reform judaism magazine insider's guide to jewish world travel

What To See…What To See…

PARISMELBOURNE

What To Know…JAMAICAPRAGUE

What To DoWhat To DoBUENOS AIRES

CAPETOWN

What I Discovered MY BIG

SMALL WORLD

Xfmlpo

Welcome

R J I N S I D E R ’S J E W I S H

WORLD TRAVELWORLD TRAVELG U I D E

How to make friends with Reform Jews in 49 countries * Where to go, what to see, how to connect.

Bienvenue

Bienvenidos

G‘day

PRODUCED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE

WORLD UNION FOR PROGRESSIVE JUDAISM

414027_TG_Cover_Rev_sp14_FINAL.indd 21414027_TG_Cover_Rev_sp14_FINAL.indd 21 2/19/14 7:59 PM2/19/14 7:59 PM

reform judaism 2 2 spring 2014

RJ INSIDER’S GUIDE TOWORLD JEWISH TRAVEL

ly young professionals and a few “elder statesmen” sitting in rows of chairs. We took the only open seats—two over-stuffed armchairs toward the back.

It was easy to feel part of the service. Although the readings were in Polish, Rabbi Gil Nativ spoke to everyone in English—whether that was because the vast majority of congregants understood English, or because the congregation is committed to making English-speaking visitors feel included, I don’t know, but it was wonderful for us. The service was full of sing-ing, the songs entirely in Hebrew, and most tunes, such as V’Shamru, familiar to us, so we gladly sang along.

Every Kabbalat Shabbat ser-vice at Beit Warszawa is typi-cally followed by Kiddush and a

buffet dinner. Rabbi Nativ had invited us to join the 40 people partaking in authen-tic Polish cuisine—salads, soup, cheeses, pierogies, dumplings, and desserts—along with discussion and camaraderie. At our table, a man regaled us with sto-ries of Polish history, the modern Jewish community in Warsaw, and a legend we’d never heard of: a 16th-century Jew named Saul who became King of Poland for a single day while the reigning coun-cil of the time decided between three contenders to the throne! (We later found the legend documented on Wikipedia.)

In a surprising coincidence, my hus-band Ken discovered that the father of Beit Warszawa congregant Michael Levi had designed a refinery in the Bahamas that had been recently purchased by my husband’s friend’s company. At the end of the evening, Michael drove us back to our hotel, an unexpected gesture of kindness that also allowed us to see the National Stadium, Old Town, and the Royal Castle all lit up at night—experiences we likely wouldn’t have had on our own.

Last Spring, my husband Ken and I decided to tour Eastern Europe to experience the part of the world our ancestors had left behind. About

four weeks before our departure, in the midst of my researching cities to visit, I picked up the mail—and lo and behold, there was the Spring 2013 issue of Reform Judaism magazine with its “World Jewish Travel Guide” Cover Story and an article by Rabbi Gary Bretton-Granatoor offering to connect readers with Progressive synagogues worldwide. I was thrilled!

Within 20 minutes of my emailing Rabbi Bretton-Grana-toor of the World Union for Progressive Judaism, he sent me the names of the rabbis, presidents, and administrators of the Progressive congregations in Warsaw, Budapest, and Prague. He also asked them to assist me in planning my itiner-ary. Before long, I was exchanging emails in English with welcoming people across the world.

♦ ♦ ♦

We arrived in Warsaw on a Friday afternoon, after traveling more than 18

hours. We were exhausted. There was really one motivation to refresh our-selves and head out to Beit Warszawa: Rabbi Gil Nativ was personally expect-

ing us at services that evening.One of the most harrowing taxi rides

in my life ended in front of a non-descript commercial building with a sign reading “Beit Warszawa.” But where was the entrance to the synagogue? We wandered into one doorway, only to be redirected to another building farther back from the street. There, a nice older gentleman in a white jacket and kippah who didn’t speak a word of English led us upstairs.

The small prayer space was filled almost to capacity with 50 people, most-

Eileen Winter is a member of Temple Emanuel in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.

KEN AND ME AT RYNEK GŁÓWNY / MAIN MARKET SQUARE, KRAKOW.

My Big Small Jewish World By Eileen Winter

In AcknowledgementThe Reform Judaism magazine editors express their gratitude to the

following donors, whose generous contributions made this “RJ Insider’s Guide to World Jewish Travel” possible: Jean and Jay Abarbanel, Austin and Nani Beutel, Stephen K. Breslauer, James and Linda Cherney, The Golomb Family, Anne Molloy and Henry Posner III, Rosalyn G. Rosenthal, Jerry Tanenbaum, and Dolores K. Wilkenfeld.

To explore how you might contribute to a future Insider’s Guide, please contact the editors—Aron Hirt-Manheimer, editor, or Joy Weinberg, managing editor—at [email protected].

414027_TG_BigSmallWorld_EWinter_sp14_FINAL.indd 22414027_TG_BigSmallWorld_EWinter_sp14_FINAL.indd 22 2/18/14 11:25 PM2/18/14 11:25 PM


© R

oy

Bo

ttere

ll/C

orb

is

The following Friday we arrived in Budapest. Making Shabbat services here was going to be easy, we thought. After all, one of the two Progressive syna-gogues, Sim Shalom, was only down the street from our hotel.

Street address in hand, we walked back and forth, back and forth—where was Sim Shalom? Finally, we realized the congregation had to be housed within a nearby apartment building that had an inner courtyard. There we found the temple’s call button and were buzzed inside.

We walked up the stairs and into the second-floor apartment. An open room led into a second large room that had been set up for the service: two rows of chairs shaped into a semi-circle, and a small table with Shabbat candles and a Kiddush cup. Ken and I chatted with about a dozen friendly, mostly young people who spoke English, including Rabbi Katalin Kelemen, whose hus-band Jesse Weil, the synagogue’s trea-surer, had written to me, welcoming us to Sim Shalom.

Rabbi Kelemen then announced to the congregation that Ken and I were visiting from the United States, and invited me to light the Shabbat candles. What an honor, to participate in the same ritual in Buda-pest that I had done countless times at my home congregation in New Jersey. I immediately felt “at home.”

Like at Beit Warszawa, most of Sim Shalom’s service was musical, led on vocals and guitar by Cantor Miklos Budai and accompanied on drums by a young congregant named David. Except for the melody for the Sh’ma, the songs were mostly unfamiliar to us, but we caught on and sang along. We especially loved the congregation’s version of Lecha Dodi, a catchy Chasidic melody with a “Ya ba ba ba bam” refrain that transported me into the imagined shtetl life of my ancestors. All the prayers were chanted in Hebrew, and we knew them well. The service was in both Hungarian and English, and although we didn’t understand the Hun-garian readings, both Ken and I were hon-ored with English readings, contributing to our sense of belonging.

Afterwards Sim Shalom held a pot-luck supper in lieu of an oneg. Our con-tribution was a cake we’d purchased at

Turning a Vacation into a Homecoming

by Gary Bretton-Granatoor

S ince the publication of Reform Judaism magazine’s first

Guide to Jewish World Travel (Spring 2013), I have fielded dozens of requests by travelers wishing to visit Progressive and Reform congregations around the world. For many of them, the experience of meeting spiritual leaders and Progressive Jews abroad on Shabbat is a kind of revelation: “I am part of a wider Reform Jewish family. In 49 countries around the world I can connect with people like me who are striving to create warm, welcoming, egalitarian, pluralistic Jewish communities.”

In North America we are called Reform. In other parts of the world, we are known as Progressive or Lib-eral (in most of Europe, if you ask for a Reform congregation, you’ll be directed to a Protestant church).

How do you find your larger Progressive/Reform/Liberal family when travelling outside North Amer-ica? The process is different than what you find in North America, where synagogues and Jewish insti-tutions in North America generally have an “open-door” policy and reg-ularly welcome visitors. In most other lands there are pervasive secu-rity concerns. Synagogues do not publish their street addresses, return phone calls or emails, or openly declare their presence. A random visitor, even one claiming affiliation

with a Reform synagogue in the U.S. or Canada, is likely to be turned

away if visit-ing unan-nounced.

The best way to con-nect is to have the World Union for Pro-gressive Juda-ism (WUPJ), the institution that now serves, nur-tures, and

supports 1,176 Reform/Progressive/Liberal Jewish congregations world-wide, make an introduction for you.

This process takes time, so be sure to contact us several weeks in advance of your trip. First, go to the World Union for Progressive Judaism web-site, wupj.org. On the main page, use the dialogue box to search for WUPJ congregations by country and then city. Once you have verified the pres-ence of a congregation in the area you plan to visit, email me, Rabbi Gary Bretton-Granatoor ([email protected]), at the WUPJ’s New York office. Pro-vide your travel dates, where you plan to stay, when you would like to visit the congregation, the number of peo-ple in your party, and a way to contact you once you are there (to make sure you are advised of any last minute changes in the synagogue’s plans). If given sufficient time, we can try to arrange a personal visit.

Connecting with your “cousins” is a great way to experience a country and a Jewish community. You’ll get insight into the challenges and the triumphs of living as a Jew in that place—and, most of all, you will see that we are all a part of one extended family.

Rabbi Gary Bretton-Granatoor is the Vice President—Philanthropy at the World Union for Progressive Judaism.



Ph

oto

gra

ph

by

Jose

ph

Getz

off

the Great Market Hall. Unbeknownst to us, the rabbi’s birthday was that week, so our cake served as her impromptu birthday cake. And Ken was also cele-brating his birthday that week, so it became a joint celebration!

♦ ♦ ♦

The next Friday afternoon we were in Prague, sightseeing. We’d planned to return to our hotel and freshen up before attending Kabbalat Shabbat services at Bejt Simcha, but we’d packed in too much touring and time had gotten away from us. We were tired, windblown, out-fitted in sneakers and backpacks, and nowhere near our hotel—and services would be starting soon.

My husband and I weighed the options. He felt uncomfortable attending services in such casual clothing; I didn’t want to miss Shabbat in Prague. “Besides,” I pointed out, “They are expecting us! Surely it must be more important to attend the service ‘as we are’ than not to come at all.” I reminded him, too, of our home congregation’s relatively recent tradition where some

services are designated “come as you are,” imparting the message that it is more important to worship together then to focus on dressing up for the occasion.

We chose a third alter-native: arriving at the syna-gogue before the service and apologiz-ing to the members for not having had time to make our-selves more presentable. If, then, it didn’t seem appropriate to stay, we’d leave.

