Jewish travelers find that visiting synagogues/communities adds an interesting dimension to trips. For all travelers, discovering Jewish historical "footprints" leads to greater understanding of cultural forces which have shaped our world. דֶרֶך צְלֵחָה!
Middelburg, Zeeland, the Netherlands, has a history of being a haven for Jews
The capital of this southern region of The Netherlands is also known as the City of the Four Freedoms, a tribute to the descendant of a native son, Franklin D. Roosevelt. It is home to one active synagogue and two Jewish cemeteries. Pictured below is the entrance to the Ashkenazi cemetery; there is also a Sephardic cemetery, which was in use from the 16th century, when this region of Holland welcomed Jews expelled from Portugal. Middelburg is also home to the Etty Hillesum house, a moving…
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Jewish history going back centuries is a highlight of a visit to the inviting Mediterranean destination of Malta:
https://www.jpost.com/International/Experiencing-Malta-the-sun-dren...
Rare Jewish Coins from 1st Century Discovered
An archaeological excavation along the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv Highway revealed a previously unknown settlement from the Late Second Temple period -- including a rare hoard of coins that was found in one of its houses. The hoard, which was kept in a ceramic money box, included 114 bronze coins dating to the Year Four of the Great Revolt against the Romans. This revolt led to the destruction of the Temple on Tisha B’Av (the ninth day of the month of Av) c. 2,000 years ago.
According to excavation directors, “The hoard, which appears to have been buried several months prior to the fall of Jerusalem, provides us with a glimpse into the lives of Jews living on the outskirts of Jerusalem at the end of the rebellion. Evidently someone here feared the end was approaching and hid his property, perhaps in the hope of collecting it later when calm was restored to the region”. All of the coins are stamped on one side with a chalice and the Hebrew inscription “To the Redemption of Zion” and on the other side with a motif that includes a bundle of lulav between two etrogs. Around this is the Hebrew inscription “Year Four”, that is, the fourth year of the Great Revolt of the Jews against the Romans (69/70 CE).
Temple Sinai in Lake Charles, LA, is one of the notable landmarks on the local Preservation Society's horse-drawn carriage tour through the city's historic district. Built in 1904, the impressive building lost its distinctive twin onion-domed spires in a devastating hurricane, but it retains a unique indoor feature: a set of interior doors positioned at the rear of the sanctuary that are opened when welcoming the Shabbat queen during services on Friday nights.
See photos at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/21663250@N03/sets/72157642013648914/
Ha! I'd forgotten the ACLU's role in that, but of course, it makes sense. It was First Amendment rights, no exceptions.
A tricky business, this democracy experiment.
Many do remember the Nazi march, and the ACLU's role in defending their right to do it. In fact, the museum itself commemorates it, under the headline Skokie Invaded, but not Conquered.
I do hope to get a chance to write about it.
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