SY Israel Tours - Spain & Morocco Jewish Heritage Tour

Spain & Morocco Jewish Heritage Tour

Our Jewish Heritage tours to Spain and Morocco take you back in time to the cradle of Sephardic Jewry. You will visit the central medieval cities where Jewish communities and Jewish culture flourished prior to the Edict of Expulsion of 1492. In Spain you will discover Jewish roots in cities such as Toledo, Cordoba, and Seville, among others, where synagogues and Jewish Quarters still stand as a testament to past communities. Following the route of Jews expelled from Spain, the tour will continue to Morocco, where the Jews fled to and settled in, through the Straits of Gibraltar. In central cities such as Fes, Casablanca, and Marrakech you will further explore traditional old Jewish neighborhoods (Melah) where communities once lived, worked, and worshipped. You will have the chance to learn about the bygone communities through old synagogues, cemeteries, and museums. You will also get to experience authentic and delicious Sephardic cuisine in traditional Jewish-Moroccan dishes.
We offer 12-day or 15-day tours.

Day 1

Welcome to Spain

Arrival to Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport, Transfer to Madrid.
Dinner and Overnight: Madrid
Day 2

Madrid

Breakfast at hotel. Visit the fabulous Royal Palace in Madrid, official residence of the Spanish Royal Family.
Afterward we will visit the Queen Sofía National Center of Art Museum (contemporary art), enjoy one of the most important and emblematic paintings of the 20th century, the mural-sized oil painting “Guernica” by Spanish celebrated artist, Pablo Picasso.
In the evening we will taste excellent Arabic cuisine based on Judeo-Spanish and Moorish recipes, on a venue designed by Moroccan craftsmen.
Dinner and Overnight: Madrid
Day 3

Toledo

Transfer to Toledo, the city of the Three Cultures, capital and essential reference of Sepharad (madinat al-Yahud, or city of the Jews), hosted an important Sephardic community for eleven centuries. The most eminent Jewish figures were educated in Toledo, like Abraham Ibn Ezra or even Yehuda Halevi. We will visit the synagogue Santa María la Blanca (New Synagogue Yosef Ben Shoshan, 14th century), as well as Synagogue del Tránsito. Our group will enjoy an exclusive visit to what is commonly referred to as the "Jewish House," a 14th century building located in the heart of the Jewish Quarter where the cellar conserves what might be a mikvah (purification bath) and plasterwork with the Hebrew inscription: "This is the gate of the Lord, the righteous will enter through it." After lunch, drive to Córdoba, Roman and Muslim capital, with one of the most important Jewish community heritage in Southern Europe.
Dinner and overnight: Córdoba
Day 4

Córdoba

Breakfast at hotel. Visit to the only remaining synagogue in Southern Europe still standing, built between 1314 and 1315. We will also visit the city, listed by UNESCO as World Heritage Site. Reveal the secrets of the Great Mosque of Córdoba, constructed in the 8th century. Visit the Jewish Quarter where the scent of a shared past between Christians, Muslims and Jews still remains. We will hold a meeting with the promoters of House of Sepharad, located in Calle Judíos. House of Sepharad is a cultural project which aim is to promote the history, culture and tradition of the Spanish Jews (Sephardic). It has an audio library and a library specialized in Spanish Jewish and Sephardic music. We will enjoy live Sephardic music, with previous explanation of the meaning of the songs.
Dinner and overnight: Córdoba

Spain & Morocco Jewish Heritage Tour

Spain & Morocco Jewish Heritage Tour

Welcome to Spain

Madrid

Toledo

Córdoba

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