We walked through Prague’s Jewish quarter, passing the Pinkas Synagogue with its cobblestone drive and white stucco exterior; the King Solomon Kosher Restaurant, fronted by a clock that uses the Hebrew alphabet in lieu of numbers;

and the Maisel Synagogue, set back behind an iron fence. When we got to Maiselova 4, the building where Bejt Sim-

cha rents space for services, the young man who opened the door for us could not have been more wel-coming. “By all means,” he said, “please stay and pray with us; it does

not matter how you are dressed.”People started arriving, members as

well as Americans and Canadians visiting Prague. We struck up a conversation with David, a 20-something Prague native who told us excitedly, in good English, that he’d be in the U.S. in the summer, having gotten a job teaching Torah to young peo-ple at the URJ’s Kutz Camp in Warwick,

INTERIOR OF BEJT SIMCHA, PRAGUE.

C E N T R A L C O N F E R E N C E O F A M E R I C A N R A B B I S

Since 1889

VISIT US ONLINE FOR MISHKAN T’FILAH, BACK-IN-PRINT CLASSICS, E-BOOKS, AND MOREFor more information and to order, go to: www.ccarpress.org or call 212-972-3636 x243 | CCAR | 355 Lexington Avenue | New York, NY 10017 | ravblog.ccarnet.org

Travel with Us

The Mishkan T’fi lah App for iPadAvailable on iTunes.Android version in development.

NEW! Birkon Artzi: Blessings and Meditations for Travelers to IsraelEdited by Rabbi Serge Lippe

Now also available as an ebook.

Central Conference of American Rabbis

BIRKON ARTZIBlessings and Meditations

for Travelers to Israel

Rabbi Serge Lippe, editorwith Preface by Rabbi Rick Jacobs, President, Union for Reform Judaism

and Introduction by Bruce Feiler, author of Walking the Bible

Newly Updatd!Daily Blessings App for iOS and Android.

Now also includes Food Blessings, Birkat HaMazon, and Traveler’s Prayer.

Mishkan T’fi lah for TravelersSmall paperback edition for students and travel.

Kindle


T H E

ASHKENAZIEXPERIENCEA Conference on Jewish Life in

Ashkenazi Europe

August 28 to September 1, 2014

September 1 to 5, 2014

T H E

MIDDLE EASTYESTERDAY AND TODAY

Worlds of Israel, the Arabs, Iran

MATTERHORN TRAVELEstablished 1966

47 years of successful events

For detailed brochures with prices, please contact:

M A T T E R H O R N T R A V E L P R E S E N T S T W O C O N F E R E N C E S

MATTERHORN TRAVEL3419 Hidden River View, Annapolis, MD 21403

800.638.9150 • [email protected]

www.MatterhornTravel.com

S I T E O F C O N F E R E N C E S

Park Hyatt Beaver CreekResort and SpaVail Valley, ColoradoThe luxurious five-star Park Hyatt is ringed on three sides by the Rocky Mountains. The hotel is the centerpiece of the Alpine style village at Beaver Creek.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Materhorn.indd 1Materhorn.indd 1 2/20/14 1:50 PM2/20/14 1:50 PM


New York. Astonishingly, our daughter, Debra, was going to be head songleader at the same camp, and the two had already been in touch on Facebook! It is a small Jewish world indeed.

About 25–30 people prayed with us. The siddur was in Hebrew and Czech—but even though I didn’t know a word of Czech, we were reciting the Hebrew prayers in the same order as we did at Temple Emanuel in Cherry Hill, New Jersey and singing the same melodies for the Sh’ma, Lecha Dodi, and V’Shamru. Closing my eyes during some parts of the service, I could have been in New Jersey instead of across the world.

♦ ♦ ♦

In our journey to the land of our ancestors, we saw many beautiful land-marks, Shoah memorials, and remnants of Jewish communities long past. I real-ize now that the experience would not have been complete without our also connecting to a living Judaism, as we did while worshipping with our brethren in Warsaw, Budapest, and Prague on three successive Shabbatot. And, we could not have done this without assistance from the World Union for Progressive Judaism (WUPJ). Unlike U.S. congregations that typically have stand-alone buildings, most of the Eastern European congrega-tions we visited used prayer spaces tucked away in apartments or courtyards well-off the street. Some did not exhibit signage indicating that a house of wor-ship was within. For their own protection, many synagogues outside North America do not welcome strangers who have not made advance arrangements. Had we not connected with the WUPJ, I’m not sure we would have ever made it to services.

We were also struck by how comfort-able we felt. Each Jewish community warmly welcomed the stranger into their midst. More people than we expected spoke English, and in Budapest we played an active role in the service. The presence of Hebrew in prayer and song united us in a common bond with our host communities. And it was inspiring to meet other Progressive Jews who worship as we do, share our values, and are part of our Jewish family.

I’m already dreaming about my next Progressive adventure abroad!

13 Nights/ 14 Days in Mumbai, Cochin, and the Kerala Backwaters JANUARY 26 – FEBRUARY 8, 2015

PLUS OPTIONAL EXTENSIONS OFF AND ON THE INDIA BEATEN TRACK

CALL: Iris Burkat at 914.231.9023EMAIL: [email protected] WEB: burkatglobal.com/journeys

Small group | Iconic hotels, houseboats, resorts | Visit Jewish communities; hear their storiesArchaeological dig in ancient Muziris; find ancient Israel artifacts | Delicately spiced meals, hot only if you

want them to be | South Indian culture: cooking lesson, ayurveda, yoga, Kathakali, music, literature, Kochi-Muziris Bienniale | Mumbai and its Konkan Coast, where its Jewish community began with a shipwreck

| Kochi (Cochin), gateway of culture and religion, where Jews first arrived thousands of years ago.

Follow the footsteps of ancient Jewish traders. Discover synagogues, histories, traditions, neighborhoods.

Cruise serene backwaters. Explore the India where Jews have lived in peace for millennia.

Learn from our scholar in residence: anthropologist Dr. Shalva Weil of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

W O R L D P A S S A G E L T D.Licensed by the Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control, as a Travel Service Provider (License: TSPCU-084873)

Give your synagogue a cultural and religious experience like no other.

As the respected leader in licensed Jewish travel to Cuba, World Passage Ltd. can help.

Call 215-836-0858 or visit worldpassageltd.com.

CUBACUBA




Ph

oto

gra

ph

s b

y Ju

dy

Hir

t-M

an

heim

er

asked what draws him to the synagogue, he explained that he follows the teaching, “For I give you a good doctrine, forsake ye not my Torah” (Prov. 4:2). He hopes that Gabrielle “may grow in the Jewish faith and become a bat mitzvah.”

♦ ♦ ♦

One of the congregation’s elder statesmen, Ainsley Henriques, a man of aristocratic bearing and sharp wit, introduced himself to us

as “the Jewish geneal-ogy of Jamaican Jewry.” After all, he told us, “I

have been here for about 250 years. I am not as old as I look.” Ainsley, actu-ally 75, traces his ancestry in Jamaica to Raphael Cohen Belinfante, a Hebrew teacher who arrived on the island from Amsterdam in 1745.

For Ainsley, as with other congregants we met, veneration of one’s ancestors seems to tie him to the Jewish community as much as religious conviction. Past and present here are inexorably linked. Member Jennifer Millicent Lim proudly

A t Congregation Sha’are Shalom in Kingston, Jamaica, we experienced a Jewish community the likes of which are not to be found

anywhere else in the world. Where else does a community’s “Prayer for the People” conclude with an homage to “One Love,” the anthem of Jamaica’s late reggae star Bob Marley: “May the people of our coun-try be safe from strife and affliction and may we…join together in one love, one heart, and let us say amen.”

The last functioning synagogue in Jamaica, a stately white building, looks somewhat out of place in the run-down neighborhood of Central Kingston. Most of the city’s Jews had lived here 100 years ago, but later moved to more affluent parts of the city.

Entering the sanctuary, we found the

floor covered in sand, a practice of unknown origin shared by only four other functioning synagogues in the world. Some say the sand came into use to muffle the sounds of marranos, forcibly baptized Jews who continued to practice Judaism in

secret. Others believe it symbolizes the sand of the Sinai Desert in the Exodus sto-ry. Still others say it was to absorb the mud tracked in from the outside. We devised our own theory while watching three-year-old Gabrielle playing with her toy pony on the sand-filled floor—a sandbox to keep children occupied.

Gabrielle’s father, William Rennalls, 41, who wears a kippah over his flowing dreadlocks, worships weekly at Sha’are Shalom, although he is not Jewish. When

Aron Hirt-Manheimer is editor and Judith Hirt-Manheimer copy-editor of Reform Judaism magazine.

Tracks of Time in Jamaican SandsBy Aron and Judith Hirt-Manheimer

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: RABBI

DANA EVAN KAPLAN OUTSIDE THE BOB

MARLEY MUSEUM; AINSLEY HENRIQUES

IN THE SYNAGOGUE COURTYARD; PATRICK MUDAHY; WILLIAM AND GABRIELLE RENNALLS;

CONGREGATION SHA’ARE SHALOM; CANTORIAL SOLOIST MARIE REYNOLDS.

414027_TG_Jamaica_sp14_FINAL.indd 27414027_TG_Jamaica_sp14_FINAL.indd 27 2/19/14 8:27 PM2/19/14 8:27 PM


Ph

oto

gra

ph

s b

y E

lie

Kle

in

faces the challenge of deciding how far to diverge from the traditions that have defined and governed this community while still preserving its inherited cultural identity.

Rabbi Dana Evan Kaplan, who

moved to Jamaica from the United States in 2011 to become the congrega-tion’s first ordained rabbi in 33 years, believes that a promising way to grow Sha’are Shalom would be through out-

showed us her family tree, pointing out her earliest known ancestor, Gabriel Pine-do, born in 1652. The congregation’s prayer book, an amalgam of prayers in Hebrew (with transliteration) and English (drawn mostly from Sephardic as well as British and American Reform sources), documents historical communal mile-stones, telling us on the very first page that it was “established in secret by marranos fleeing the Inquisition during the Spanish rule….” The subsequent 15 pages present a history of Sha’are Shalom’s predecessor synagogues, including photographs of the original buildings and noting the various causes of their demise—earth quakes, fires, hurricanes, and/or factionalism.

♦ ♦ ♦

Today’s Jamaican Jewish community is considerably smaller than it was in its hey-day in the mid-19th century, when Jews who prospered from international trade and commerce had the financial where-withal to maintain a half dozen synagogues here. Over the next 150 years, assimilation and emigration reduced the organized Jew-ish community from approximately 2,500

individuals to 200 today. The attrition has continued, as most young people leave for college and do not return. Ainsley’s three daughters, for example, now live in Boston, Manhattan, and Syracuse.

