My
International Driving Permit. In the US, you can get this necessary document from your local
Some graphics are from other sites without permission but with a link to the site
You can travel too!
Walk in the Footsteps of your Ancestors ...
Shirley (my wife of over 55 years) and I have been traveling since 1970 - enjoying our travels, but I know that there are many genealogists who would like to travel, but are afraid and/or don't know how or where to start. That is why, I decided to create this page. It contains links to background information you will need -- once you have decided to take the plunge and visit your roots. What an experience it can be! What we found out is that it is much easier to travel while you are young, then to travel when you have handicaps - so travel now!
For someone from the West, who is used to a different lifestyle and organization, it can often be a culture shock traveling in Ukraine and Russia and in other Eastern countries, but what an experience!
There is a bibliography (information on Bohemia, Moravia, Ukraine, Warsaw, Poland and more) that was compiled to guide readers to materials on Jewish travel
CK Travel Services is owned by a good friend of ours. Carole Kracer has been arranging both personal and group travels to Russia, Baltic Countries, Eastern Europe countries (all of them), South America and Cuba as well as Israel for many years. Each tour is tailor-made for either a group or an individual and she is a stickler for detail. She has contacts with the Jewish communities and synagogues in the many countries and cities and is willing to share her experience and knowledge with you. Carole is an easy person to talk to and if you are in the beginning stages of thinking about visiting your roots, you couldn't do better than calling Carole. Phone: 818 784 6641Toll Free 1 877 784 6641Cell: 1 818 667 2368or via email:
cktravelservices@roadrunner.com
and please do
mention us (Shirley and Ted Margulis) to Carole
http://www.cktravelservices.com/
Esther Hecht has a travel blog. She writes for Hadassah Magazine about her travel experiences.
estherhecht.wordpress.com
Air Travel Tips Antiseptic wipes should be used to wash your hands before
eating. A bottle of gel would serve the same purpose, but you
would have to put them in your one quart plastic bag of liquids when
going through security; packets of wipes don't have to go in that
bag.
Many airlines set prices (and sale prices) on
Mondays. Book Tuesdays or Wednesdays after other airlines have
followed suit. Never book on the weekend. try to book
air tickets in advance - about 3 -4 months ahead and look at the
final price on the last screen before locking in, in case there are
some other added fees. http://tinyurl.com/7e9vcof
Apartment Rentals In many cases, it is less expensive to rent an apartment or
house, than a hotel room, especially if your stay is more than a
week. These sites offer this convenience. Be sure to
look closely at any photos offered. http://www.flipkey.com/
Eating While Traveling Some basic tips: Wash your hands before eating or use an
alcohol based hand sanitizer before you eat.
Don't drink the water while traveling in
developing countries. Skip the tap water and drink only
bottled water and make sure the cap is sealed before you take a sip.
Same rule applies to ice, fruits and vegetables that could have been
rinsed in tap water. Choose fruits you can peel.
Eat hot foods, if at all possible as the heat
does kill the bacteria and viruses that cause illness. Keep
this in mind when you sample street foods.
Before you leave, make an appointment with your
doctor, better yet, a doctor who specializes in travel medicine so
he or she can prescribe an antibiotic to take along and advise you
on what else you might need for specific destinations. For a
directory
http://www.istm.org
Entertainment You might want to consider investing in an Amazon Kindle or a
similar type of electronic device. With this digital marvel,
you can catch up on your reading or entertain yourself with a game
or two while flying to your destination. www.amazon.com
Eurostar Planning train travel throughout Europe. Site is in
German, however, Google will offer to translate the page information
into English or other languages. Though admittedly, it is a
bit less expensive to get rail tickets on the ground in Europe than
to buy a Eurailpass, but it makes life a bit easier and it was First
Class. The Eurailpass also gives you a discount on Eurostar. http://bahn.hafas.de
Eyeshades and earplugs.
Most drugstores carry earplugs which should be rated at least NRR
33. they buffer airplane noise, the high-pitched screams of
children, and conversations our seatmates might be having about
their recent hospitalizations. www.bucky.com
First Aid Items A few Band-Aids won't take up much room and may come in handy on
your trip, and also be sure to take along any medications you might
need during the flight.
