On our Jewish heritage tours to Italy and Sicily, you will experience wonderful kosher cuisine and unearth the hidden historical depths of these fascinating locations.
DISCOVER
SICILY & ITALY
Italy is home to some of the most beautiful and culturally-rich cities in the world. In Rome, you will experience the wonderful sunshine and see the breathtaking Colosseum. Famous for its wealth of art, history, striking landscapes and outstanding food and wines, Tuscany really has the best of everything. In Venice you will find the world-famous canals and, on a more sombre note, one of the first “ghettos” of Europe where many Jews were forced to move.
Sicily has loads of exciting history waiting to be unearthed, from the Jewish quarter and ancient palaces to the magnificent Greek ruins in Agrigento. It is also where you will find Mount Etna, where you can experience incredible views from Europe’s highest volcano.
ITALIAN CUISINE
When you join us on our kosher tours of Italy and Sicily, you will try deliciously authentic food and wine. Tuscany is famous for much of the wonderful Italian food and wine we enjoy across the world. This is also where you will find fresh olive oil, pressed from the beautiful olive groves. Other Italian specialities include fresh pizza and pasta dishes, as well as a range of delicious cheeses.
Sicilian food is a combination of cultural influences from those who have lived on the island of Sicily over the last two millennia. Although its cuisine has a lot in common with Italian cuisine, Sicilian food also has Greek, Spanish, French and Arab influences. Specialities include arancina, which are also known as ‘risotto’ balls, and caponata, which is a dish made from aubergine, pine nuts, raisins and olives.
FROM A JEWISH PERSPECTIVE
There is a strong link between Italy and Jewish history and it goes back a long way. Our tours explore the history of Jewish people in Italy and Sicily.
The Jewish religion (and other religions) came under attack in Italy in 380 CE when Christianity was recognised as the official religion of the Roman Empire. In Sicily, Jews were also persecuted when Sicily and Malta came under Aragonese rule. They were expelled in 1493 as an attempt to maintain Catholic orthodoxy.
By the second half of the 16th century, the church instituted the Papal Bull. This meant that all Jews were to be enclosed in ghettos and had their civil rights stripped away. When Napoleon conquered Italy in the 19th century, he abolished the ghettos and reinstated the rights of the Jewish people. Napoleon was seen by many Jews as a type of savior. However, when he was defeated, this was all reversed and the ghettos were reinstated.
In 1848, the Italian states were unified as one Italy and the new government freed the Jews and gave them their civil and political equality, and Jewish people began to be accepted into society once more. However, when the fascist dictator Mussolini came to power in 1922, things changed once again. He declared the Italians to be part of the “pure race” and expelled Jews from public services and schools. In 1940, Mussolini formed an alliance with Hitler and the Jews in Italy were persecuted, many fleeing from the country.
After World War II, Jews were finally reinstated as full-fledged citizens. Many survivors left for the newly formed nation of Israel while others decided to stay and reconstruct their communities. It is estimated that there are 30,000 Jews in Italy today.