“Fifty years ago,” Ainsley lamented, “we filled our synagogue’s 350–400 seats, especially on the High Holy Days; now only 70–80 worship-ers come. On Friday night, about 50 people used to attend; now we get half that number. And we no lon-ger have enough children to run our reli-gious school.”

♦ ♦ ♦

With the congregation’s diminishing demographic, the Board of Directors

FROM L. TO R.: MARINA DELFOS, CARETAKER OF THE JEWISH CEMETERY

IN FALMOUTH, DISPLAYS A PHOTOGRAPH OF ANGELINA ANSELL; AUTHORS

ARON AND JUDY HIRT-MANHEIMER IN FRONT OF THE BOB MARLEY HOUSE.



gp

y

reach to non-Jews. He wants, he told us, “to build a multiracial community in Jamaica that can be a model for the world.” Early in his tenure, the congre-gation’s lay-led beth din permitted him to officiate at six conversions. He esti-mates that an additional 20 candidates are interested in becoming Jews, but the beth din has yet to interview any of them. Rabbi Kaplan believes that the committee is more interested in “bring-ing back people of Jewish descent who were lost, and thereby preserving the seed of Israel.”

Ainsley told us that his first wife, the late Sheila Chung, was the first woman of color (Chinese, Indian, African, and Scottish) to be converted to Judaism in Jamaica. “Racism,” he explained “is not an issue in Jamaica; class is an issue.” Rabbi Kaplan pointed out that “the six recent converts, of various racial and ethnic backgrounds, are all in the upper class of Jamaican society.”

Patrick Mudahy is one of the congrega-tion’s most vocal critics of Rabbi Kaplan’s conversion efforts. “We have to be careful who we take in,” he told us. “We have to maintain our blood line.” A born Jew who had been raised as a Christian, Patrick returned to “the faith of my ancestors” as an adult seeking connection to his roots in the aftermath of marital difficulties. When asked how the community could survive without an infusion of new blood, he responded, “Like Masada, it is better to die in honor than to die in shame.”

♦ ♦ ♦

On the Friday night we attended services, Rabbi Kaplan delivered an impassioned sermon warning that the congregation’s very future depended upon breaking the impasse between what he termed the “conservationists” and “innovationists.” The rabbi hopes to convince the “conservationists” to add contemporary Jamaican culture, such as reggae music, to the congregation’s cherished Sephardic and Classical Reform traditions, because he believes it will appeal to the younger generation. His “Prayer for the People of Jamaica” and his introduction of Debbie Fried-man’s Mi Shebeirach have gone largely unopposed by the “conservationists,” but most of his other innovations, such

as adding the matriarchs to the recita-tion of the Amidah prayer, have met with strong resistance. When one influ-ential member heard the rabbi invoke the name of the matriarch Sarah, he walked out of the sanctuary in protest.

Why, we asked, would a congrega-tion where women receive aliyot and sit alongside men in the sanctuary be so opposed to a liturgical change reflecting gender equality? “What’s written in the prayer book is perceived by the ‘conservationists’ as received truth,” Rabbi Kaplan said. “Any devia-

tion from that is seen as a termination of their traditions.” Ainsley told us that because change is so controversial here, it has to be handled through a deliberate process managed by the con-gregation’s directors rather than imposed in an ad-hoc manner. The last major change came about 30 plus years ago, he said, “when we recognized women as equals for religious practic-es.” The decision to allow mixed seat-ing, he explained, went back to 1921, when a number of synagogues of vari-

continued on page 43



RJ INSIDER’S GUIDE

Les

Ph

ilo

sop

hes:

Ph

oto

by

Joh

n W

eis

s

places and people. Be open to the unex-pected. That is how I met my American wife 30 years ago, in an elevator, the day she arrived in Paris.

What are the Jewish sites?Don’t miss Rue des Rosiers, the

heart of the Jewish quarter, with its mix of bohemian clothing shops, art galler-ies, falafel stands, kosher butchers, Jew-ish bakeries, and crowds of eclectic Parisians, everyone from Orthodox Jews in shtreimels to gay hipsters decked out in the latest fashions. For great falafel, locals flock to L’as du Falafel. If you’re a strudel lover, don’t miss Florence Kahn on rue des Ecouffes, which inter-sects with Rue des Rosiers.

When you’re done feasting, visit Le Musée d’Art et d’Histoire du Juda-isme, which displays Judaic objects dating back to the Middle Ages. The Memorial de la Shoah captures the horrors of the Second World War, when nearly 76,000 French Jews were deported to concentration camps and only 2,500 survived. Many French Jews lost their lives because they were betrayed by their fellow citizens. As a result, to this day, many French Jews prefer to keep their religious affiliations private.

Is it diffi cult, then, to live as a Jew in France today?

France’s reputation as an anti-Semitic country is overblown. Today France is probably the least complacent country in the world when it comes to anti-Semitic acts or statements. American readers who are attached to notions of freedom of speech may be surprised to learn that many anti-Semitic statements about

Interview with Stéphane Beder, president of the Federation of French-Speaking Liberal Jews (an organization represent-ing liberal communities across France, Switzerland, Belgium, and Luxembourg), vice-chairman of the European Union for Progressive Judaism, and a member of the World Union for Progressive Judaism’s executive board.

What should travelers not miss in Paris?

There is a reason why Charles Dickens dubbed Paris “the most extraordinary place in the world,” Henry James referred to it as “the greatest tem-ple ever built to material joys and the lust of the eyes,” and Ernest Hemingway called it a “moveable feast.” Beyond the historical landmarks, monuments, incredible museums, and restaurants that serve meals that can only be described as sensuous, Paris displays a unique beauty you can discover just by walking and looking at buildings at dif-ferent angles in different lights of day and night. History and romance are part of the fabric of every street, bridge, and shop you visit. Interestingly, some Pari-sian museums offer great restaurant experiences with fabulous views that are not tourist traps. I recommend Georges on top of the Pompidou Museum; Mon-sieur Bleu within Palais de Tokyo, a

contemporary and modern art center in the 16th arrondissement (neighbor-hood); and Les Ombres on the rooftop of Musée des Arts Premiers, which offers one of the best views in the city of the twinkling Eiffel Tower at night.

Food is a French obsession. Parisians spend hours comparing the merits of local baker-ies, cheese stores, and restaurants. Today, a number of young chefs have joined the “fooding” movement, a

fusion of the words food and feeling, which emphasizes quality products pre-pared in fun, modern, and accessible ways. At Pierre Sang Boyer, for example, the chef serves up affordable, gourmet dishes, such as panned fried foie gras with figs, to walk-in patrons. Reservations are not accepted and there are no tables—only bar stools. Les Cocottes, too, serves exquisite food, but in verrines (canning jars) and cocottes (cast-iron pots).

In Paris you can also experience kosher gastronomy. Yayin pairs excel-lent wines with reinvented traditional dishes, such as gefilte fish wrapped in banana leaves with coconut milk and duck filet with a charoset crust.

What is your top travel tip?Don’t schedule too much. Allow

time to wander and just look around at

PARIS: Culture & Communityinterview with Stéphane Beder

PROGRESSIVE COMMUNITIES IN PARIS CELEBRATE PURIM, 2013.

continued on page 34

Greetings from Les Philosophes.

414027_TG_Paris_sp14_FINAL.indd 30414027_TG_Paris_sp14_FINAL.indd 30 2/19/14 8:31 PM2/19/14 8:31 PM

Let ITC Show You the SpiritLet ITC Show You the Spirit

Synagogue Tours

Bar & Bat Mitzvah Family Tours

Jewish Heritage Tours

Interfaith Tours

Custom Private Tours

New & Exciting from ITC:

Sephardic Odyssey Tours Spain - Morocco - Portugal and more!

Eastern & Central Europe Germany - Prague - Budapest - Vienna

Cuba “People to People” Tours Experience the Culture and Arts of Jewish Cuba

Under the authorization of the Cal Cuba Art Project - Lic CT# -2012-297556-11

Challenge Us With Any Destination!

CALL: 1-800-2-ISRAELWWW.ISRAELTOUR.COM

ISRAEL TOUR CONNECTION

TM

ITC TOURS SUMMER 13.indd 1ITC TOURS SUMMER 13.indd 1 3/28/13 8:26 PM3/28/13 8:26 PM


ack in 1926, when the World Union for

Progressive Judaism (WUPJ) was established

in London to serve as an international move-

ment of Progressive Judaism, the world map of Reform

(also known as Progressive or Liberal) congregations

looked quite different than it does today. Outside of the

U.S., there were but a handful of Progressive/Reform

congregations in the UK, Germany, and France.

The WUPJ began sending young, dynamic Reform

rabbis to the far corners of the world to plant the seeds

of this modern Jewish movement, and by the 1930s,

Progressive congregations were established in Austra-

lia, South Africa, Latin America, and the land of Israel.

The renewal of Jewish life in the Former Soviet

Union and Eastern Europe since the late 1980s has

given rise to nearly 100 new congregations affiliated

with the World Union. In Spain, the newest frontier

for Progressive Judaism in Europe, numbers of Anusim

(forced converts) are looking to the World Union for

their way back to Jewish life. And who in the 1920s

could have predicted a growing Reform Movement in

Asia, including congregations in Hong Kong, Singa-

pore, and the newest Asian Reform congregation in

Shanghai. Today’s map of the World Union testifies

to just how far we have come.

−› European Union for Progressive Judaism:

First congregation: New Israelite Temple Society,

Hamburg, Germany, 1817 (before the European region

was established). Today: 148 congregations.

−› Union for Reform Judaism (North America):

First congregation: Beth Elohim, Charleston,

South Carolina, 1824. Today: 864 congregations.

−› Union for Progressive Judaism (Australia, New

Zealand, and Asia): First congregation: Temple Beth

Israel, Melbourne, Australia, 1929. Today: 22 congre-

gations in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, China,

India, and Singapore.

−› South African Union for Progressive Judaism:

First congregation: Temple Israel, Johannesburg, 1936.

Today: 10 congregations.

−› World Union-Latin American Region/UJCL:

First congregation: Congregação Israelita Paulista,

Sao Paulo, Brazil, 1936. Today: 48 congregations.

−› Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism: First

congregation: Har El Congregation, Jerusalem, 1958.

Today: 41 congregations throughout Israel.

−› Former Soviet Union (FSU): First congregation:

Congregation Hineini, Moscow, 1990. Today: 43 con-

gregations in Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus.