Flashlight You may encounter some light inconvenience, and a small but
handy flashlight might be a godsend.
Money
You can buy select foreign currency (example, euros and British
pounds) at your local Auto Club branch. AAA TipPaks
contain small bills and coins, convenient for taxi fares and tips
when you first reach our destination. TipPaks cost $100 USD
each, which includes a service fee; the value of the foreign
currency varies with the exchange rate and may not always be the
best available rate.
The amount of money you will need while traveling is a personal matter. I remind you that there are many ways to obtain money and purchase items and services while traveling overseas including ATM/Money Machines, banks, Credit Cards, Currency Exchange Bureaus, or Travelers Checks. It is up to you to chose the best method that will suit your needs. You should bring smaller US currency for change - $1, $5 and $10 bills. In remote areas, even a twenty dollar bill might not be accepted. There is some excellent information at the following site.
http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/moneytip.htm
Paper and Pen This is a great idea when you have to fill out forms during the
flight to a foreign country or keeping notes on your travels.
Pillows
Don't use the airline provided pillows (even if they do offer you
one!), instead use a small inflatable travel pillow
Time You may want to know the actual time in any part of the world,
so here is a link to the official U.S. government clock.
Although the display is set for Pacific Time Zone, you can easily
change it to any time zone you are interested in. Enjoy! http://nist.time.gov/
Translating Vocre(voh-krey) is a translation app that allows anyone
to communicate instantly with anybody from anywhere - without
language being a barrier. With a new spin on usability, this
app is a first step in helping the world communicate more easily. http://www.voce.com/
Traveling Plan Map
Tourist Board Finder This site connects you to more than 1,000 official Tourism Bureaus worldwide, from
Australia to South Africa, as well as listing information for all U.S. regional visitors bureaus.
http://www.travelsouk.com/writers/reviews/tourist-board.htm
Water We buy bottles of water after we have gone through security, and
some snack foods, especially if it is going to be a long flight with
no meal service.
I want to assure you that I do not have any connection to any source links below - I am merely bringing these links to your attention. Some links, should you use their services or products may provide a commission, but if they do, the commissions paid will help make this site grow. If they fail you, you will have to deal with the source directly, and if they are of great advantage in making and performing your ultimate travel plans, I would like to know so that I can share your experiences with others who intend to follow in your footsteps. You can always send me an E-mail to Jwebindex@gmail.comor use the
Feedback Form
Books
1000 Tips 4 Trips Travel tips submitted by people just like you ... for International Travel
http://1000tips4trips.com/
"The Great Jewish Cities of Central and Eastern Europe: A Travel Guide and Resource Book to Prague, Warsaw, Cracow and Budapest" Authored by Eli Valley Buy from Amazon.com Buy from Amazon.com
"Jewish Travel Guide" Published by the London Jewish Chronicle
"A Travel Guide to Jewish Caribbean and South America" Authored by Ben G. Frank and published by Pelican
"A Travel Guide to Jewish Europe" Authored by Ben G. Frank and published by Pelican
"A Travel Guide to Jewish Russia and Ukraine" Authored by Ben G. Frank and published by Pelican
"Traveling Jewish In America"
Travelzine I joined a great group of travelers who share their travel experiences on the Internet. The site is absolutely free and no advertising- very friendly with great repoire. Webmasters are Don and Linda Freedman.
www.thetravelzine.com
OAG This is the website of the Official Aviation Guide, which has been published since 1929 and used frequently by travel agents. If you click on 'Guides' and then on 'Flight Tools' you'll be able to seek out information such as which airlines fly on particular routes, how long it takes to get from one destination to the other, and other information such as the time the last plane leaves a certain airport.
http://www.oag.com
Apartment Rentals Throughout Europe If you are considering staying a week or longer in Europe, regardless of the number of cities you will be visiting, it might prove to be cheaper to use the services of "The Aparts". I discovered their apartment rental service while surfing various travel sites. The service gets high recommendations from those who have already used their services and they cover quite a few cities throughout Europe from London to Budapest and a lot in between including Moscow. Use their search box to check prices, availability, etc. http://www.apartmentsapart.com?cid=392406
Bank Machines (ATM)
In Europe, there are two major networks for using ATMs MasterCard uses Cirrus. A machine locater is at
http://tinyurl.com/30rzoj3
I'm not kidding. You are in Buenos Aires and you need a bathroom. Lucky you, for you had previously logged on to and downloaded information from this site.
