Kosher South America

It’s not easy to do justice to South America in a short post. The continent is almost as big as North America and runs from the Caribbean Sea in the North, all the way down to the icy Antarctic Ocean in the South. There are a dozen sovereign states, a dozen languages (although Spanish, Portuguese and English are the big 3) and a whole host of cultures, climates and natural environments.

The biggest Jewish communities are in Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Chile. Most are of Ashkenazi European origin, but some are descended from Sephardic Jews who fled the Spanish Inquisition or left the Ottoman Empire in search of a better life in the New World. The South American Jewish communities have their own unique cultures that draw on both their European roots and the vibrant South American environment that they settled in.

Argentina – Buenos Aires and Santa Fe

Buenos Aires (Spanish for Fair Winds or Good Airs) is a famous South American city that welcomes millions of tourists annually. Buenos Aires has a large and thriving Jewish community of 250,000 people and is a popular destination for kosher South America tours. Any tourist who craves an American-style burger and fries can visit the kosher McDonald’s restaurant in the Abasto shopping center.

The old garment district of Once and Abasto was at the heart of the historical Jewish community of Buenos Aires, as was the Villa Crespo neighborhood (also known as Villa Kreplaj) that was home to secular Russian Jews who fled communism in the 1920s. Buenos Aires has a number of beautiful synagogues that attract Jewish tourists all year round:

Grand Temple of Paso
Yesod Hadath
Sinagoga de la Congregación Israelita (Libertad)

Buenos Aires also has a noteworthy Liniers Jewish cemetery. The famous Recoleta Cemetery (located in the same neighborhood as the Libertad synagogue) contains the graves of Benjamín Breitman, and the important Uribe y Lecea family. The city also has its own Holocaust museum and an Anne Frank museum.

Argentina’s Jewish Cowboys

In the late 19th century, Jewish immigrants from Russia began to settle in the fertile Agricultural Pampas region. They overcame considerable local prejudice to embrace a robust outdoor agricultural life. They were humorously associated with Argentina’s gaucho cowboys, becoming known as Jewish gauchos (gauchos judíos). Kosher South America tours can be tailored to include an excursion to Moises Ville in Santa Fe or other areas settled by Jewish agriculturalists. The Algarrobos Cemetery and Moctezuma synagogue served the once-thriving Jewish gaucho community.

Brazil – 500 Years of Jewish History

Brazil’s vast natural wealth was a magnet for early European colonists. One of the first Portuguese settlers was Gaspar da Gama, a Jew. Sephardic Jews from the Netherlands established South America’s first synagogue in the town of Recife. The Kahal Zur Israel Synagogue is now a museum that welcomes Jewish visitors from the US. The original mikveh and bema, as well as a Torah are on display. If you travel to Recife in November, you can join the annual Jewish cultural festival that is based around the synagogue.

The modern Jewish community in Brazil is large (around 120,000) and well-established. Most Brazilian Jews live in Sao Paulo and Rio, with a smaller community in Porto Alegre. Brazil is generally a tolerant and hospitable country and is a great place to visit. Brazilian Jews have a reputation as outgoing and friendly people with a passion for life. Sau Paolo is rated as a Global-Alpha city and the Jewish community contributes to its prosperity and cultural life.

When you visit Rio, the impressive Great Temple of Rio will be at the top of your itinerary. Architecture fans will immediately spot the similarities between Rio’s finest synagogue and the old world splendor of the Jewish architecture of Florence and Trieste. Rio also has a fascinating Jewish museum with a unique collection of Hanukkah lamps and a treasure trove of Brazilian Jewish history.

Kosher South America tours are noted for providing travelers with an exciting gastronomical experience. Brazil can’t match Argentina’s superb kosher steaks, but the CIB Israeli Brazilian Club is famous in Rio for its kosher Brazilian food. It’s the perfect place to enjoy a good meal and a cold drink after a day spent exploring Rio’s Jewish neighborhoods. If you love dance, talk to your tour provider about arranging a tour to include Rio’s Hava Netze Bemachol dance festival.