BREFORM JUDAISM WORLDWIDE

Rabbi Joel Oseran, VP, International Development, WUPJ

ArgArgArgArgggArgArgArgArgArggrgArgArgArgArgArggrgArgggArgA ggAArgArArgAArggArgAArgArArgAArgrrggAAArgrrrArggrgAArgggA entee ina

ArubabaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaSaiSaiS iS iS iS iSSSS iiS iSS iiiiiiiiii tnt nt tntttttttttttttttttt ThoTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT mas

Brazil

CCChChChCChChhhihiCChChhhhChhiCChhhhhCChhhChhhhCCChChhhhhiCChhhChhCChhChCChhCChCCChhCChhhCCChhhhCCCChCChCChChhhhChhhCChCh le

SuSuSuuuuSuuuuuuruuururrSuurururrSuururuSuuuuurSSuuuuuuruuuuuuuuuSuuuuruurSSuuuSSS rSSSSuuSSuuuSSSSuuurSSSuuSuuSuu iiiiiiiinaiiininanananinnnnainnnnanainannnnnnanaainnannaaannainnnainnnnnnnnninnnnnnnnnnnninnnn mmemmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

CCCCCCurCurCCururCCCurCurCurrurCCCurCuCuCurCurCurCurCCCCCCCurCCCCCCCurCC rrrrrrC acaacacaacacaaaaaaaaaacaaaaacaaaaaaaaaacaaaaacaaacaaaacaaccacccccccccc o

PPPerPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP u

CoCoCoColCoCooCooCoooCoCoCooooooooCoCooooCooooooCoCCCCCCCC ombiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaEcu doadddododooodddooddododdoddoddodododddodddooooododooooooooooooooorr

PPPuPPuePuePuePPuePPPPuePPuePuePuePuePuePuePuPPPPuPuePueuuuPPPuePPPuuueueuuuueePPuePuePuePuePPuPueuuuueueueeeeePPPPPuePPuuueeeeeePPPueeeeePueeeeeueeueueertortrrrr RiR co

BahBahaBahBahBahBahBahBahahBahBahBaBahBBBahBaBahBBBBBahBBahBBahBahBahBahBBahBBahB hBahaahaaahhhhahhamaa s

aPaPaPaPaPaPaPaPPaPaPanPanPanPaPaPPPaPaanPanPPPPPPaPaPaPanPanPPPaPPaaanPanPPPanPanPaPaPPanPPaPanPaPPaPPannnPanaannnnnanaannaaannaaanaanannaannnnnnaannnaaanaannaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnamaamaamamaamamaamammamaamaamaamamamammmamammaamamaammamaamamaamaamammmmmaamaaammammaamaaamammamamaamaamaammmmmaaammmmaammmaaammaaaammaaaaamaaaaaamaaa aaam

Jamaicaiciaicaicicaicicaiciiciicaiaicaicicaiciiccccicaicaaiciccicccaica cccciiiccicccccccci aaHonHonHoHonHonHHHonHonHHonHHHoHoHHHHHHHHHHoHHoHoHoHHHHHoooooHoHooononHoooooooooHHooHooHoHooHonooooHoonooHooHoHoHoHHooHHoHoHooooH nnnonnduras

CosCo ta Riciiiici a

El Salvadvadddddddddddddddddddddddddddorororororooororoorororooooroooooorrrooorrrrooorroroorrrroooorrrrrrorrrrroorrroorrrroorrorrrorrrrrrrrrr

GuaGuaGuauauaGuaauauauaGuaGuaGuauauauaGuauuauuauuauauaauauaaauaaaaaaaaaaaatemtemtemtemttememtemtemtetettetttettettetetttteeemtettteteteeteeeeemmeeeeeeeeeeeemmmmmmmmaalalaalaalaaalaaaaaaalaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalaaaalaaaalll

CubCubCubCubCubCubCCCubCubCubCubCCuCubCubCubuCubCubCuCCubCCCubCubububCubCuCubCCCCCCububCubububububCubuuCubCubCubCCCCubbCubCCCCCC bCubCubCubbbCububCubububbbbbuubCuubuubbbbC aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaMexMexMeMeexMMeMexMMexMMexMMeeeexMexxexMexMMeeexxxMexMexMMeeexxxxicoiccooicoiicicoccococoiiicocoiiicocoo

United States

Canada

28

836

19

1

1

3

1

1

1

1

1 1

1

1

1

1

1

11

1

S O U T H

P A C I F I C

O C E A N

N O R T H

P A C I F I C

O C E A N

N O R T H

A T L A N T I C I C CCCCCCCCCCC

O C E A N

1

9

TG_WUPJmap_sp14_REVISE.indd 32TG_WUPJmap_sp14_REVISE.indd 32 2/19/14 8:32 PM2/19/14 8:32 PM

41IsrIsrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrraaaeaelaelaellaeaelaellaelaella lllaelaa llllaellaaellllaaaaa laellaaaaaaaeeeaeeaelaelaaaaaaeeaelaelaaaaaelaeeeeaelaelaelaaaaaaeaaeeeeaaaeaaeeaelaelaaelaaaaeaeaeaeaaaaellaaaaeelelea laaeaellaellaeaaeeeeellaeeeeeelelaaeeeaaeelaa

S O U T H

A T L A N T I C

O C E A N

P A C I F I C

O C E A N

A R C T I C O C E A N

T H

T I C I C CCCCCCCCCCC

A N

I N D I A N

O C E A NSouSS thAfrica

10

Russia

16

UkrUUUUUUUU aine15

Belaaaaaruaaaraaaaaaaaaaaaaaa s

11BB lBBalBalBalBalB llllllBB llB lBBBB lalllllBBBBB lBBB llBBalBBalBBBB llBBBBBBBBBBBBBalBBBBaBalBalBaBaBalBBBallBBBBBaBBBallBB lllBaBalllalalaaaaallaalaalaalaallBalaaaaaaallllllllllllticttt StaStaStaStaSStaStaSSSSStaStSSStaSSSSStaSSSSStSSSSSSSStStaStaSSttaSSStattttttaStStttttataaataaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaattettetesttttettttttttttttteseetttteseeeetttestestestteseeeeeeeeeeeseeeestesessssessssssssssss

UniUniUnUniUniUniUniUniUniUniUnniUniUnniUninUnUniUUnUnUniniUnUU iniiUUUninnniiiniUniUnnnnnUniiiinnUnUninn tedtetedtedtedededededteedededttedtedeedeeedeededeeddeeddddeddddddeedeeeedddddddddKinKininnnnnninnnnnnnnnnnn dgdogdogdgdogdogdogddgdogdogdogdgdogdogdoggdgdogdogdgdododgdodggdogdodogdogdggdogdgdogdogdogdoogdogdoggdogdogggdgdoooggdgddgdgdoggggdogdggggdgggdddgdgdgddddgddggggggggg mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

1

TheTTNNNNNetNetNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN hehehehhhhhheheeerererherhereereeeeeeeeheeeeeeeehhh rh rrlalalalaanlanlananlaanlalalalalanlanlaannnalannnannlannannl nll nnnl nl nnll nll nl ddsd

23

Swiwiiiiiiiiiiiiwiiittttzettzetzetzetzetzetzetzetttttzetzett etzezeezetzetzetzeetzetttzezetzetzeezettzzezetzetzezettttzezezeeetzettt etzzzzzeeetzezettttzzttzztttt llrlalrlarlarrrrrlllalrlalrlrlrlalrlrlarlllrlarlarlalrlarlarlaarrrlarlarlrrrr aaarr aarlaarrrrrr ndndndndnddndnddnnnnnddnnnnnnddddnndnndndnndddndnnnndndnndddnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd

SSwSSSSSwSwwewSSSSSSSSwSwSSSSSSSwSwSSSwwSwSwSSwSSSwwwSSSwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwSwwwww denenennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

1

SSSSSpaSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS in

Polandndndndnddndndnddnnddddddddndnddddnddddddddddddddndndddddd

4

LuLuLuLuLLuxLLuLuLLuLLuLLLLuLLuLLLLLuLLuLLLLLuLLLuLLLLLLuLLuLuuuLLLuL embmbbbbbmbmbmbmbmbmbmmbmbbbbmmmmbmbbbmbbbbbmbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbouroooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo gggggggg1

2ItIItataItaItItItItaItItaItIIIttItIItIItIItItIttaIItIItttttaaaallyllyllyyylyylylyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

4

HuHuHuuuunHuuunuunnunuuununuuuunnuunnnunuununnnunununuuuuuuunnnnnnnunuuunuunnnnuuuuuuuu gargargargarargarrrgargargargarrrrgararrrrrrarrrarrrarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyddddddddddddddd

2

GeGGGGGerGerGGGGerGGerGeGerGerGGGGerGGGGeGerGGGGGGGG mmmmaaanammamaaaaaaamaammma yd

FraFFFFFraFFFFF ncencenceeeeeenceeeeeenccennncencnnnnn

13

Denennennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnmarmarmarmarmarrmarmarmarmmm rrrm rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

1

Australia

14

China

2

HonHonHonHononnHonnHonnHonnHonnnnnHonnHonnnnnnnnnnnnHonnonnnHonnoHonnnnHoHonnHHoHoooooonggggggggggggggggggggKKonKoKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK g

1

India

1

NewNewNewNewNewNewNewNewewNewNeweNewNewNeNewewewNeweweewewwewwwwNewwwNewNewweewwewwN wwwN wwN wNNNZeaZeaZeaZeaZeaZeaZeeaZeaZeaZeZeaeaZZeaZeZeaZeaZZZZZZZZZeaZZZ aaaZZ aaZZZ aZZZeaZ aZZ aaaaaalalalanlalalalalalallalalallllallall d

3

SiSinSinSinSiSinSSinSiniSiSinSinSinSiiniSSiSinSiiSinSiSSinSinSininSinSiSSiiSiiSSSSinSS nS nnnnS nSS nngapapapapapapapapapppppppgapaapgapppaapappppgapppppppppapappppapapppappapppappppppppppppppporeoreorerororeeoreororeoreeoreoreoororeoooooooooooooooooooooo

1

CzeCzeCzeCCCCCCzeCzeCCzezezezezezezeCzezeCzeCzezezeezezzeeeeeeezzeeezzezeezzzeeCzezezeeeeech chccchcccccccccccccccccccccccchhcccccccccccccchcccchccc ReReeRepeeReReeReReeeeReReReeReeRReRRRRRRRRR ublicUk

2

BeBelBBeBelBelBelBeBeBeBeBelBBBeBelBellBBeeeBelllB lllllllleeelllBBeeeeeeBellllBeeeellllBBeelellBBBBBBBBBBBeeeeeeeeleeeeee giugiuiuiugiugiugiuiugiuuggiugiugiuugigiuuggiuugiugiugiuugiugiuuuuugiuuuuuuug ug uiuggggiugiugigggggiuiugg uuggggiuggggggggg uug ugg uuggg mmmmmthhherhhherererrherrrrllllananaaanannnnnlllll nndthhhhh aL bbbb

2AuAuuuuuusuuuususuuuuuuuuuuuuuAuuAuuuuAuuAAAAAuuuuuuAAAuAuuuuAAAAAuuuAAAAAAAuuusstritritririiiriiiirrriiiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah h hhhh ReRepRRRRRRRRR ub epub

1

1079

3

Reform Congregations Worldwide • Each number represents the number of World Union for Progressive Judaism congregations currently in that country.• There are now 49 countries with World Union congregations.• As of Spring 2014, there are 1,176 Reform congregations worldwide.

w w w . w u p j . o r g

TG_WUPJmap_sp14_REVISE.indd 33TG_WUPJmap_sp14_REVISE.indd 33 2/19/14 8:33 PM2/19/14 8:33 PM


Jews that would be viewed as “opinions” in the U.S, such as Holocaust denial, are illegal in France and punished with fines and jail terms. The French courts recently ordered Twitter to furnish personal details about everyone who has tweeted an anti-Semitic insult. And very precise statistics regarding anti-Semitic acts—which do occasionally occur, as they do in the United States—are maintained in coordination with the French police.