www.thebathroomdiaries.com
City Tours
Google offers this site program to help put together a travel itinerary for you. All you need do is enter your destination city! Along with your itinerary, you'll get maps showing you where to go. It's like have a personal tour guide. There are some limitations, but most of the work has been done for you.
http://citytours.googlelabs.com/
A wonderful, detailed commercial travel site that offers much information about the history and current traveling conditions in many European countries, along with city map information
http://www.inyourpocket.com
Kosher Trips and Food Choices
A tour company, Lotus Tours, offers trips to various countries, including Japan, China, Hong Kong, Kenya, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, East-Central Europe and more. For information call the Tour agency at 800 267 5415 or write: 2 Mott St. New York, NY 10013
Special Gourmets The following site lets you map hotels, restaurants and other destinations that accommodate several different diets: gluten-free, dairy-free, nut/peanut-free, shellfish-free, egg-free, and soy-free.
Just use the checkboxes to indicate what dietary needs you’re looking for. There’s another set of checkboxes that allows you to specify by service: whether you’re looking for places to eat or stay or buy food, and whether you want to include large chains. The site gives you a map of the area you’re searching as well as a list of the restaurants.
http://www.specialgourmets.com/
This site
provides a comprehensive profile of each destination. It
features reviews from seasoned journalists and a host of on-line
tools. They explore not only the hot spots, but also the less
traveled paths that other guides don't even mention.
You'll get history
lessons, weather guides, travel deals and even safety information.
You can peruse the forums and even connect with other travelers
who've been there. www.lonelyplanet.com
Luggage Information
This site offers information about 74 airlines, and over 3000 airports in regard to their luggage limits for both hand luggage and check-in, so you can cross reference between airlines and airports to know what your luggage limits are, dimensions of bags, special restrictions etc.
http://www.luggagelimits.com
Metro is an excellent iPhone/iPod Touch app for public transit. It works when you are offline as long as you have the selected the city, and downloaded the maps.
http://metro.nanika.net/index.php?p=Z
Mobal Phone.
This company is based in the UK and sells either a phone with a Sim card that is good around the world or you can buy the Sim card by itself. Once you buy it, you are assigned a number that is good world wide and you are only charged for the calls you make - No monthly charge and it is billed directly to your credit card.
http://www.mobalrental.com/gsm/handsets.asp
US State Department
Smart Traveler
is an app for the iPhone, iPad, or iPod
Touch. It features travel alerts, warnings, embassy
locations, entry/exit requirements, and other information on
dozens of destinations. You can research countries before
you leave and join the department's Smart Traveler Enrollment
Program to get assistance in case of an emergency, such as a
natural disaster or civil unrest, of if you lose your passport.
Free on the iTunes App Store. Foreign entry requirements (passports and visas), travel warnings, the latest on rules and regulations for flights and more
US Transportation Security Administration
Shomer
Shabbat travelers stranded on Friday afternoon in an unfamiliar
city (due to a canceledflight, broken-down car, etc.)
were in a tough situation. But now, a service that
provides roadside assistance that travelers in need of emergency
hospitality can find host families by calling a hotline: 718 705
5000. A dispatcher will contact families who have signed
up to host guests and, if a family is available, will give the
stranded traveler directions to the host. Rabbi Benzion
Klatzko is the founder of the site
http://www.shabbat.com/default.aspx
Triporati.com This is a site loaded with travel and trip recommendations from expert ravel writers willing to share the best of their favorite sites.
www.triporati.com
U.S. Embassies and Consulates to any location in the world
Scholar Led walks of the world's greatest cities - Paris, Rome, Florence, Naples, Venice, New York, London, Istanbul
http://www.contexttravel.com/home/
This is a guide to official tourist information sources. The Directory lists only official government tourism offices, convention and visitors bureaus, chambers of commerce, and similar agencies which provide free, accurate, and unbiased travel information to the public. No travel agents, no tour operators, no hotels. There are over 1405 entries.