Uruguay and Chile

Uruguay and Chile are less well known than Brazil and Argentina. This is a shame because they are beautiful tourist destinations with a small but rich Jewish heritage. Uruguay was first settled by Jews in the late 1700s and the modern community is around 16,000 strong. There are still many Jewish owned stores and small businesses and Montevideo offers a great gastronomical experience. The Hogar de Padres is home to many of the community’s seniors and also offers kosher food.

Montevideo is a jewel on South America’s Atlantic coast, with some lovely colonial architecture. As you explore the city, your guide will point out many buildings of special Jewish interest. There are also almost a dozen synagogues, the CANELONES cemetery and a statue of Albert Einstein. The city also has its own Holocaust memorial and a square named after former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir.

The Chilean Jewish community has a history in the country that goes back more than two hundred years. These days, Chilean Jews are largely assimilated into wider society, and around half emigrated during the Pinochet years. There are still around 16,000 Jews in Chile and the community has experienced a minor revival. Santiago has some good kosher food, including bagels, falafel sushi and a superb Kosher grill house. Your tour guide can put together a kosher food tour that also includes kosher Chilean wine tastings and vineyard tours.

The Circulo Israelita Synagogue in Santiago is noted for its beautiful stained glass windows and colonial South American architecture. There are also Sephardic and Reform temples that are delighted to welcome visitors from the US, either for services or as tourists. Santiago is one of South America’s best kept secrets, with the Andes mountains on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other. The Jewish community is small, but vibrant and the Chilean people as a whole are welcoming.

How to Arrange Kosher South American Tours

Travelers who visit South America once, almost always want to return. It would take a lifetime to see all the sites, but a great way to start is with a customized kosher tour, either for a group, or a private tour for a small group or a family. An experienced Jewish travel agency that is used to arranging kosher South America tours will work closely with you to create your dream tour with a flexible itinerary.

There are several advantages to arranging a tour with a Jewish travel agency.

You will receive high quality kosher food, including trips to Jewish restaurants.
Your schedule will allow you to observe Shabbat and any Jewish holidays.
Most South American tourist destinations are perfectly safe, but your tour company will ensure that you have full professional security.
As well as having an expert knowledge of all the normal tourist sites, your guides will also have a deep knowledge of local Jewish sites and Jewish history.

Create a Flexible Custom Itinerary

Your tour will be carefully planned to match the interests of your group, as well as your appetite for physical activity. Not everybody wants to hike in the Andes or trek through the rainforests of the Amazon Basin. One exciting option (that most people aren’t aware of) is a luxury Amazon River cruise. A sedate cruise along the world’s most spectacular river, with plenty of trips ashore, is a wonderful way to experience the natural beauty of the rainforests.

The North American winter coincides with the South American summer. South America can provide the perfect winter break, particularly if you take a short flight to Venezuela or Colombia. The weather in South America can vary enormously between the tropical and antarctic zones. Your tour company will help you to find destinations that exactly meet your preferences. You’ll also get helpful advice on how to adapt to different climates and whether you’ll need anti-malarial prophylaxis.

Kosher South America tours and kosher tours for seniors are a real adventure and an opportunity to explore some of the world’s most exciting, fascinating – and often unspoiled – regions. Whether you want to see the Jewish synagogues of Buenos Aires and then eat huge Argentinian steaks (kosher of course), or venture into the tropical heart of the Amazon Basin, you can create a luxury private tour that exactly meets your needs!

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Europe’s 6 Best Preserved Jewish Quarters: A 2024 Guide

Jews have lived in Europe since the Roman Empire. As Europe’s cities began to grow and prosper at the end of the Dark Ages, they attracted new Jewish communities who contributed to their economic and cultural life. Jewish quarters became features of many cities, and the most famous thrived as centers of commerce and scholarship, producing luminaries like Rashi, the Maharal of Prague, and the Gaon of Vilna.

