Italy

Italy as a tourist destination has it all. Federico Fellini films, pasta, and a wealth of Italian Jewish heritage.

There’s so much to explore on a Jewish heritage tour to Italy. There have been Jews in Italy for over 2,000 years, even before the Romans destroyed the Second Temple in Jerusalem.

In fact, Judah Maccabee sent a delegation of Jews to Rome to form a relationship between Israel and the Roman Empire. There, they established the first Jewish settlement in Italy in the 2nd Century BCE.

There’s even a unique Italian-Jewish dialect, and it’s easy to see Jewish influence in many parts of the boot country.

Many foods in Italy have Jewish roots, including marzipan and the process of deep frying small pieces of food in oil. Jews from Spain escaping the Inquisition to Italy also introduced tomatoes and pumpkins to Italian cooks.

On a Jewish heritage trip to Italy, visit Rome’s Great Synagogue and take a tour of the Jewish Ghetto in Rome. See the Jewish King David and Moorish-style synagogue in Florence. Go to the Vatican Museum to view Jewish historic relics.

Explore the canals of Venice on a Jewish heritage tour in Italy. Walk around the beautiful streets of Florence. Discover the Jewish community of Bologna, active since Medieval times.

Try some of the best food in the world, and meet the communities by attending services and visiting local Jewish centers. Delight the eyes, the taste buds, and the Jewish traveler within on a Jewish heritage tour of Italy.