If you’re looking for an exciting and unusual winter break for all the family, a trip to a luxury European ski resort could be the answer. Not only can you enjoy the snow in places like the Swiss or French Alps, or beautiful Austrian mountains, you can combine a ski vacation and a Jewish heritage tour for a truly rewarding experience. A customized winter break with Gil Travel offers a choice of Europe’s best winter sports destinations and a chance to explore each region’s Jewish history and culture!
Austria: Vienna, Salzburg and World Class Alpine Skiing
Austria was once home to a sophisticated Jewish community whose history dates back to the time of the Roman Empire. The early history of the community is poorly documented, but it’s certain that a synagogue was constructed in 1204. During the 1400s the Jews were expelled from Austria and more persecution followed during the reign of Leopold 1st.
The modern period and the 1782 Edict of Tolerance saw major improvements for Austria’s Jews, but there was always an undercurrent of anti-Semitism, which gained full strength after the Nazi Anschluss in 1938. Almost all the Jews who remained in Austria following the annexation were murdered in the Holocaust.
Jewish Heritage Highlights in Austria
The Viennese Jewish Quarter or Judengasse still contains traces and remnants of medieval Jewish life. A modern museum, built over the foundations of a 13th-century synagogue documents the history of Vienna’s Jews. Another important cultural site is the
Stadttempel Synagogue, the only Viennese synagogue to survive the savagery of Kristallnacht. The Stadttempel remains in use and it is possible to attend services there.
The Jewish Museum of Vienna chronicles the contributions that Austrian Jewry made to Viennese culture and documents the tragedies of the Holocaust. Vienna was one of the main centers of Jewish intellectual life in Europe and was home to Sigmund Freud, a graduate of the city’s university.
Winter Sports in Austria
If you want to combine an exciting ski vacation with a Jewish heritage tour of Austria, there are some excellent resorts to choose from. The best months to visit are late December to March.
St. Anton am Arlberg
St. Anton am Arlberg is one of Europe’s premier ski areas. It offers guaranteed snow and over 300 kms of marked slopes and 200 kms of off-piste trails. As well as deep snow and a famous apres-ski culture, St. Anton am Arlberg is noted for safety, and an efficient network of ski lifts and cable cars.
Kitzbühel
Kitzbühel is a picture postcard Alpine town with a range of slopes that can cater to various skill levels, right up to the world-famous Hahnenkamm Streif racecourse. Kitzbühel is a perfect family resort and a great place for beginners. If you want to experience Austrian cuisine, there are more than 60 restaurants in the resort. Gil Travel can advise about kosher dining in Austria.
Switzerland: Zurich, Basel + Swiss Alps
There have been Jews in Switzerland for at least a thousand years and their presence pre-dates the creation of the Old Swiss Confederacy. The Jewish experience in Switzerland was typical of other European Jews, with centuries of intermittent persecution and expulsions, followed by gradual toleration and integration during the modern era.
By 1876, Swiss Jews had full constitutional protections and equal rights as citizens. Switzerland maintained a position of armed neutrality in World War Two and its Jewish citizens were spared the Holocaust. Despite some controversies, the Swiss did grant refuge to thousands of Jewish refugees and offered safe transit to others. Swiss police commander Paul Grüninger was honored by Yad Vashem as Righteous Among the Nations for saving around 3,600 Jewish refugees. Grüninger backdated visas and forged documents, sacrificing his own career in the process.
The Swiss city of Basel was the site of the groundbreaking First Zionist Congress led by Theodor Herzl in 1897. This was a foundational moment for modern Zionism and formed the impetus for the establishment of the state of Israel half a century later. The Basel Jewish Museum holds an impressive collection of Judaica and showcases the history of Swiss Jewry. The Zurich Synagogue (Israelitische Cultusgemeinde Zürich) was established in the mid-19th century and plays an important role as an active Jewish community center.
Ski Resorts in Switzerland
A trip to Switzerland is a great way to combine Jewish heritage tour and a ski vacation. The winter sports season extends from Mid-December to early April with snow remaining until spring at high altitudes.