Europe’s old Jewish neighborhoods still contain many perfectly maintained cultural treasures; synagogues, schools and libraries and traditional Jewish quarter street markets. They are popular destinations for US Jews who want to explore their European Jewish heritage and give their children and grandchildren precious insights into their family history and cultural heritage. Jewish ghetto history is a fascinating part of the Jewish story. A customized Gil Travel tour of Europe to visit Jewish heritage sites is a wonderful educational adventure for every age group!

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Top Europen Jewish Heritage Travel Destinations

If you’re an American Jew, the chances are that at least some of your ancestors came to the US from Europe or Russia. It can be a wonderful – and often poignant – experience to visit the neighborhoods, streets and synagogues that our forebears knew. Customized Jewish heritage tours in Europe are also vitally important for the next generation. Guided tours of Poland, Hungary, France, Holland and other European countries can help our teens to develop a strong and positive Jewish identity!

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From Synagogues to Safaris: Exploring Jewish Heritage in South Africa

South Africa is one of the world’s most beautiful countries. Bordered by two oceans, it has miles of pristine beaches, breathtaking mountain ranges, wildernesses and national parks, as well as modern tourist-friendly cities like Cape Town and Durban. South Africa also has a rich Jewish heritage and a welcoming Jewish community. An organized Jewish heritage tour of South Africa offers a chance to explore a fascinating part of Jewish history, meet some amazing people – and see some of the most stunning scenery on the planet!

A Brief History of South African Jews

There’s an aspect of Jewish history that isn’t well-known – but really should be. It’s the stories of the adventurous Jewish merchants, travelers and explorers who visited all kinds of exotic and dangerous locations throughout the last two thousand years (and even back to the time of King Solomon). Among them were the Portuguese Jews – servants of the Crown – who visited southern Africa as cartographers and astronomers in the late 1400s.

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The Best Jewish Heritage Tours in the Netherlands: What to Look For

The Netherlands – also called Holland – is one of Europe’s smallest countries, but the Jewish heritage experience in the Netherlands is both rich and rewarding. Holland has a long Jewish history and the modern capital of Amsterdam is full of fascinating Jewish cultural sites, as well as being home to a small but thriving Jewish community. If you’re planning a trip to Europe a luxury Jewish heritage tour in the Netherlands should be at the top of your list!

A Quick Intro to the Netherlands and its Jewish Heritage

The Netherlands sits on Europe’s North Sea coast, sandwiched between Belgium and Germany and facing Great Britain across the sea. By US standards, Holland is a tiny country being somewhere between West Virginia and Maryland in size. The Jewish history of the Netherlands goes back to at least to the 1100s, but became significant in the late 1500s. Holland was emerging from the disastrous Spanish occupation and rebuilding itself as a new Dutch Republic. The following century saw the arrival of the Dutch Golden Age and Jews played an important role in the prosperity that followed. Amsterdam became known as the Dutch Jerusalem!

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Discovering the Jewish Heart of Paris: An Insider’s Guide

Paris is one of the great cities of Western European civilization and is one of the great cultural centers of the world. The city also has a rich Jewish history, with evidence of a Jewish community in Paris as far back as the Roman Empire. Modern Paris is a popular destination for Jewish travel, offering an unbeatable mixture of cultural and historical treasures, as well as amazing cuisine and luxury hotels. Organized Jewish tours in Paris are a superb way to explore the City of Light and its vibrant Jewish history.

Le Marais: The Historical Heart of Jewish Culture in Paris

Le Marais is an historical Parisian neighborhood located in parts of the 3rd and 4th arrondissements (districts) of the City. It was originally an aristocratic area, but gradually became less popular with the nobility. After the French Revolution, Le Marais became a commercial center and a thriving Jewish quarter. The quartier, informally known as the Pletzl (Yiddish for little place) was centered around the famous Rue des Rosiers or Street of the Rose Bushes.