http://www.towd.com/
Won't you share with other Jewish Web Index readers, your personal traveling experiences - especially those of you who have traveled to their ancestral shtetls? Submit your story with as much description of your personal experiences to
Jwebindex@gmail.com
American Jewish Congress
Offers a 14 day tour of Jewish sites in Rio de Janeiro (Grand Synagogue), Salvador, Iguassu Falls, Bariloche, and Buenos Aires and the world's third largest Jewish city where you will visit the Hasidic quarter.
www.ajcongresstravel.com
In what was the old Jewish ghetto, construction workers discovered the remains of a 13th century synagogue while digging for a new parking garage
www.travelchannel.com
Hotel Konig Von Ungarn * Schulerstraße 10
A-1010 Wien
Radisson SAS Palais
Located in Vienna near the Innere Stadt and the Stadttempel http://radissonsas.com
Alef Alef
The city's leading kosher restaurant and is at Seitenstettengasse 2 Phone: 43 1 535 2530
Cafe Landtman Across from the Burgtheatere was the choice for Freud and looks unchanged from the 1930s.
Cafe Central
Located at Herrengasse 14 was a favorite of Theodore Herzl, Leon Trotsky and Arthur Schnitzler
* We
stayed here and liked it
Belarus
Galina Swartz and her husband, Frank run the East European Jewish Heritage Program and can be reached at
eejhp@voluntas.orgTheir snail mail address is
POB 97
Minsk 22074, Belarus.
Frank is a Canadian (a native English speaker) and Galina is a
Minsk native who is fluent in English.
According to David Gordondgordon@interaccess.com
'she was an exceptional guide and I could not recommend her too highly." According to Rabbi Yehuda Fried of Nesivos Yeshiva Tours to Lithuania and Polandfried@sefer.org
Yulik Gurvitch
Offers his experience as a guide for touring Lithuania and neighboring countries. Yulik speaks Hebrew, Yiddish and English fluently.
Contact Yulik at
yulik@delfi.lt
May not have much in the way of Jewish Genealogy information, but it is one of our most favorite towns and if you want to get an idea of what life and living was all about in the medieval period ... this is the place! Enjoy.
http://www.brugge.be/internet/en/index.htm
Royal Windsor Hotel Rue Duquesnoy 5-7
1000 Bruxelles
Phone: 02 511 42 15
Bolivia
American Jewish Congress Offers a 14 day tour of Jewish sites in Lima, La Paz, Puno, Cuzco, Machu Pcchu. www.ajcongresstravel.com
Brazil
American Jewish Congress
Offers a 14 day tour of Jewish sites in Rio de Janeiro (Grand Synagogue), Salvador, Iguassu Falls, Bariloche, and Buenos Aires - and the world's third largest Jewish city where you will visit the Hasidic quarter www.ajcongresstravel.com
Canada
Customs The Nexus
Air card has been extended to most, if not all, Canadian airports,
allowing travelers to zip through customs lines for a fee.
Issued jointly by U.S. and
Canadian authorities, the card allows U.S.-bound
passengers speedy passage through American preclearance
facilities, and lets travelers move quickly through Canadian
customs after arrival on inbound flights. The card is available at
airports in Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa,
Montreal and Halifax, The cost is $80.
Participants, who must go through a
screening process, will be identified through biometric iris images
of both eyes. Vancouver airport officials and the Canadian
Border Services Agency has a system that will allow returning
Canadians to bypass the preliminary customs inspection line by
presenting their passport at an electronic reader. Some form of
biometric information will also be involved.
Passports etc.
Canadians need a passport for
travel to the United States. Passport Canada is asking those
who don't need one immediately to apply by mail, use a Canada Post
or Service Canada receiving office.
The regular passport fee is $87 for an
adult, $37 for a child 3 to 15 and $22 for children under 3. Every
child, even an infant, must have an individual passport. Passports
with extra pages cost more.
