Jewish Heritage in Southern Italy an exclusive 8-night Tour Rome to Sicily to the Amalfi Coast. Two Dates in 2007 May 8 16, October 23-31

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1 Jewish Heritage in Southern Italy an exclusive 8-night Tour Rome to Sicily to the Amalfi Coast Two Dates in 2007 May 8 16, October Our Special Guides Dr. Laura Supino, in Rome and Lazio Rabbi Barbara Aiello, in Sicily and Calabria Introduction This ground-breaking itinerary is unique in the realm of Jewish Heritage travel. It focuses on the oldest places of Jewish presence in Italy, as well as on the rebirth, after 500 years, of Jewish life in remote parts of Calabria, the toe of Italy. The tour begins in Rome. We fly from Rome to Sicily and visit Siracusa, Taormina and Messina; then travel up through Calabria, and end our journey on the Amalfi Coast Italy s most beautiful coastal region. The tour is for a maximum of 14 participants, allowing us to provide a highly personalized, small-group experience. We are privileged to have Dr. Laura Supino and Rabbi Barbara Aiello as our principal guides along the way; women of impressive scholarship and stature who embody the legacy of the Jewish people in Italy. (read more below) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This tour is an entirely unique journey through Jewish Heritage and an exploration of the Italian-Jewish experience as it has flowed through two millennia. It is also a great trip to Italy - an authentic immersion into Southern Italian life and culture. Throughout the tour you are in the company of Italians with an intimate knowledge and infectious love for their native regions. Laurie Howell and Giocondo Cavaliere of Amalfi Life are the developers of this special program. Both are seasoned professionals and experts in high-quality tourism. The tours and services they offer have garnered years of rave reviews for their detail, creativity, and access to the local life. This is what one couple had to say about our Jewish Heritage tour of Oct. 2006: We can't stop talking about the wonderful trip. It couldn't have been better. We truly enjoyed ourselves. (Myrna & Ed, Kinnelon, NJ) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The cost of the tour is $4885 per person and is an all-inclusive price for the land arrangements. Unlike most other tour companies, we include all meals and take pride in the varied and authentic dining experiences we provide. (see more info below)

2 Page 2 Historical Overview The Italian Jewish community is the oldest surviving minority in the known world and the oldest Diaspora community in world Jewry. The Jews first official presence on the Italian peninsula is documented to be in the year 161 BCE when a delegation from Judea arrived in Rome. After the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the second Temple in 70 CE, 2,000 Hebrew slaves were carted off to Rome. However, all during this period and throughout the first centuries of the Common Era, Hebrew merchants, traders and scholars crisscrossed the Mediterranean and settled all along Southern Italy s vast coastal regions. Settlements grew, and it is said, there is no corner of Italy where the Jews were not. In recent years archeologists and scholars have followed a trail of evidence pointing to a vast and vibrant Jewish presence in Southern Italy from ancient times to the Renaissance and in numbers that dwarf the size of the entire Jewish community in Italy today. Beginning in the early 16 th century that presence all but disappears. Dr. Laura Supino Laura was born in Northern Italy. Her family moved to Rome when she was a child and and she has lived there ever since. She is a professional architect, historian, and special guide to the Museum in Rome s Great Synagogue. She is a distinguished member of the Association of Jewish Women in Italy and lectures widely on issues important to European Jewry. On this tour you will be the fortunate beneficiaries of her lifetime of research. Rabbi Barbara Aiello Rabbi Barbara is the first woman rabbi to hold a pulpit in Italy. She is a first-generation American whose Jewish parents were born in a remote mountain village in Calabria. She has traced her roots even further back, to a small group of Jewish families expelled from Sicily during the Inquisition. Rabbi Barbara s story holds the key to the Jewish heritage in the southern-most regions of Italy. Her research will astound you Highlights Rome s Great Synagogue, Museum, Ghetto Ancient Jewish memories in the Roman Forum Hebrew Catacombs at Appia Pignatelli, Ostia Antica and its1 st century synagogue Fosse Ardeatine WW II Memorial Medieval Jewish Quarter in Fondi Ancient Mikveh in Siracusa, Sicily 4 th century synagogue at Bova Marina Il Timpone Jewish Quarter in Nicastro 13 th century Hebrew inscription in Salerno Finale on the beautiful Amalfi Coast

