Jewish Heritage 11 days
DAY 1
We arrive in Athens - capital of Greece! Meet and greet and transfer to the hotel. Afternoon at leisure.
Welcome dinner with folklore show in the heart of the city, Plaka area. Overnight in Athens.
DAY 2
We start the full day tour of Athens with a visit to the Jewish Museum, Beth Shalom Sephardic Synagogue and
Athens Holocaust Memorial. We also admire the architectural wonders of
ancient Athens, as we follow our guide to the world-renowned Acropolis to
see the Propylea, the Erechtheum and the Parthenon. From the top of the
Acropolis we can see the Agora, the ancient center of the economic and
public life of the city. What will surely amaze us is the New Acropolis
Museum, one of the finest Museums of the world! During the bus tour, we
also see Constitution Square with the House of Parliament and the Tomb
of the Unknown Soldier, the Temple of Zeus, the Old Olympic Stadium and
the Neoclassical Buildings like the National University, the National Library and the Academy. Dinner at the
hotel and overnight in Athens.
DAY 3
We start our full day tour traveling west with a stop for rest and photos at the
impressive Corinth Canal. We then travel to the ancient city of Corinth. See
the Archaeological Museum, the Market Place, the Bema and the Temples.
The ruins of this important cultural center are fascinating. The engineering skill
and intellect of these people are evident in the water systems that still flow
from ancient to modern day. Our guide will be sure to show you the room
dedicated to the
medical care of that period. After the visit to ancient
Corinth, we travel to Mycenae where the remains of
the ancient city date back to the Bronze Age to see the
famous Lions Gate, the Tomb of Agamemnon in the
shape of a beehive, and many other sites. Then we will
continue our visit to Ancient Epidaurus to visit the famous Theater with the unique acoustics before we return
to Athens for dinner.
DAY 4
Today we enjoy our full day cruise. We sail for the island of Hydra, a favorite of the international jet-set. Hydra
is the beloved muse of painters, craftsmen and photographers. Its unique
architecture, crystal clear waters, splendid craft & jewel shops, folk art and
the island’s traditional means of transport (the donkey) make it one of the
last examples of “living Mediterranean
history”. In Hydra we have time at leisure
for strolling, shopping or swimming.
In the early afternoon, sail for the island
of Aegina, passing through the narrow strait separating the Peloponnesian
coast from the island of Poros. Aegina is known for its rich history, inspiring
pistachio grove landscapes, Aegina Port’s lively
fish market, colorful floating fruit and vegetable marketplace as well as
picturesque seaside villages such as St. Marina with its taverns, traditional shops
and beautiful golden beaches. Lunch is served on board.
Sailing to Poros, the smallest of the three islands. Poros Town rests in a narrow
strait between Poros Island and the Peloponnese, quietly nestled in the embrace
of deep green pine forests and mildly scented lemon groves. A climb to the
town’s magnificent bell tower offers an unforgettable view. And if you think that the day ends here... you are
mistaken! A “Traditional Greek Folk Show” with singers and dancers in original costumes from all around
Greece who, together with our Officers, will entertain and animate us until the final moment as the ship docks
in Piraeus. Dinner and overnight at our hotel in Athens.
DAY 5
We leave Athens this morning and travel to Thermopylae, where we learn of the famous Spartan battle of
300. Then we continue to Delphi, a mountainous city which today is
both an archaeological site and a modern town. For the ancient Greeks,
Delphi was labeled the “omphalos” (navel) of the earth, and it is here
that the eternal flame burned in the Temple of Apollo. Delphi was the
site of the Delphic oracle, the most important oracle in the classical
Greek world. It was also here beginning in 586 B.C. that athletes from
all over the Greek world competed in the Pythian Games, one of the
precursors to the modern Olympics. On our way up to Delphi, we’ll
have time to stop and enjoy the small scenic villages that cling to the
mountainsides. After our visit to Delphi, we continue to Kalambaka for
dinner and overnight.
DAY 6
This morning we see the world-famous, breathtaking Byzantine monasteries that are perched on summits of
gray rock of varied and beautiful shapes. Their history goes back to the
14th century when the monks sought refuge in the cliffside caves, then
fled higher to build the original wooden shelters which were later
transformed into monasteries. Afterwards, we continue west and stop
in Metsovo, a traditional Greek village of the Epirus area. Our final
destination is Ioannina. The city's foundation has traditionally been
ascribed to the Byzantine Emperor Justinian in the 6th century AD, but
modern archaeological research has uncovered evidence of Hellenistic
settlements. Ioannina flourished in the late Byzantine period
(13th–15th centuries). In the period between the 18th and 19th
centuries, the city was a major center of the modern Greek Enlightenment. Dinner and overnight are at our
hotel in Ioannina.