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Customize your next Jewish tour like a pro – What you must ask

A well-planned Jewish heritage travel experience can be a once in a lifetime vacation, as well as an opportunity to connect with your Jewish roots, explore family history and improve your knowledge of our precious Jewish heritage and culture. Gil Travel provides a unique luxury Jewish heritage experience with custom tours of dozens of countries with a Jewish history!

Planning Your Jewish Heritage Travel

Every family or organized group has their own needs and preferences when they plan a custom Jewish heritage tour. The first decision can be as simple as which country to visit. Israel is obviously a hugely popular destination for Jewish travel, with Eastern and Central European countries also attracting a lot of US Jews whose ancestors emigrated from the regions. We’re also seeing a lot of interest in heritage tours of countries as far apart as Argentina, Mexico, the UAE and China, all of which have a surprisingly rich Jewish heritage.

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Discovering Family Roots in Paradise: Private Costa Rica Jewish Heritage Experience

Costa Rica is a world class tourist destination within easy reach of the US. The welcoming Central American paradise offers days of sun and surf, golden beaches and wonderful forests and nature reserves. There’s also an amazing Jewish heritage experience to explore in Costa Rica with some great bonding opportunities for the entire family!

Costa Rica at a Glance

Costa Rica is a safe and friendly country in Central America, located approximately 1,000 miles southwest of Florida. English is widely spoken and Costa Rica has a developed tourist industry with plenty of luxury hotels and an advanced US style infrastructure. One thing we love about Costa Rica is that the country generally attracts high end tourists and isn’t packed with vacationers. You can relax and unwind and enjoy a quiet and relatively private family travel experience in Costa Rica.

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Experience the Magic of the Baltics: Luxury Private Jewish Tours

The Baltic states – Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia – aren’t on the average Jewish traveler’s bucket list, which is a pity. The Baltics have a rich Jewish history and heritage. They were once home to flourishing Jewish communities that produced luminaries like the Gaon of Vilna and a vibrant culture that endured for centuries. The modern Baltic states are a fascinating destination with historical Jewish tours in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia providing a unique glimpse of a lost Jewish world!

A Quick Guide to the Baltic States

The modern Baltic states (Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia) are prosperous and highly developed nations, members of NATO and the EU. They are located in North Eastern Europe, along the Baltic Sea, and are close neighbors to Poland, Finland and Sweden. They also share borders – and a difficult history – with Russia.

Although we talk about the three Baltic nations as though they are a single bloc, they have different languages and cultures and are each amazing places to visit, with a wealth of unique attractions for tourists. The Baltic states have a turbulent, and often tragic past. They suffered many foreign occupations and changes of borders over the centuries, including the genocidal Nazi invasion and five brutal decades of Soviet occupation.

The Baltic Jews barely survived the horrors of the 20th century, but there are still tiny (but resilient) communities that maintain the surviving synagogues and cultural sites, and welcome Jewish tourists from the US and around the world. The small modern communities are proudly continuing a rich Jewish heritage in the Baltics that began in the 14th century. Jewish tourism gives them a valuable boost and helps to ensure that the remaining cultural treasures are preserved and maintained.

Historical Jewish Heritage Tours in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia

The Baltic States are easy to travel to and are convenient places to visit, with plenty of luxury hotels and good transport systems for getting around. If you’re planning to explore the region’s Jewish history and culture, it’s a lot easier to work with a professional Jewish travel company like Gil Travel. A tailored Jewish heritage tour will give you special access to unique sites, and introduce you to interesting people in the Jewish community, as well as local historical experts and lecturers – opportunities that independent travelers usually miss out on.

Experienced tour companies have the local knowledge and connections to put together a customized itinerary that provides a genuinely meaningful tour with deeper insights and the chance to delve into individual family history or areas of special interest. Another significant advantage of Jewish heritage tours is that they can take in a single Baltic state, or can be organized to visit all three countries, with luxury travel and handpicked hotels.