3 Page 3 Itinerary Description The tour begins in Rome on Tuesday, with a beautiful lunch at the Hotel Rose Garden Palace. For the first three days we will be in the hands of Dr. Laura Supino, devoting our time to the ancient sites in and around Rome. This afternoon we will visit Rome s Great Synagogue, the Museo Ebraico, and the former Ghetto area. We conclude the day with Laura s special tour of the Forum, making it come alive with Jewish memories inextricably woven into its Roman past. [overnight in Rome] On Wednesday we spend a fascinating full day on the outskirts of Rome, starting with a private visit to the Hebrew Catacombs at Appia Pignatelli, then visiting the awesome World War II Memorial of Fosse Ardeatine, and then moving on to the archeological site of Ostia Antica where we end the day at the ruins of its 1 st century synagogue. [overnight in Rome] On Thursday we go south into the countryside of the Lazio region to visit the town of Fondi where there is a uniquely well-preserved Jewish Quarter dating from the medieval period that Laura has been instrumental in restoring. In the countryside outside of Fondi we will be treated to an authentic farmhouse lunch. (Start your diets now.) During this excursion we will also learn about the many Jewish communities that existed throughout Lazio dating back to the earliest periods. [overnight in Rome] On Friday morning we will take a short flight from Rome to Sicily and go directly to the island of Ortigia in the city of Siracusa where we will meet Rabbi Barbara Aiello. We will visit the remarkably preserved ancient Mikveh; built in the 4 th century and in continuous use until the very day the Jewish community was expelled from the city. By evening we will arrive in the famously charming town of Taormina where Rabbi Barbara will lead us in a Shabbat evening service. [overnight in Taormina] On Saturday morning we visit the Greek Theatre in Taormina, one of the most compelling sites of Magna Grecia, where inscriptions point to the Jewish presence in the region dating back to earliest times. We move on to the city of Messina where there was one of the largest Jewish communities in Sicily until the mid 16 th century. The former Jewish quarter, Norman Cathedral, and Archeological Museum retain vital inscriptions attesting to our heritage. Crossing the straits of Messina, we arrive in the region of Calabria, and make our way around the toe of Italy to the town of Bova Marina to see the reconstructed mosaic floor of a 4 th century synagogue whose site was found in the area about 20 years ago. This thrilling archeological find helps to weave the ancient Jewish presence we see in Sicily together with the Calabrian mainland and to the theory of widespread Jewish communities throughout this region. We continue traveling north through Calabria until we reach the town of Nicastro, Rabbi Barbara s native region and where she lives now. At the end of the day she will lead us in the Havdalah service for the close of Shabbat; we will have dinner and overnight in Nicastro.

4 Page 4 On Sunday morning Rabbi Barbara and Professor Vincenzo Villella of the University of Calabria will escort us on a visit to the old Jewish Quarter in Nicastro, called Il Timpone. We will see the former synagogue dating from the 15 th century and also the remains of the mikveh. The Rabbi and Professor will speak about the evidence of the nearly lost Jewish past and about a subtle rebirth taking place now after 500 years, in Nicastro and in a multitude of other villages in the region. After lunch we will continue our journey north and reach the magnificent Amalfi Coast in time for dinner by the sea. Our hotel, the Luna Convento, is located on the water, and you are guaranteed to have a picture-perfect view over the most beautiful coastline in Europe. [overnight in Amalfi]. On Monday morning we visit 2 unique points of Jewish history in this region. In the town of Salerno, in the Archdiocese Museum, there is a tombstone dating from the 13 th century documenting the death of the community s rabbi. The stone was found in the zone of Salerno s former Jewish quarter and is the only physical remnant of that once vital community. The inscription on the stone is in the traditional Hebrew format, still in use on monument stones today. Not far from the village of Amalfi, in the lesser-known village of Maiori, there is a medieval structure that has been identified as the synagogue of a small Jewish community that was present during the same period as the one in Salerno. In the late afternoon we will enjoy a walk through the charming village of Amalfi with Giocondo Cavaliere, cultural expert and native of the Amalfi Coast, to learn about its extraordinary history and rich traditions. [overnight in Amalfi] On Tuesday you will be treated to a wonderful private cruise along this magnificent coastline, as well as visits to the famous villages of Positano and Ravello. During these days we will have the opportunity to share our thoughts on all we have experienced, eat wonderful food, and generally enjoy being on Italy's "Divine" Coast. You may be interested to know that there is documented evidence that 20 Jews lived in the village of Amalfi in the 12 th century! The tour ends with a Gala Farewell Dinner on Tuesday evening. [overnight in Amalfi] The following morning, Wednesday, you depart for home. Please arrange your return flights to depart from the Naples Airport. Special Note: If you would like to extend your stay in Amalfi or go to other parts of Italy we would be happy to make these arrangements or plan an on-going itinerary for you.

5 Page 5 About Meals All meals are included in the program. For some of the meals we plan the menus in advance and generally keep to vegetarian, dairy, and kosher fish. However, for a few of the meals you may order whatever you like. Recap of 8-night Itinerary Rome 3 nights, Taormina 1 night, Nicastro 1 night, Amalfi 3 nights Hotels Rome Hotel Rose Garden Palace Taormina t/b/a Nicastro Hotel Savant Amalfi Hotel Luna Convento ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Costs & Inclusions $4885 per person based on double occupancy Single supplement $500 (double room for single use) 8 nights in charming 4-star hotels All meals, including wine Airport transfers in Rome and Naples on the start-date and end-date Entrance fees, Guide services Hotel taxes, Gratuities ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Exclusions Airfare (please consult with us) Travel Insurance (please consult with us) Bar-drinks, beer and liquor Room service, Laundry Airport transfers on other than specified days With regard to air travel to and from Italy, as well as any arrangements you would like before or after the tour dates, we can answer all of your questions and can take care of anything for you if you wish, at no additional fee. We highly recommend the purchase of travel insurance. We offer information on CSA Travel Protection. We are happy to explain their policy and send you a brochure. Or you can get extensive information by going to We invite you to visit our websites and for more information about us.

6 Page 6 Contact: Laurie Howell Amalfi Life 41 Schermerhorn Street Suite 128 Brooklyn, NY Laurie@AmalfiLife.com Tel ext 1 Fax Our Italy Office Via Corte, Amalfi (SA) Tel (39) Fax (39)