Overall, France’s 500,000-strong Jewish community is thriving. Jewish classes, conferences, concerts, and cul-tural activities are held every day or night. And kosher restaurants are multi-plying—in my neighborhood, in the 17th arrondissement, there are more than a dozen within a five minutes’ walk.

How did Progressive Judaism fi rst come to your city?

The first Progressive synagogue, the Union Libérale Israélite de France (ULIF, ulif.org), opened in 1907. Its founding rabbi, Louis Germain-Levy, wanted to combine Judaism with science and phi-losophy, and the synagogue grew quickly.

Nowadays, the majority of Jews in France think of themselves as tradition-alists, but the Progressive movement is growing. Like in Israel, many French Jews think the Jewish choice is being Orthodox or nothing at all—but once they are exposed to the reality of Pro-gressive Judaism, many realize this is what they have always wanted. Today we have four Progressive congregations in Paris, plus Progressive synagogues in Grenoble, Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Toulouse, and Strasbourg.

What is Progressive congregational life like in Paris today?

ULIF, led by Rabbi Yossi Kleiner and Cantor Armand Benhamou, is renowned for developing a musical liturgy derived from 19th-century “consistorial” music, with an organ and a mixed choir. Rabbi Pauline Bebe, the first woman rabbi in France, created Communaute Juive Liberale Ile de France (CJL, cjl-paris.org/

English), a warm and welcoming com-munity with a participatory style which

Argentina...Rabbi Elected to Argentin-

ian Congress: Rabbi Sergio Bergman, who was ordained through both the Reform and Conservative movements, was elected last Fall to Argentina’s lower house of parliament, making him the only rabbi to serve as a member of parliament outside of Israel.

A social activist, community leader, and educational innovator, Rabbi Bergman founded Funda-ción Judaica, a network of Jewish schools and educational projects; created the Arlene Fern school, which integrates children with disabilities into mainstream classrooms; and networks needy Argentinians with food and employment sources. After win-ning a PRO party’s seat for municipal legislature in 2011, he employed unorthodox methods to reduce tensions in the city, for example, organizing a day of meditation for legislative employ-ees. He also installed a popcorn machine in his office, joking that “the struggles and also some proj-ects are funnier than some mov-ies.” He always appears in public in his trademark colorful kippah.

Miriam Vasserman, chair of the WUPJ-Latin American region, notes that “This election is not only in recognition of who Con-gressman Rabbi Sergio Bregman is; it is also a turning point in the democracy of Argentina.”

~&~Germany...

First School of Jewish Theol-

ogy: In 1836, Reform pioneer Rabbi Abraham Geiger called on the German government to estab-

GLOBAL NEWS

SERGIO BERGMAN

lish a Jewish divinity school as evidence for the completion of Jewish emancipation in the nation.

That milestone was finally reached 177 years later, when the first department of Jewish theology was established in a state university.

On November 19, 2013, the University of Potsdam, working with the Progressive and Conser-vative Jewish Movements and financed by about $1 million annually by both the German fed-eral and Brandenburg state gov-ernments, launched the School of Jewish Theology. Its BA and MA programs in Jewish Theology are components of gaining ordination at both the liberal Abraham Geiger College and the conservative Zacharias Frankel College, both co-institutes of the university.

“Jewish theology will finally become a regular academic sub-ject in Germany, putting us on a par with Christian denomina-tions and with Islam,” says Rabbi Professor Dr. Walter Homolka, rector of the Abraham Geiger College at Potsdam University.

~&~Spain...

Beit Din in Barcelona: Last June, the beit din (rabbinical court) of the European Union for Progressive Judaism welcomed to the Jewish people 20 converts from all over Spain who were

GLOBAL NEWS

continued on p.35

GERMAN POSTAL COMMEMORATIVE STAMP OF THE NEW SCHOOL.

Pariscontinued from page 30



focuses on social action, welcoming strangers, helping the unemployed, col-lecting food and clothes for the needy, and supporting people with AIDS. Kehilat Gesher (kehilatgesher.org) is served by an American rabbi, Tom Cohen, and holds trilingual services (Hebrew, English, French). With its primary sanctuary in the 15th arrondissement , Mouvement Juif Liberal de France (MJLF, mjlf.org/

English) is led by a woman and a male rabbi, Delphine Horvilleur and Yann Boissière. MJLF has organized France’s Yom Hashoah commemora-tion, with the reading, over a 24-hour period, of the names of every Jewish child, man, and woman deported from France during WWII.

All the worship services differ, but many of our congregations bestow a special place to music. Kehilat Gesher has its own choir; CJL has Shabbat Rock; MJLF has Shabbat Zimra, a musical Shabbat featuring musicians that mix traditional and new tunes; and Copernic hosts concerts featuring klezmer music, Israeli jazz, traditional liturgy, and choirs.

What is unique about Progressive Jewish life in your city?

Along with Israel, France is one of the few countries with a strong Sephardi community. A large percentage of our Jewish families emigrated from Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia in the early 60s, when these nations gained their inde-pendence from France. As a result, we benefit from a very interesting mix of traditions. For instance, we enjoy the more joyous Sephardi approach at the end of Yom Kippur, singing the Neila (closure) with an upbeat tune rather than the more solemn Ashkenazi melody. And many Sephardi foods are now part of our French Jewish experience, every-thing from traditional Friday night cous-cous to the specialty pancake Mofletta, which we eat at the Mimouna celebra-tion beginning after nightfall on the last day of Passover when North African families typically consume all kinds of chametz (leavened food).

I hope that you can visit us and enjoy the diversity and richness of Progressive Jewish life in France. A bientôt! (See you soon!).

educated in Jewish history, thought, and practice mostly via Skype. On Friday night they received their certificates of con-version, and, on Saturday morn-ing, their first aliyot, in the medi-eval synagogue in the heart of former Jewish Barcelona.

“About half the group said they were annusim, descendants of Jews converted to Catholicism back in the 15th century,” says beit din co-chair Rabbi Dr. Andrew Goldstein. “They shared accounts of grandmothers lighting candles on Friday night behind closed shutters, of never mixing meat and milk, and of never eating bread at Easter—practices that had once been explained to them as ‘old family customs,’ but they now share as evidence of their Jewish family origins.”

Rabbi Goldstein explains that “Several candidates spoke of anti-Semitism in Spain and of experi-encing opposition to their conver-sion. All had prepared to face these problems, the expense, and, in some cases, the time to travel hundreds of kilometres to Barce-lona to achieve their goal of join-ing a religion that gave them com-fort and a feeling of belonging.”

This was the third annual beit din in Barcelona. Thirty people converted in the first two beit din, bringing the total number of recent converts to 50, and a fourth beit din will take place in Summer 2014.

GLOBAL NEWS from p.34

Ukraine...Historic Dedication: Last

September, Congregation Hatikva in Kiev, Progressive Judaism’s flagship center in the Ukraine, joined with an international

delegation of World Union for Progressive Judaism leaders to dedicate the synagogue’s new center. The congregation, which also runs two kindergartens, had been working out of very inade-quate rental facilities for 22 years until three World Union families furnished the funds to purchase a new property; the “right” proper-ty was found within the historic Jewish neighborhood of Podol; and renovations made to accom-modate a 150-seat sanctuary, spacious activity rooms, library, Netzer youth center, administra-tive offices, and a kitchenette.

“Perhaps the most significant feeling shared by all present at the dedication was tikva (hope),” says Judy Smith in the WUPJ e-news-letter Connections. “In the context of the death and destruction of more than 70% of Ukrainian Jewry during the Shoah, it is nothing short of a miracle that Jewish life continues to flourish in the Ukraine.”

Read and share the RJ Insider’s Guide to World Travel on your

computer, iPad, or smartphone. Go to reformjudaismmag.org.

GLOBAL NEWS

CHILDREN’S PERFORMANCE CELEBRATING CONGREGATION HATIKVA’S NEW CENTER.

THE 2013 JEWS-BY-CHOICE.




Melb

ou

rne

Cri

ck

et

Clu

b P

ho

to ©

Ja

nB

ran

the street for help or directions. You’ll see why several travel magazines have voted Melbourne the most livable city in the world.

What are the best Jewish sites?The Jewish Museum of Australia in

St Kilda offers a very well-designed visual history of Australian Jewry. The Holocaust Museum provides personal testimonies and ever-changing exhibi-tions. Along Carlisle Street in East St Kilda you’ll find many kosher bakeries, food stores, and butchers as well as a good number of Jewish book and Judai-ca stores. And there are many Jewish festivals—an annual Jewish film festi-val, an Israeli film festival, a summer Jewish LGBT festival, and soon, start-ing in 2014, the first Melbourne Jewish Writers festival. We also have Jewish choirs and a Yiddish theatre.

Can you give us a brief history of Jews in Australia?

Australian Jewry has a proud history downunder. Fourteen Jews were among the convicts on the first fleet aboard the Bounty that arrived on the shores of what is now Sydney Cove in 1788. The convict Esther Abrahams became the wife of one of Australia’s first gover-nors (the British Queen/King’s repre-sentative). There have been two Jewish governor generals (representatives of the sovereign in Australia): former Chief Justice Sir Isaac Isaacs in 1926 and the much beloved Sir Zelman Cowan, who was called upon in 1977 to heal the nation after the divisive dis-missal of the previous prime minister. His funeral two years ago at Temple Beth Israel, broadcast live on national television, was attended by govern-

Dr. Philip Bliss is secretary of the World Union for Progressive Judaism and for-mer president both of the Union of Pro-gressive Judaism and the Jewish Com-munity Council of Victoria, Australia.