An Historical Overview of Jewish Heritage in the Baltics

Jews are believed to have first arrived in Estonia and Lithuania in the 14th century. They began to settle Latvia a few hundred years later with the establishment of the Jewish settlement at Piltene in 1571. There wasn’t a unified Jewish culture or community in the Baltics, not least because the Baltics region was constantly changing and experienced centuries of turbulence, warfare and oppression. The diverse Jewish communities came under all kinds of influences from Germany, Poland, Russia, Sweden and other neighboring cultures.

Anti Semitism was a reality for Baltic Jews who experienced both currents of tolerance and official protection, as well as persecution and occasional expulsions. A particularly savage period was the Khmelnytsky Uprising or Cossack Rebellion between 1648 and 1657. In a series of massacres and pogroms, an estimated 20,000 Lithuanian Jews – almost half the population – were slaughtered. The Jews were not alone in their suffering as rampaging armies massacred and plundered civilians at will.

There were also better times that produced high culture, religious thought and scholarship. One of the great luminaries of Lithuanian Jewry was the Vilna Gaon (Rabbi Eliyahu ben Shlomo Zalman), a renowned Talmudic scholar and an 18th century Jewish polymath. The emancipating ideas of the Haskalah also arrived from Germany, taking root in the Duchy of Courland in particular, and contributing to the Jewish renaissance and a new outburst of cultural energy, creativity and self-confidence.

Jewish social progress, and the gradual shift towards integration and acceptance ended abruptly with the brutal Soviet occupation of the Baltics in 1940. A year later, the Germans invaded and unleashed the Einsatzgruppen. In the ensuing Holocaust, an estimated 190,000 Lithuanian Jews and 66,000 Lativian Jews were murdered. More than 75% of Estonian Jews fled to Russia, but almost all those who remained were killed. Lithuania lost 95% of its Jews, a grievous blow that virtually wiped out a precious Jewish culture.

Important Jewish Cultural Sites in the Baltics

The Baltic cities have some superb architecture, with great restaurants (especially fish) , some kosher eateries (including a traditional Karaim restaurant), and excellent galleries and museums. For Jewish travelers, any trip to the Baltic region is inevitably tinged with sadness. Many of the most important Jewish sites are indelibly associated with the suffering of the Holocaust, and for some visitors, the murder of relatives. There are also happier places to visit like the Vilna Gaon monument and the Beit Bella synagogue in Tallinn.

Recommended Jewish Sites in Estonia

The Estonian Jewish community was the smallest and least influential of all the Baltic communities. At its peak it only numbered 4,500 people and Estonia Jewish sites in the towns of Narva, Valga, Pärnu, and Viljandi were obliterated in WW2. Estonia’s capital, the ancient Hanseatic port of Tallinn was home to most Estonian Jews (originally former Tsarist soldiers called Cantonists). Their two synagogues were burned down during the Holocaust, but the modern Jewish community erected the new Beit Bella in their place.

A guided tour of Tallinn will include a visit to the old Jewish ghetto as well as the Estonian Jewish Museum and the Klooger Concentration Camp memorial. There are still 11 Jewish cemeteries in Estonia, as well as 15 identified mass shooting and burial sites. When you create a customized itinerary with Gil Travel, we recommend striking a balance between visiting Holocaust related sites and exploring Estonia’s beautiful medieval cities, especially Tartu Europe’s 2024 City of Culture, and the country’s abundant natural beauty spots.

Historical Jewish Tours in Latvia

Riga is Latvia’s stunning Hanseatic capital where you’ll find some of the best herring and salmon that you’ll ever eat. It was also home to a sizable Jewish community who are commemorated in the Riga Ghetto and Latvian Holocaust Museum. There is also the Peitav Synagogue – the only shul to survive wartime destruction. Riga’s Jewish museum is located in the city’s former Jewish theater and hosts some fascinating exhibitions, including features on the lives of Avraham Kook, Isaiah Berlin and Yeshayahu Leibowitz, all former Riga residents.

The tragic history aside, Riga is a wonderful city to wander and explore. A guided tour will bring the old quarters to life and focus on the Jewish history of the winding streets and merchants homes. Latvia is a beautiful country and if you need a break from Holocaust locations like the massacre sites in the Rumbuli and Bikernieks forests, try the picturesque old town of Kuldiga or the trails of the Gauja national park. Modern Latvians are generally friendly and welcoming and the food is amazing.

