Jewish life in the Americas stretches back to the very beginnings of European colonization, though often in hidden form. In the late 15th and 16th centuries, following the expulsions from Spain (1492) and Portugal (1497), some Sephardic Jews and conversos (Jews who had converted to Christianity, often under pressure) arrived in the New World with Spanish and Portuguese expeditions. Because open Jewish practice was forbidden under the Inquisition, these early communities remained lar
Jewish travel (3)
Itamar Grinberg/Israeli Ministry of Tourism
Israel is truly a land of exceptional sights – and sites – from top to bottom. But roughly two hours south of Jerusalem, one of its most evocative (and popular) high points, so to speak, looms in the Judea desert some 396 metres (1,300 feet) above the shores of the Dead Sea. Masada (Hebrew for fortress) is an imposing UNESCO World Heritage Site, and after Jerusalem the most visited spot in the country. At this rugged fortress complex, excavated in th