DAY 7
The old synagogue of Ioannina is located just inside the Castle in what was the old Jewish quarter. According
to the inscription over the entrance, it
was built in 1829 and apparently
occupies the site of an older
synagogue which probably dated back
to the 17 th century. The wall and the
gate were built in the 19 th century. The
new synagogue which was dedicated in 1841, has unfortunately been destroyed.
There are remains of two minyans (oratories) that were connected to the two synagogues for the use of
members of the community who came early to pray. The foundations of the minyan connected to the Old
synagogue can still be seen to the northeast of the building. The cemetery is on the western edge of the town.
It is surrounded by a wall but has been neglected over the years, thus offering little interest. But some of the
stones are peculiar in that they bear no inscriptions and are simply roughly quarried slabs of local limestone.
They are most likely to be the oldest, dating back to the 13 th century according to some local community
members. A walk on Eliya Street, named after the celebrated Jewish Greek poet, provides an access to the
old Jewish quarter of the city, which is located outside the Walled City. In the National Garden, we can see a
marble bust of the pre-mentioned poet Joseph Eliya, located in the Poet’s park. The Municipal Museum has
some Jewish artifacts including textiles, Parochet, Bima covers and two of the oldest Ketubot surviving in the
world. A Holocaust Memorial is located just outside the citadel. During our tour, we won’t miss the chance to
take the boat to the small island of the Ioannina lake, which is the one and only “anonymous” island in the
middle of a lake in Greece! It is a small miracle of nature- unbelievably beautiful and of great historical
significance. Dinner and overnight are at our hotel in Ioannina.
DAY 8
Today we leave Ioannina and drive to Veria to visit the Synagogue, the 18 th century Jewish quarter, and the
Jewish cemetery. The Jews of Veria were Sephardic and strongly connected to those of Salonica. They
inhabited a Mahalasi (quarter) that survived almost completely intact, although today is empty of Jews since
the Nazi action of 1943. This afternoon we visit Vergina, a small town which became internationally famous in
1977 when a Greek archaeologist unearthed what he claimed was the burial site of the Kings of Macedonia,
including the tomb of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great. This is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Then we
continue to Thessaloniki, the second largest city in Greece. Dinner and overnight are at our hotel in
Thessaloniki.
DAY 9
We start our day with a visit to the Yad Lezikaron Synagogue. Upstairs is the Center for
Historical Studies with Jewish artifacts. We then visit the Jewish History Museum. After
the expulsion from Spain, Spanish and Portuguese Jews arrived in great numbers and
over 32 synagogues marked the Jewish quarter. The Jewish Mystics, legalists, poets and
rabbis were famous throughout the Near East and Europe. Without a doubt,
Thessaloniki was a Jewish city at heart until World War II and was rightly claimed
“Mother of Israel”. Before we visit the Archaeological Museum and the beautiful
basilicas of St. Sophia and St. Demetrios, we see the city’s trademark, the White Tower.
Along the Via Egnatia stands the Galerus Arch, where we can look out over the second
largest city in Greece from the Old City Ramparts, some dating back to Roman times.
Dinner and overnight are at our hotel in Thessaloniki.
DAY 10
Today we leave Thessaloniki in the morning and we follow the route of the Via Egnatia and visit the area of
Amphipolis to see the famous funerary Lion of Amphipolis. Then we travel onto Philippi. There, we visit the
Baptistery of Lydia near the river, where Apostle Paul baptized her. Lydia was the first
convert of Paul on European soil, followed by the jailer. We also visit the ruins of the
Forum of Philippi, the Christian Basilicas, the “Prison of Paul” and the Theater. Then we
drive to Kavala (Neapolis), one of the most beautiful cities in Greece! It is unclear
exactly when Jews began living in Kavala, but after the Turkish occupation of Budapest
during the mid-16th century, a number of
Hungarian Jews joined the Sephardic Jews
already living in the city. At first these new
Hungarian arrivals preserved their language and
customs, but they eventually integrated into the
community of Sephardic Jews. By the end of the 16th century Kavala
had four synagogues and a Jewish population of 500. By 1676, one-third
of the city's population was Jewish. Here, we view the Byzantine Castle
and the Roman Aqueduct then we return to Thessaloniki. Tonight, we
have our farewell dinner with live Greek music at a nice tavern in the
Ladadika area, the center of nightlife in Thessaloniki. Overnight in Thessaloniki.
DAY 11
Today we say goodbye to Greece as we cross the border to Bulgaria.