Jewish Travel and Cultural Exploration in Lithuania

The Lithuanian Jewish community was the jewel at the heart of the Baltics, but it barely survived the hatred of the Nazis. Today, Vilnius is home to just 3,000 Jews;in 1940 there were 265,000. Jewish travel and cultural exploration in Lithuania is fraught with sadness and a sense of loss that continues to this day. One of the most important modern sites in the capital Vilnius is the Vilna Ghetto, located in the old Jewish quarter in the center of the city. Another moving site is the location of the old Choral Synagogue. The building – and 300 Jews hiding in the basement – were burned by the Germans. There is a memorial in place today.

There were happier days in Lithuania’s history. The Vilna Gaon Monument honors the memory of one of Judaism’s most celebrated intellectual leaders. Rabbi Eliyahu ben Shlomo Zalman lived in Vilnius and was one of the most important non-Hasidic figures of the 18th century. A tour of Vilnius can also include a visit to the palace of the grand dukes of Lithuania, the Museum of Genocide Victims, and the majestic Vilnius Cathedral. There are also great shopping opportunities, particularly for amber jewelry, and the chance to taste Lithuanian beer and vodka.

Plan a Customized Baltic Jewish Heritage Tour

A customized Jewish heritage tour of the Baltics can be a truly memorable trip, especially if you have a historical family connection to the region. Gil Travel can help you to plan a unique itinerary for your family or group and can offer practical advice about the best months for travel. The Baltic states are keen to welcome Jewish tourists and there are some excellent options for luxury travel, as well as cruises and nature tours. Talk to us now about arranging a tailored Baltic travel itinerary.

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Tailor-Made Jewish Experiences: Custom Tours of Mexico Hidden Treasures

Mexico City is the vibrant and exciting capital city of Mexico and a popular tourist destination that delivers non-stop surprises. What many Americans don’t realize is that Mexico City has its own rich Jewish heritage and that custom Jewish heritage tours to Mexico offer amazing insights into Mexican Jewish history and modern culture!

Mexico City at a Glance

Mexico City is the most populous city in North America and is a global financial and cultural center. The city has a reputation for being hot, but due to its high altitude (more than 7,000 feet above sea level), Mexico City enjoys a pleasant climate for much of the year. Even during the hottest months of April and May, the mean daily temperature tops out at 20℃ or 68℉. Unless there’s an unexpected heat wave, you’ll love taking part in Jewish walking tours of Mexico City. While winters can sometimes be cold, they are much gentler than many American states.

Mexico City is just a 5 hours flight from New York and is a welcoming place for Americans. There’s a superb selection of luxury hotels and a modern Western infrastructure, and the city is generally safe for tourists, especially if you travel with a professional tour company. Custom Jewish heritage tours to Mexico City are a great adventure, and a unique opportunity to explore both Jewish culture and Mexico City’s museums, galleries and amazing architecture.

The Jewish Community in Mexico City

The first Jews to arrive in Mexico were the Conversos (also called Marranos of Crypto-Jews). They were forcible converts to Catholicism who came to the New World in 1519 to escape the Inquisition. As Mexico adopted religious tolerance in the 19th century, Yiddish speaking Ashkenazim from Europe came to Mexico in search of a better life. They were joined by Jewish immigrants from Syria and other provinces of the Ottoman Empire.

Jewish immigration to Mexico accelerated again towards the end of WW1 and the community prospered, building schools, synagogues, newspapers and other cultural institutions. Nobody agrees exactly how many Jews there are in Mexico today – or exactly who qualifies as a Jew – but the highest estimate is 100,000. Three quarters of Mexican Jews live in Mexico City itself (most others are in Monterrey and Guadalajara).