What do tourists fi nd most interest-ing about Melbourne?

Melbourne is a vibrant city with something for every person. Famous for its steaks and fresh local fish, it has world-class res-taurants—among them Vue Du Monde atop the high-rise Rialto Tower, a gourmet’s delight second to none. And as home to people of 138 different nationalities—including one of the largest Greek popu-lations outside of Athens—the city offers cuisines from every corner of the world.

Melbourne also has a rich theatre and music scene, art galleries and museums. Federation Square is full of galleries, restaurants, and cinemas as well as the famous colorful artistic graffiti-filled Melbourne laneways (narrow pedestrian walkways), many of which are populated with small bars and restaurants. Also, be sure to explore the Arts Centre, encompassing the newly renovated National Gallery and multi theater and recital centers on the bank of the Yarra River. The Old Melbourne Jail that once held notori-ous villains and bushrangers (highway

robbers) is now a fascinating museum that displays the last used gallows. The beautiful Botanical Gardens in South Yarra will give you a wonderful glimpse into Australian native trees and flowers. Free tourist trams will take you around the city.

Almost every month the city comes alive as tens of thousands of locals and

visitors flock to our festi-vals, such as the Mel-bourne Interna-tional Film Fes-tival, the Mel-bourne Interna-

tional Writers Festival, the Melbourne International Arts Festival, The Melbourne International Food and Wine Festival, the International Grand Prix (motor racing), and the Australian Open Tennis Championships.

Melbourne is also the sports capital of Australia, with Australian Rules Football the dominant winter sport and cricket the main summer spectator event. The Melbourne Cricket Ground seats 100,000 sports-crazy fans, houses a sports museum full of interesting memorabilia, and runs daily tours when no matches are on. And the city is a golfer’s paradise, with many interna-tional level courses.

You’ll also find many friendly visi-tor information booths around the city. Australians are generally very welcom-ing, so don’t be afraid to ask people in

MELBOURNE: Culture & Communityinterview with Philip Bliss

RABBI GERSH LAZEROW INSTRUCTS PRE-B’NAI MITZVAH

STUDENTS AT TEMPLE BETH ISRAEL.

Greetings from the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

414027_TG_Melbourne_sp14_FINAL.indd 36414027_TG_Melbourne_sp14_FINAL.indd 36 2/19/14 2:23 PM2/19/14 2:23 PM


ment officials, the current and previ-ous living prime ministers, and the current governor general. Another Australian Jewish hero and statesman, General Sir John Monash, led the Allied forces in the First World War. Much has been named after him, including Monash University.

Most of the Jews who first came to Australia arrived from England. Some were seeking a better life from the slums of London and other English cit-ies; others were transported here by Her Majesty’s government to serve out criminal sentences, often for nothing more than stealing a loaf of bread. Next to arrive were Russian Jews escaping from pogroms and forced military ser-vice. Many of these immigrants went on to build successful businesses and professional careers as they assimilated into Australian society. It was not until after the Holocaust, when a huge influx of European Jews immigrated and cre-ated many Jewish day schools and com-munity organizations, that the Jewish community revived.

Notably, Melbourne has had the largest number of Holocaust survivors outside of Israel. Australia opened its doors soon after the Shoah, and many survivors wanted to get as far away from Europe as possible. Most of the Polish survivors went to Melbourne and the Hungarians to Sydney.

Because of the very early Jewish involvement in Australian settlement and the number of highly respected and prominent Jewish personalities, anti-Semitism has been relatively min-imal here. In 1947, Australia was the first country to vote in the United Nations for the establishment of the State of Israel. Today, Israel and Aus-tralia have very close relations in trade, research, and culture.

How many Jews live in Australia?Approximately 130,000, mainly in

Melbourne and Sydney, although every state capital city has a Jewish community. In recent years there has been a large influx of Russian and South African Jews as well as upwards of 20,000 Israelis, nearly all of whom are seeking a better and safer life in Australia. ➢

MMMMMMMMMMMMAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEETTTTTTTTTTTT MMMMMMMMMMMMOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRSSSSSSSSSSSSEEEEEEEEEEEE TTTTTTTTTTTTOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRSSSSSSSSSSSSNO ONE DOES ISRAEL BETTER, NO ONE!

JOIN US IN 2014 FOR AN UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE!

INDEPENDENCE DAY TOUR!

ADULTS ONLY

16 DAYS INCLUDING

2 NIGHTS IN EILAT

GUARANTEED TO BETHE TRIP OF A LIFETIME

2014 DEPARTURE DATES ALL 16 DAYS INCLUDEMAR. 25 - APRIL 9 APRIL 29 - MAY 14

MAY 13 - 28

SEPT. 2 - 17 OCT. 14 - 29

OCT. 28 - NOV. 12

NOV. 11 - 26

5 star deluxe hotels

All breakfasts and dinners*Comprehensive sightseeing

Cocktail parties Dinner dances

Entertainment

Wine country experience

Always surprise extras!

*EXCEPT ONE NIGHT IN JERUSALEM

APRIL 29 AND OCT. 14

CALLING ALL MARGARET MORSE ALUMNI

ALL NEWSights Experiences MemoriesMETICULOUSLY DESIGNED FOR THE MARGARET MORSE REPEATER

NEW!2ND TIMERS TOUR

2014 DEPARTURE DATESFREE TOUR INCLUDESCeremony on MasadaAND RABBI'S SERVICES

Bar/Bat MitzvahCELEBRATION PARTY

Archeological hands-on dig

Kayaking Camel rides

Snorkeling Hiking

Gifts And more!

JUNE 10 - 22* JUNE 10 - 25

JULY 1 - 13*

JULY 1 - 16JULY 29 - AUG. 10*

JULY 29 - AUG. 13

AUG. 19 - 31*

AUG. 19 - SEPT. 3

DEC. 20 - 31***13 DAYS **12 DAYS

CELEBRANT GOES TOTALLY FREE*

*FREE LAND TOUR, RESTRICTIONS APPLY

BAR/BAT MITZVAHAND FAMILIES

16 DAYS INCLUDING

2 NIGHTS IN EILAT

THE ULTIMATEFAMILY EXPERIENCE

JEWISH HISTORIC EASTERN EUROPE

AUG. 2 – 15MARGARET MORSE TOURS

www.margaretmorsetours.com800.327.3191 OR [email protected]

FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED SINCE 1980

Our exceptional FREE offer for your Bar/Bat Mitzvah childOur meticulously planned,world renowned tourOur dynamic, well-routed itineraryOur ultra-deluxe hotels -Including The King Davidand Waldorf AstoriaJerusalemOur guides – the mostrequested team in Israel,led by our Israel TourDirector, Ben Ami Geller.All departures includeOvernight at a lu xuryDead Sea Spa/Resort & magnificent Eilat!

2014 – 12-DAY DELUXE TOURSJUNE 12-23 / JUNE 26-JULY 7

JULY 31-AUGUST 11 / AUGUST 18-29

2014 – 15-DAY DELUXE TOURSJUNE 16-30 / JUNE 30-JULY 14

DECEMBER TOURSDECEMBER 21, 2014 - JANUARY 1, 2015DECEMBER 21, 2014 - JANUARY 4, 2015

2014 – 15-DAY DELUXE TOURSMAY 5-19 / SEPTEMBER 1-15OCTOBER 20-NOVEMBER 3

2014 – 15-DAY VALUE TOURSAPRIL 28-MAY 12 / JULY 7-21OCTOBER 27-NOVEMBER 10

2014 – 12-DAY ADULT REVISITOR’S TOUROCTOBER 22-NOVEMBER 2



Progressive Jews constitute about 20% of the Jewish community. Mel-bourne has four Progressive congrega-tions, the largest of which, Temple Beth Israel, has 2500 members and seats 1800+ in the main sanctuary during the High Holy Days.

What is Progressive worship like?Each of the four synagogues pro-

vides a slightly different ambiance. At Temple Beth Israel in St Kilda, which holds services every Friday night and Shabbat morning followed by a nice Kiddush, you might find a meditation-based service, one that is all music, an alternative lay-led service, or one geared for families. It’s well worth a trip just to see the temple’s beautiful stained glass windows depicting all the festivals and Shabbat. Friday night services generally attract 200 members and visitors, and this num-ber can rise considerably on Shabbat morning if there is a bar or bat mitz-vah or other simcha. At the Leo Baeck Centre in Kew and Ayz Chaim in Bentleigh, a warm, welcoming, rabbi-led service is available every Shabbat morni ng and for all festivals. Occa-sional Friday evening services at both congregations are followed by a dinner in the shul hall attended by as many as 60 people. At Kedem in Armadale, all services are lay-led and held on alternative weeks.

Most North American visitors would feel at home at any of Mel-bourne’s Progressive congregations. Our services have a good mixture of Hebrew and English, and our uplifting modern and traditional Reform music would be very familiar. All of our syn-agogues use the World Union for Pro-gressive Judaism edition of Mishkan T’fillah, which has been adapted for Southern Hemisphere seasons and local sensibilities. It is customary for males to wear head coverings, and on Shabbat morning men and many women wear their own tallitot.

Visitors are most welcome to worship with us. Please make yourself known to the members at the door and/or to the rabbi. And let us know if you are cele-brating a special occasion, so we can celebrate with you!

www.facebook.com/AyeletTours

Making the journey [email protected] 800-237-1517www.ayelet.com

THE JEWISH WORLD AWAITS...

Find more ISRAEL and Jewish Heritage destinations on www.ayelet.com

Ayelet Bar/Bat Mitzvah and Family Tours to ISRAEL– June, July, August & December departures

Weekly Jewish Heritage Tours to ISRAEL– Starting from $1,550 per person

Eastern Europe with Prof. Berk: Jun 14–26 & Nov 2–12, 2014

Follow your : Jewish Journey to Berlin & Israel: Aug 31–Sept 12, 2014

Follow your to ISRAEL: A Unique Trip for Repeat Visitors Oct 18–29, 2014

New Zealand & Australia with Prof. Berk: Dec 3–28, 2014

100 Years Later: Tracing Two Great Wars

BOSNIA, FRANCE & BELGIUMwith Prof. Stephen Berk Jul 24–Aug 6, 2014

:r

tr



reform judaism 39 spring 2014

To experience a facet of Cape Town revealed to few tourists, consider exploring the townships with the help of a tourist guide, who can arrange insightful, fun-filled ways to experience the informal settlements while keeping safety paramount. By meeting and

speaking with local people, tourists come to appreciate the townships’ vibrant culture and gain insight into challenges faced by the majority of South Africans. A visit to the District 6 museum facilitates understanding of how earlier classification laws had frag-mented our society until about the last 20 years. During the dark years of apartheid, many people whom tourists assume were defined as black were in fact classified as Coloured or Indian and did not live in the townships, but in other designated areas, For example, Bo-Kaap, the oldest part of Cape Town, is largely comprised of a community of descendants of Malaysian/Indian slaves from Southeast Asia brought here in the 17th century by the Dutch East India Company to work the provision station that supplied ships bound for Malaysia. Notably, their descendants have main-tained their unique culture, traditions,

Interview with Alvin Kushner, regional chairman of the Cape Town Progressive Jewish Congregation, vice chairman of the South African Union for Progressive Judaism, chairman of the SA Jewish Maritime League, and director of Cape Rainbow Tours

What excites tourists about Cape Town?

