CFHU 2018 DISCOVER JEWISH SICILY OCTOBER 21 28, 2018 LIVE LEARN AND EXPLORE MISSION Accompanied by Hebrew University Scholar in Residence Professor Rachel Elior Sicily is a unique Italian destination. It is home to seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites as well as charming villages and cities rich in history and atmosphere. Everywhere you'll be met by the warmth and friendliness of Sicilians. The program has been arranged in order to provide a complete experience of Sicily focusing on the Jewish roots of the island. The tour includes the visit of archaeological as well as artistic sites. You will have the chance to interact with locals, discover the hidden treasures and tracks that Jews left on the island as well as be able to explore the richness of the Sicily culture and cuisine & see how the Jewish heritage is kept alive through tradition and food. Jews probably came to southern Italy almost 2,000 years ago, especially around the time when the Maccabees, fearing annihilation by Antiochus s forces, sent scouts in boats into the Mediterranean to search for new homes. In recent years, the evidence of their arrival in Italy has been resurfacing. The remains of a fourth-century synagogue were found in Bova Marina, in Reggio di Calabria, and a mikveh of similar age was uncovered in Siracusa, Sicily. The island, 9,925 square miles, is situated alongside ancient trade routes and the straits of Messina, and would have been a good location for merchants and traders, most likely including Jews. At least three vestiges of the past endure in 21st-century Taormina: a pedestrian shopping walkway called Traversa Degli Ebrei (Street of the Jews); a veterans hall with a threesided second-floor balcony that suggests its probable history as a synagogue, and a municipal building with three plaster Stars of David prominently placed on its facade.
DAY 1 Sunday, October 21st Palermo - Arrival in Sicily - Check in to Hotel Pallazo Brunacchini Palermo - Welcome Dinner - Overnight Palermo DAY 2 Monday, October 22nd Palermo/Monreale Historical center of the city Jewish quarter Site of old synagogue now new synagogue The date chosen for the handover is significant; January 12, 1493 was the deadline of the expulsion of Jews by order of Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand of Aragon from the Italian island. At a ceremony, Archbishop of Palermo Corrado Lorefice will officially transfer to the Jewish community a facility owned by the church and monastery of St. Nicolo Tolentino, which was built atop the ruins of the Great Synagogue of Palermo. The new synagogue s location atop the ancient ruins of Palermo s Great Synagogue makes this historic moment all the more exciting. This transfer is the product of a genuine friendship and ongoing dialogue between the church and Palermo s Jewish community. (Jerusalem Post, January 2017) Our tour will include additionally: - Archivio Storico guarding precious Jewish manuscripts and a rich documentation about Sicily s Jewish communities - Cathedral - Splendid Norman royal palace of the Zisa, built in Norman Arab style, that still keeps a Hebrew inscription and a Menora - Meet representative of the Sicilian Jewish community who will lead us among the ancient Giudecca and will show all the hidden treasures that are linked with Jewish heritage. - Lunch with a street-food experience - Trip to Monreale, in order to see the magnificent Duomo and its mosaics. - Overnight Palermo
DAY 3 Tuesday, October 23rd Agrigento Transfer from Palermo to Agrigento Valle dei Templi (Unesco World Heritage site) Explore the city of Agrigento Overnight at Hotel Collverde Park Agrigento DAY 4 Wednesday, October 24th Agira Piazza Armerina Villa romana del casale (Unesco site) being enchanted by the finest example of roman mosaics. Short drive to the town of Agira. Visit the Synagogue site and the magnificent stone portal of the aron hakodesh with its Hebrew inscription. The portal, unique example of Jewish architecture, will give us an insight into the life of a small Jewish community in the heart of mediaeval Sicily.The stone is constructed in Aragonese (stone local), rather than in wood. It is arranged inside of the Collegiata Church of the Saint Salvatore di Agira (Enna) near the former synagogue. Overnight at the Romano Palace Catania
DAY 5 Thursday, October 25th Catania We will visit Catania, where the tour starts with a visit of the Cathedral, built at Norman times and dedicated to Sant' Agata, the Patron Saint of the city. Some time will be devoted to the inscription of the Jewish exile decree. Then, we'll move on to the impressive Castello Orsino and its ponderous keep, erected by Emperor Fredrick II in the Swabian period. See the Jewish symbols in the castle architecture and the Greek inscription about some local Jews. Afterwards we will continue to Syracuse, which was once the most important rival of Athens, founded by settlers from Corinth in 735 BCE. We will visit: Acradina, the site of the earliest Jewish settlement. Catacombs of S. Giovanni and the crypt of S. Giovanni and the crypt of S. Marciano. The Island of Ortigia and walk in the narrow streets of the Giudecca (the ancient Jewish quarter). See the site of the Synagogue and the Mikvah, 11 metres below ground level, one of the oldest that has ever been found in all Europe. The tour ends in the Bellomo Gallery, where some of the tombstones from the Jewish medieval cemetery are displayed.
Optional: visit of the Greek Tragedy Academy in Siracusa watching some of the classes while they are practicing. Overnight at Hotel Villa Politi Siracusa DAY 6 Friday, October 26th Messina Drive along the coast to Messina. Messina s Jewish community is mentioned in Benjamin of Tudela s writing, he speaks of the community of Messina at the time of William II (1171) which then consisted of 200 families. On his return from a trip to the Orient, this is what he wrote about the Jewish community: "...at Messina, which is the beginning of Sicily... there are about two hundred (families of) Jews. It is a land full of every good thing with gardens and plantations. This is where the majority of pilgims meet to embark to Jerusalem, because it's the best point of embarcation." Discover the centre of Messina and its ancient Jewish quarter. Visit the Norman Cathedral- with its latin iscription against the Jewish city- community and the beautiful Palazzo Penso- Jewish family heritage. It will follow a visit to the Regional Archeological Museum that, amongst its artistic treasures, has a Hebrew synagogal inscription of unestimated linguistic value. Overnight Taormina at Atlantis Taormina
DAY 7 Saturday, October 27th - Taormina Explore Taormina, the enchanting hill town. Taormina that has deep Jewish connection throughout, from the Menorah of the Theater, to the Jewish quarter, the David s Stars that decorates the City Hall façade. Overnight Taormina DAY 8 Sunday, October 28th Transfer from Taormina to Palermo airport with stop in Cefalu