Zermatt
Zermatt is sometimes referred to as the Matterhorn Paradise for its spectacular views of the famous mountain. Zermatt is Europe’s highest ski resort and it offers some outstanding skiing and snowboarding, as well as world class ski schools and luxury family-friendly facilities. If you opt for a winter sports vacation at Zermatt, Gil Travel can help to arrange a special moonlight mountain descent.
Davos-Klosters
The Davos-Klosters ski slopes are seriously impressive and offer pistes for every level from beginner to expert, as well as off-piste and challenging cross country routes. The high Graubünden mountains have five main skiing areas and are popular with celebrities who can sometimes be seen out and about on the slopes and in the local restaurants and bars.
France: Paris, Alsace + The French Alps
Jewish history in France began long before France existed as a country. There is evidence of a Jewish presence in the Roman province of Gaul, and centuries later, Radhanite Jewish merchants were key to maintaining trade links with the East during Charlemagne’s reign. Jews had certain rights during the period, but were legally the property of the Emperor!
French Jewish culture produced luminaries like Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki) and the communities were active in trade, medicine and both religious and secular scholarship. French Jews experienced alternating periods of persecution and acceptance that saw persecution in the Middle Ages, then emancipation following the French Revolution. The vicious anti-Semitism of the Dreyfuss affair gave way to increased respect and tolerance following Jewish military service in World War One, but was superseded by the shameful collaboration of the Vichy government in the deportation of French Jews to the Nazi death camps. During the same period, 4,255 French citizens committed acts of courage and humanity that would earn them the title Righteous Among the Nations.
France is one of the best destinations for a winter vacation and Jewish heritage trip in Europe. The Marais district of Paris is one of the city’s traditional Jewish quarters and is a thriving Jewish area today. Even during wintertime it’s a wonderful experience to explore the area on foot and to visit the synagogues and browse the Jewish stores. You can warm yourself with hot pastries from the kosher bakeries and tea or coffee in the kosher cafes. Le Marais also contains a moving Shoah Memorial.
Strasbourg is a beautiful city in France’s Alsace region. The city is home to one of Europe’s oldest Jewish communities and the
Grande Synagogue de la Paix is definitely worth a visit. The Alsace Jewish Heritage Trail takes visitors to tiny villages with historic synagogues, cemeteries, and museums and provides a unique opportunity to gain insights into rural Jewish life from a lost era.
Ski the French Alps
France has some of Europe’s top ski resorts and attracts winter sports lovers between December and March. Snowfall can vary and the rule of thumb is the earlier the better for resorts at lower altitudes. If you want to dodge the Christmas holiday crowd, book for just after the New Year.
Chamonix
Chamonix is one of Europe’s legendary ski resorts, located at the foot of Mont Blanc. The views are truly spectacular and it’s a place that has always attracted adventurers. If your family already has some skiing experience, a trip to Chamonix will be an amazing winter sports adventure and bonding experience – and a source of lifelong memories.
Méribel (Les Trois Vallées)
Méribel, in the Tarentaise Valley of the French Alps, claims to be the world’s largest linked ski area (600 kms of pistes) and has an impressive variety of slopes and some truly amazing mountain views. There’s a good choice of family-friendly slopes, including nursery slopes where kids – and other beginners – can safely master the basics of skiing or snowboarding.
Plan a Luxury Winter Vacation and Jewish Heritage Tour
A combined Jewish heritage trip and a ski vacation has all the ingredients for a perfect family holiday. There’s an opportunity to expose your kids to important and fascinating aspects of Jewish history and culture, while enjoying the challenge and excitement of a skiing adventure.
France, Switzerland and Austria have some of the world’s best ski resorts, with generally impressive safety records and a long tradition of transforming newcomers into expert skiers. Gil Travel can help you to plan a customized luxury trip that puts you at the heart of Europe’s most spectacular mountains and combines an adventurous winter vacation and in depth Jewish heritage tours.
Talk to Gil Travel today about creating a kosher family vacation and an exploration of Jewish heritage in Europe.