Its beauty and grandeur. The 16th-century explorer Sir Francis Drake declared Cape Town, situated in the Western Cape of South Africa, “the fairest we saw in the whole circumfer-ence of the earth!” Today the cosmo-politan, vibrant city, situated amidst the sea, valley, and mountaintops, is con-sidered among the most breathtaking spots on the planet.

What sightseeing is a must?Table Mountain is a huge, flat-topped

block of sandstone; after ascending the summit by cable car, you can take in magnificent panoramic views and stroll around on a wheelchair-friendly boardwalk. For excellent views of the city and harbor, visit Signal Hill, the northernmost tip of the terrestrial area of the park, where the noon-day gun

marks 12:00 in Cape Town.Set against Table Mountain’s eastern

slopes is Kirstenbosch National Botani-cal Garden, one of the great gardens of the world and the first to be devoted to a country’s indigenous flora. You’ll find more than 7,000 species, many of them

rare or threatened. Summer sunset con-certs at the garden are a relaxing way to spend Sundays from November to April. Pack a food basket and enjoy picnicking on the soft grass that slopes downwards towards the stage.

Just an hour’s drive from Cape Town, at the southwestern tip of Africa, is Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, where you can see zebra and eland (large, spiral-horned African antelopes) and hike or bike the scenic trails. About 10 miles north is the Boulders Penguin Colony in Simon’s Town, home to a unique, endangered, land-based colony of African penguins.

If you visit between August and November (Winter/Spring), you can go whale-watching. Each year at this time, Southern Right whales and other species migrate into the Southern coastal waters by the quaint seaside village of Herma-nus to calve and nurse their young.S

imo

n’s

To

wn

pen

gu

ins:

Ph

oto

by

Gu

i S

taff

ord

CAPE TOWN: Culture & Communityinterview with Alvin Kushner

FROM L. TO R.: SIMCHAT TORAH, TEMPLE ISRAEL, GREENPOINT; TASHLICH, TEMPLE ISRAEL, GREENPOINT AT MOULI POINT BEACH; PURIM, TEMPLE ISRAEL, WYNBERG.

Greetings from penguins in Simon’s Town.

414027_TG_CapeTown_sp14_FINAL.indd 39414027_TG_CapeTown_sp14_FINAL.indd 39 2/18/14 11:38 PM2/18/14 11:38 PM


South Africa. Aaron and Daniel de Pass, the largest ship owners in Cape Town, were leaders in the fishing industry. Jews were also among the first in South Africa

to farm ostrich, and were players in the early diamond industry.

What role did Jews play during the apartheid struggle?

A significant number of Jewish South Africans, both individuals and organiza-tions, helped support the anti-apartheid movement. Many opposed the National Party’s apartheid policies, and the Union of Jewish Women sought to alleviate the suffering of blacks through charitable self-help projects. Five of the 17 African National Congress members who were arrested for anti-apartheid activities in 1963 were Jewish. Anti-apartheid move-ment leader Nelson Mandela wrote: “I have found Jews to be more broadmind-ed than most whites on issues of race and politics, perhaps because they them-selves have historically been victims of prejudice.” Today South Africa is a true rainbow nation where all religions and cultures thrive freely.

Have Jews played prominent roles in political leadership?

Yes. Thirteen Jewish mayors have served Cape Town, from Hyman Lieber-man (1904–1907) to, most recently, Patricia Sulcas Kreiner (1993–1995). Jews representing different political par-ties have also been elected onto town councils and served as mayors and mem-bers of the Provincial Administration and Parliament. The Jewish Board of Deputies–Cape Council, 30% of whose members are affiliated with the Cape Town Progressive Jewish movement, keeps watch on proposed legislation that could affect South African Jewry.

What is the Progressive Jewish community like in Cape Town today?

The city has three Progressive (Reform) synagogues, in Wynberg, Green Point, and West Coast, all of which are under the umbrella of the Cape Town Progressive Jewish Congre-gation, also known as Temple Israel. They hold services in Hebrew and Eng-lish, using Mishkan T’filah—World

and recipes. Their Cape Malay cuisine is a careful blend of spices, turmeric being most important; and their homes are brightly colored. To learn more, vis-it the beautiful Bo-Kaap Museum.

Are there safaris in the area?Yes, there are three game reserves

within a two- to three-hour drive. You’ll travel in an open four-by-four vehicle, with a ranger, through the bio-diverse natural habitats of elephants, lions, buf-falo, giraffes, zebra, rhinos, ostriches, baboons, springboks, blesboks, wilde-beest, and other animals.

Is South Africa’s wine country near Cape Town?

Yes, wine farms are studded all over the Cape, and some are within a 40 minutes’ drive from Cape Town. Food and lifestyle blogger Tandy Sinclair suggests wine tasting at Vergenoegd Wine Estate, followed by lunch at 96 Winery Road (skip the coffee, but don’t miss the crème brûlée). You can sip freshly brewed coffee at the nearby Lourensford Wine Estate, which is also a coffee roasting company, and then enjoy chocolates and wine in the wine tasting center.

About five miles down the road, stop in at Spier Wine Farm, dating back to 1692, where award-winning wines are paired with fabulous food grown on the farm or locally. Music and market events enhance the experience.

One of the best wine experiences in the Cape is at Die Bergkelder, the famous “Cellar in the Mountain,” home to award-winning Fleur du Cap wines, wine tasting, and an audio-visual presen-tation about the winery.

Can you share some of Cape Town’s culinary delights?

South Africa is well known for its exceptional meat cuts, and Chef Giorgio Nava serves up the real deal at Carne SA, one of the best steakhouses in the country. Local venison, ostrich, and kudu are often featured on the menu.

One of Cape Town’s most sought-after venues is Sevruga, on the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. Its extensive menu features world-class sushi and seafood and a temperature-controlled glass

wine wall housing 3,000 bottles of South Africa’s finest wines.

I also recommend a visit to The Pot Luck Club, a tapas-style restaurant owned by Chef Luke Dale-Roberts, who has won the Eat Out Top Restaurant Award. He also runs The Test Kitchen, a fine-dining eatery popular with young South Africans. The team in the open-plan kitchen move fast in their chefs’ whites, prepping and cooking for every-one to see. Dining alone here is easy—there’s plenty of entertainment.

What are your top travel tips?Dress is almost universally informal.

Be cautious about walking in isolated areas at night. Tipping for service often starts at 10% of a bill.

South Africans drive on the left, so the vehicles are all right-hand drive. The Cape Town roads are excellent, and we have a very good rapid bus transit system, but you may need taxis, as buses don’t run to all areas. Only use metered taxis.

What Jewish sites are most worth visiting?

In the heart of Cape Town you’ll find a thriving Jewish center which includes the South African Jewish Museum and the Cape Town Holocaust Centre. At the museum you can delve into how South African Jews responded to the moral and political issues confronting them, and visit the nation’s first synagogue, an Egyptian-styled building built in 1863 that now houses rare Jewish artifacts of the period. The Holocaust Centre explores Cape Town survivor stories, the pseudo-science of “race,” anti-Semitism, and the institutionalized racism of apartheid.

How long have Jews lived in Cape Town?

About three Jewish families, and a handful of individual Jews, first came to Cape Town in 1820 as part of a larger group of British settlers. Seventeen Jews founded the first congregation in South Africa, the Gardens Shul, 21 years later.

Some of the early Jewish settlers were commercial pioneers. The Mosenthal brothers—Julius, Adolph, and James—traveled to Asia and returned in 1856 with 30 Angora goats, thereby becoming the originators of the mohair industry in continued on page 42

414027_TG_CapeTown_sp14_FINAL.indd 40414027_TG_CapeTown_sp14_FINAL.indd 40 2/18/14 11:38 PM2/18/14 11:38 PM



(Jewish Congregation of Argentina). In 2013 the synagogue celebrated the 150-year anniversary of its hosting the first registered minyan in Buenos Aires. For-merly Liberal, it is now a Conservative congregation welcoming people from all religious streams. In the same building you’ll find the Buenos Aires Jewish Museum, documenting the Jewish experi-

ence, and the Judaica Founda-tion, a network of Jewish institu-tions representing all religious streams in Bue-nos Aires: syna-gogues, a school, a Jewish gay organization, Jewish commu-nity develop-ment, social services for the general commu-

nity, etc. The Foundation enables organi-zations with very different ideologies to focus on common goals—a unique model of cooperation in the Jewish world. While each institution is independent and autonomous, together they solve prob-lems, share experiences, promote one another’s activities, and build community.

In the Jewish neighborhoods of “Vil-la Crespo” and “Once” you’ll see Jew-ish schools, synagogues, and Jewish residents going about their daily lives—and police stations with Hebrew signs. Another neighborhood populated by Jews in the last couple of decades is Belgrano, home to both the Progressive NCI-Emanue El Congregation and the Arlene Fern Community School.

Other must-sees are the Israel

Sergio Brukman is chairman of the Judaica Foundation.

What should travelers not miss in your city?

Buenos Aires has so many great cultural sites and activities, it’s hard to choose what not to miss.

At Mayo Square, you’ll see the

famous balcony of the government house from which Argentinian President Juan Peron and his wife Evita saluted the crowd in both the musical and the movie “Evita.” The building and balco-ny are open to visitors, so you can have a photograph taken of yourself in the guise of a beloved 1940s political leader.

The portside neighborhood La Boca, which was the gateway for thousands of immigrants—most of them Italian—in the early 20th century, is now the place to go to see shows of live tango—our local dance—on the streets throughout the day. Many people don’t realize that tango started in the brothels here and originally was danced solely by men while waiting for “social services.” The houses still have the Italian imprint of those immi-

grant years, and you can visit the ones called “conventillos,” which served as small hotels for arriving families.