Unlike most Jewish communities in the diaspora, the Mexican community is gradually growing. Many US Jews will be surprised by the obvious cultural and religious differences that remain between Mexican Jews of Sephardic origin and their Ashkenazi counterparts (all of whom also identify as Mexican). When you experience Jewish cultural travel in Mexico as part of an organized tour, you’ll get a chance to meet some really interesting people and get some special insights into the rich local Jewish cultures and traditions.

What to See on Custom Jewish Heritage Tours to Mexico

Mexico City is a big place and it can be a bit bewildering for first time visitors, especially if they don’t speak Spanish. When you sign up for an organized Mexico City tour as part of a Jewish travel group, you can relax and leave the travel arrangements and daily logistics to your travel company. Gil Travel has years of practical experience providing Jewish cultural travel in Mexico and has a lot of friends and contacts in the city’s various Jewish community organizations – and in the wider (non-Jewish) Mexican tourist industry.

You can design a customized tour itinerary around your own personal interests and priorities. Obvious choices include local synagogues and historical sites, but there are also plenty of Jewish community events that welcome guests from abroad, as well as sporting events and kosher food tours. Mexico City has some great opportunities for bargain and souvenir hunting, as well as high end luxury shopping.

When you begin your tour, you’ll quickly get to know your private guides (selected for their language skills and detailed local knowledge) and they will arrange exclusive access to Jewish sites and locations as well as recommending the latest kosher eateries. If you want to adapt your itinerary, or visit the theater or cinema, or want to dig deeper into a cultural or historical interest, your guide will help out. Luxury Jewish travel in Mexico is a real delight and is also safe and convenient, with approved luxury accommodations, vetted drivers and full security for all travelers.

Some Recommendations for a Tailor-Made Tour

One of the most popular Jewish sites in Mexico City is the beautiful Nidje Israel Synagogue (Justo Sierra 71) which was founded in 1922. The design of the Ashkenazi shul was inspired by an historical synagogue in Siauliai (Shavel) Lithuania. When you visit the Nidje Israel Synagogue, your guide can take you around the local area known as the Zócalo where many Jewish immigrants used to live and work.

The Abelardo Rodríguez market, the old school of San Ildefonso, and the Loreto garden and its Manuel Tolsá fountain are all within easy walking distance. It’s easy to catch a glimpse of how the historical Mexico City must have looked as you stroll the neighborhood. For all that Mexico City is a big, noisy and bustling city, there are many oases of calm and tranquility to explore at your leisure.

The Monte Sinaí Synagogue (83 Justo Sierra St) was built in 1918 by Levantine Jews and is just a few blocks from its Ashkenazi counterpart the Nidje Israel. The Monte Sinaí doesn’t look like much from the outside, but appearances can be deceptive. The interior is beautifully crafted and ornately decorated in traditional Middle Eastern designs, including carvings of fruit and an exquisitely painted domed ceiling. Another popular destination is the Museum of Memory and Tolerance which makes an important contribution to Holocaust education and awareness in Mexico.

A visit to Mexico City could be a once in a lifetime opportunity to explore one of the great cities of the Americas. Although you’ll naturally be focused on visiting Jewish sites and meeting members of the community, it would be a real shame to miss out on any of the city’s world famous historical sites and cultural treasures. It’s easy to spend weeks checking out everything that Mexico City has to offer, but there are a few “must see” sites.

Chapultepec Castle
Palacio de Bellas Artes (art museum)
Museo Nacional de Arte
Museo Nacional de Antropología
Templo Mayor

When you plan a custom itinerary with Gil Travel, you can strike the perfect balance between modern culture and art, pre-Columbian era historical sites, nature reserves and parks – and of course – amazing Mexican cuisine.

Mexico – A Mouth Watering Culinary Adventure

One of our Mexican Jewish friends described Mexico City as a place where you spread handmade guacamole on your hand-rolled bagel. Mexican Food is superb and Jewish food is delicious. When you combine the two, you have one of the world’s great culinary adventures. Mexican Jewish food is mainly influenced by Sephardic, Levantine and Ashkenazi traditions, with a few random French, Turkish and other Jewish influences. It’s also been heavily influenced by Spanish, indigenous American, Mexican and other global cuisines.