Palermo Park, designed by the famous French architect and landscape designer Charles Thays, features lovely botanical gardens and the Palermo Zoo.

After being refurbished in the ’90s, the Puerto Madero neighborhood, once

the site of abandoned customs ware-houses, has now become one of the most beautiful and upscale areas of modern Buenos Aires, with many great restau-rants offering a wide variety of food.

And don’t miss Tigre, a beautiful river-side city about 20 miles north of Buenos Aires, where you can visit an estancia (a local ranch), complete with traditional asado (BBQ), horseback riding, Argen-tinian folk music, dances, and demon-strations of “gaucho” (cowboy) skills.

What Jewish sites are most worth visiting?

Start with the synagogue of Libertad Street, which is what everybody calls it, although its official name is Congrega-ción Israelita de la República Argentina T

an

go

da

nce

rs:

Ph

oto

© H

em

is /

Ala

my

BUENOS AIRES: Culture & Communityinterview with Sergio Brukman

L.: SANCTUARY, NCI—EMANU EL CONGERGATION. R.: RABBI SERGIO BERGMAN (L., TODAY MEMBER OF ARGENTINIAN PARLIAMENT), RABBI

ALEJANDRO AVRUJ, & CARDINAL JORGE BERGOGLIO (TODAY POPE FRANCIS) LIGHT HANUKKAH CANDLES IN THE CONGREGATION, 2012.

Greetings from tango dancers in La Boca.

414027_TG_BuenosAires_sp14_FINAL.indd 41414027_TG_BuenosAires_sp14_FINAL.indd 41 2/19/14 7:57 PM2/19/14 7:57 PM


What are your most popular holiday celebrations?

The High Holy Days, for sure. At the end of Neila, the lights are turned off, and the children enter with Havdal-lah candles while the congregation sings niggunim (wordless Jewish melo-dies) in the dark. When the shofar is blown with t’kia g’dola, you can feel the energy of a community praying together. The service ends with every-one singing “Hatikvah,” the Israeli national anthem, as a symbol of our commitment to Israel and our hopes for the next year.

What else is unique about Progressive Jewish life in your city?

We Argentinians are very passionate in everything we do, and being Jewish is part of this passion. You see this, for example, in our major identification with the State of Israel. We joke that the strongest reli-gious stream in Argentina is Zionism.

I hope you come to Argentina, as you will have a great vacation experi-ence. And don’t forget to visit us. We’ll be honored to receive you.

Embassy square and the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA) building, where the terrorist attacks took place in 1992 and 1994. Rebuilt on the original site, the AMIA building is now a cultural memorial featuring a work of art designed and donated by Israeli artist Yaakov Agam. Be sure to book your visit in advance, because for security reasons unregistered people are not allowed to enter the building.

If you have time, leave the city and visit places such as Entre Rios and San-ta Fe, where Jewish colonies funded by Baron de Hirsch were established in the 19th and 20th centuries. Eastern Euro-pean Jews resettled there and farmed the land. They became known as “Jewish gauchos,” the Argentinian equivalent of cowboys. Today, 30 Jews still live and work as farmers in the very last settle-ment within the small town of Avigdor, 300 miles north of Buenos Aires, estab-lished in the early 1930s as a shelter for Jews escaping Germany. Our Judaica Foundation is working to rescue the col-ony by building schools, a cheese factory, a medical center, and a camp where youth can learn the story of Jewish immigration to Argentina.

On the way to Avigdor, stop at the village of Dominguez and visit the Museum of the Jewish Immigration to Argentina, where you can learn about the immigrants’ daily life and their contributions to Argentinian society.

What is your top travel tip?Although Buenos Aires is safer than

m ost cities in Latin America, some extra care won’t hurt. Try not to take personal valuables while you’re touring, and ask your hotel staff about recom-mended places to go and not to go. In Buenos Aires you don’t have to be afraid, but you have to be careful.

What are great local dishes?The asado (local word for a BBQ) is

both tradition and a source of pride. I rec-ommend the restaurants Cabaña Las Lilas, La Brigada, and La Cabrera. And because Italians are one of our largest immigrant communities, finding good pasta restau-rants, such as La Parolaccia or Sottovoce, is as easy as finding good meat. Plus, don’t miss the pizza at Banchero, Güerrin,

or Las Cuartetas. Just don’t expect the pizza you’re are used to; ours is thicker, and no “extra cheese” is required!

When did Progressive Judaism begin in Buenos Aires?

It started at Emanu El Congregation in the early 70s. About 12 years ago the community merged with NCI and today is known as NCI-Emanu El Congrega-tion. We now have a second beautiful Progressive congregation, too: Mishkan.

About 200,000 Jews live in Argenti-na, nearly 80% in the greater Buenos Aires area. Currently Conservative Judaism is the biggest religious stream, but I think Progressive Jewry has a lot of growth potential, as long as we con-tinue to be welcoming, inclusive, and spiritual; encourage people to be actively involved; and adapt what we offer to the needs of Jewish families today. Jews are already drawn to our congregations because of the feeling of community: the personal relationship with the rabbis and the sense of living their Jewish life-cycle in community. We say that we build community through our actions, and we behave according to this saying. Our cultural tradition bids us to make sure that every person who comes to one of our synagogues feels a sense of belonging. People tell us it is easy to become part of our mishpuche (family).

What are worship services like?Music is an essential part of services.

We mix Ashkenazi and Sepharadi melo-dies, using Shlomo Carlebach music as well as music composed by our own people. Keyboards, drums, violin, etc. are always present on Shabbat. Women can wear kipot and tallitot and of course we all sit together, as services are moments to share with the whole family. In our siddur (prayer book) all the texts are written in Hebrew and Spanish, and the Hebrew songs are transliterated. Our rabbis deliver strong divrei Torah and create an atmosphere of togetherness. Our lay leaders play an essential role as well, educating each new generation in the spirit of community service.

As our grandparents used to say, our services are a mechayah (a great plea-sure), and we invite any visitor to take part in them to confirm this!

Union Edition, on Friday nights, and shi-urim (study sessions) before the Shabbat service on Saturday mornings. Wynberg and Green Point feature a monthly “Shabbat Magic”; we call it magic because the shuls are full to the brim with congregants of all ages. Wynberg also hosts Shabbat Chessed, an inclusive, participatory, lay-led, alternative Shabbat experience. And, one Shabbat morning every quarter, all three communities join for a “Super Shabbat” or “Unity Shab-bat.” The day begins with seven speak-ers, each presenting a seven-minute talk on a Jewish topic of his/her choice, fol-lowed by alternative concurrent servic-es—traditional, family-friendly, yoga, or creative Torah telling—a joint Torah ser-vice, and then a festive meal.

From my experience as a tour opera-tor, I can say that Cape Town regularly exceeds the expectations of even the best-travelled tourists. Come visit us. You’ll enjoy our natural beauty, diverse cultures, and warm hospitality.

Cape Towncontinued from page 40

414027_TG_BuenosAires_sp14_FINAL.indd 42414027_TG_BuenosAires_sp14_FINAL.indd 42 2/19/14 7:57 PM2/19/14 7:57 PM


ous traditions merged in the aftermath of the great Kingston fire.

♦ ♦ ♦

Ainsley, founder of Jamaica’s Jew-ish Genealogy Society and chairman of the nation’s National Heritage Trust, walked us through the Jewish cemetery at Hunt’s Bay, which served the Jews of Port Royal until 1692, when an earthquake destroyed the city. Its 359 tombstones, which date from the 1670s to early 1700s, are inscribed in Spanish and Hebrew and oriented east-ward toward Jerusalem. Among those buried here are “Snr. Moses Cohen Henriques (Esther),” believed to be the wife of one of the most famous Jewish pirate warriors, Moses Cohen Hen-riques, who aided the Dutch in captur-ing the Spanish silver fleet and in invading Brazil. Like other Jewish pirates of the time, Moses Henriques had a score to settle with Spain and Portugal: His parents had suffered under the Inquisition and had to flee to Amsterdam.

We also visited the walled Jewish cemetery in the port city of Falmouth, where 113 Jews are buried. Its caretaker, Marina Delfos, told us that a cholera epidemic in the 1850s had resulted in dozens of deaths and the exodus of many of the city’s Jews. Among the probable victims of the epidemic was the phys ician Lewis Ashenhiem, who died at age 42. His descendant, Sir Neville Noel Ashenheim (1900–1984), served as Jamaica’s first ambassador to the U.S. after the nation won its inde-pendence from Great Britain in 1962.

♦ ♦ ♦

Despite many devastating natural disasters, generations of Jews have, through time, left indelible tracks on the Jamaican landscape. Today, serious chal-lenges face the leaders of this dwindling community, but, hopefully they will find a way to join together, in Bob Marley’s words, in “one love, one heart,” and become a living model of how to integrate traditions and peoples in our increasingly multicultural world.

...Jamaican Sandscontinued from page 29

JEWISH HERITAGE TOURS & OTHER DESTINATIONS

SMALL GROUPS - DELUXE ACCOMMODATIONS - PERSONALIZED ATTENTION

1-800-242-TOVA www.tovagilead.com

Logo

des

igne

d by

stu

dio

Kal

dero

n ©

Untitled-1 1 6/21/11 11:50 AM


www.elal.com 800.elalsun ELALIsraelAirlinesUSA @ELALUSA

EL AL HAS THE MOST NONSTOP FLIGHTS TO ISRAEL FROM NEW YORK (JFK/NEWARK) AND THE ONLY NONSTOPS FROM LOS ANGELES, IN ADDITION TO NONSTOPS FROM TORONTO. CONVENIENT CONNECTIONS ARE AVAILABLE TO ALL NONSTOP EL AL FLIGHTS.

Let your Israeli vacation begin at your seat.

Save more when you purchase an EL AL Vacation Package to visit Jerusalem. Combine air and superb Israeli hotels, car rentals, excursions and more. With our deep knowledge and connections to Israel, EL AL delivers an unforgettable vacation for less.

From the moment you board our planes, we deliver the same warm hospitality that you’ll enjoy throughout your entire stay. For an experience that’s pure Israel, at an excellent price, book an EL AL Vacation.

To arrange your personalized trip visit elal.com, call EL AL Vacations at 1-800-EL AL SUN (1-800-352-5786) or contact your travel agent.

Since ancient times, the Jewish Quarter, located in the Old City of Jerusalem, has been home to a Jewish population.

elal.indd 1elal.indd 1 2/20/14 1:58 PM2/20/14 1:58 PM

reform judaism magazine insider's guide to jewish world travel

Documents

world union

rabbi nativ

n s i d e r s j e w

progressive judaism414027

progressive congregations

progressive synagogues

rabbi gil nativ

polish history