If your idea of heaven is a gourmet food tour of a foreign country, your tour guides will see that you experience the very best that Mexico City can offer. One Passover specialty is Matzoquiles (think matzah brei topped with salsa, guacamole and queso). There are also some amazing local variations of Mizrachi tabbouleh and babaganoush, sometimes spiced up with locally grown chilis.

Kosher salamis can be an important ingredient in enchiladas and spicy Mexican meat. Your tour guides have up-to-date knowledge of the best kosher restaurants, delis and street food and will introduce you to all kinds of tasty dishes. You’ll also get a chance to sample Mexican beers, wines and mezcals. Mexicans take food and drink seriously and are extremely hospitable.

Plan a Jewish Cultural Travel Tour to Mexico City

Gil Travel is an expert at organizing Jewish travel tours to locations around the world and has a lot of experience when it comes to arranging luxury Jewish travel in Mexico and Central America. Mexico is a wonderfully warm and welcoming country and has a surprisingly rich, vibrant – and varied – Jewish heritage. If you haven’t visited Mexico before, you’ll be amazed by the sheer variety and contrasts that you’ll experience. Mexico already had complex civilizations centuries before the first Europeans arrived and there are traces of history everywhere you look.

The exchange rate is also highly favorable for Americans. The Mexican peso has fluctuated between 16-17 MXN to the US dollar in 2024, and the cost of living is generally quite cheap in Mexico. You can expect to really spoil yourself when you eat out or go for a drink without breaking the bank. The other advantage is accessibility – Mexico City is a relatively short flight from most US airports, at least compared to Israel or Europe. Mexicans are also used to dealing with American tourists and there are few cultural clashes or misunderstandings.

If you want to create a customized tour of Mexico City’s Jewish sites or create a luxury Jewish travel itinerary in Mexico itself, talk to Gil Travel today. We can help you plan a small tour for family or close friends, or a big group tour for a synagogue congregation or a social group or club.

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Archives: Directory listings

How to Customize Your Kosher Tour in South America

A Quick Guide to Kosher South America

Argentina – Buenos Aires and Santa Fe

Argentina’s Jewish Cowboys

Brazil – 500 Years of Jewish History

Uruguay and Chile

How to Arrange Kosher South American Tours

Create a Flexible Custom Itinerary

Europe’s 6 Best Preserved Jewish Quarters: A 2024 Guide

Top Europen Jewish Heritage Travel Destinations

From Synagogues to Safaris: Exploring Jewish Heritage in South Africa

A Brief History of South African Jews

The Best Jewish Heritage Tours in the Netherlands: What to Look For

A Quick Intro to the Netherlands and its Jewish Heritage

Discovering the Jewish Heart of Paris: An Insider’s Guide

Le Marais: The Historical Heart of Jewish Culture in Paris

Customize your next Jewish tour like a pro – What you must ask

Planning Your Jewish Heritage Travel

Discovering Family Roots in Paradise: Private Costa Rica Jewish Heritage Experience

Costa Rica at a Glance

Experience the Magic of the Baltics: Luxury Private Jewish Tours

A Quick Guide to the Baltic States

Historical Jewish Heritage Tours in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia

An Historical Overview of Jewish Heritage in the Baltics

Important Jewish Cultural Sites in the Baltics

Recommended Jewish Sites in Estonia

Historical Jewish Tours in Latvia

Jewish Travel and Cultural Exploration in Lithuania

Plan a Customized Baltic Jewish Heritage Tour

Tailor-Made Jewish Experiences: Custom Tours of Mexico Hidden Treasures

Mexico City at a Glance

The Jewish Community in Mexico City

What to See on Custom Jewish Heritage Tours to Mexico

Some Recommendations for a Tailor-Made Tour

Mexico – A Mouth Watering Culinary Adventure

Plan a Jewish Cultural Travel Tour to Mexico City

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