Requirements: You will need two
passport photos, proper identification and a guarantor's
signature on your completed application form. Allow 10 working
days plus return mailing time if you take your completed form to
a passport office; 20 working days plus mailing time if you
submit by mail. For emergency or compassionate reasons,
passports can be issued in 24 hours for a $70 fee or in two to
nine days for $30. For details on applying for a passport, visit
http://www.ppt.gc.ca
Rules and Regulations for air traveling from Canada
The rules for most
major carriers have been loosened to allow for toiletries and
duty-free items under certain conditions. Any other liquids or gels
must go in checked baggage. You must follow the rules if you want to
avoid having your $100 bottle of Scotch seized by a security agent.
Here's the carry-on advice of Montreal-based Georgina Graham, head
of security and facilitation at the International Air Transport
Association (IATA).
Buy travel cosmetics and toiletries in
sizes of 100 milliliters or less and put them in a one-liter
clear-plastic reseal able bag, which you will be asked to show at
security checks.
Most airports now allow passengers to
carry duty-free alcohol or perfume purchased at their own shops. But
if you have to change planes at an intermediate airport during your
journey, the items will probably be confiscated.
Many airlines still allow two carry-on
items if the second one is a purse, duty-free bag or suit bag (check
ahead to be sure), but British airports strictly enforce
a one-item rule. For more information on Canadian rules, visit the
Canadian Air Transport Safety Authority site,
http://www.catsa-acsta.gc.ca
The Jews of Toronto, along with their accompanying synagogues, shops and businesses, are today primarily found along the central artery Bathurst Street, which runs more than 10 miles. Ashkenaz Festival
www.ashkenazfestival.com
Jewish food is available at the Oasis Cafe and Oasis Kosher Deli located at 130 King Street West. A listing of other kosher restaurants, stores, sights and upcoming events is available at
http://www.jewishinto.com
Grange Hotel Is relatively inexpensive and is in walking distance to the Minsk or Kiever shuls and offers non-electric locks.
http://www.grangehotel.com
Unlike mainland China, most Western
visitors are not required to have a visa to enter Hong Kong.
American Jewish Congress Offers an 18 day tour of Jewish China which includes Beijing, Xian, Wuhan, cruising Mt. Lushan, Nanjing, Shanghai and Hong Kong www.ajcongresstravel.com
There are two side
of Hong Kong Island - one is Hong Kong Island and the
other is Kowloon, which is on the mainland. They are
interconnected by a 15 minute ferry ride or by the Metro.
Sheldon Adelson of Las
Vegas fame, owns a gambling casino here. Glenn
Timmermans, an English professor at the University of Macao,
is working to raise awareness of Jewish history and culture
among the local populations. Email:
grimmer@umac.mo
American Jewish Congress Offers an 8 day tour of Cuba. The U.S. Treasury Department granted the Congress permission to take small groups to Cuba on people-to-people encounters with the Cuban-Jewish community. Phone: 212 879 4588
www.ajcongresstravel.com
Jewish community in Cuba To schedule a visit Contact the Patronato de la Casa de la Communidad Hebrea Synagogue Calle 1, #261, Esquina 13 Vedado, La Habana, Cuba 10400 Phone: ++53-7-32-8953 Fax: ++53-7-33-3778
Carol Kracer, also has the US Treasury Department license for travel to Cuba and can be of value should you wish to visit the island. She can take a minimum of 10 participants with her license and no more than 25-30 per group.
Email
cktravelservices@roadrunner.com or
Phone: 1 877 784 6641
Havana Hotels
Meliä Cohiba (on Avenida Paseo)
TheHotel Nacional (on Calle O off Kampa)
Hotel Habańa Libre (on Calle I, between 23rd and 24th Streets)
Hotel Raquel Caters specifically to Jewish tourists (located at San Ignacio and Amargura Streets)
Flights are available from the
U.S. via Europe. Flying from Israel is less than one hour.
Esther Hecht, the Hadassah travel writer has recommended the To Spitiko Tou Archonta, located in the small village of Tres Elies in the Troodos Mountains. There, the restored traditional hose has eclectic but tasteful and comfortable furnishings and is an excellent base for tours and hikes. Proprietor Androulla Christou offers a wealth of information, and according to Esther, cooks delicious dinners of local trout and vegetables Phone: 357 995 27117
www.spitiko3elies.com
Larnaca
Within walking distance of Chabad House is the Amorgos Boutique Hotel 357-246-21900 http://www.amorgoshotel.com
Czech Republic
Tons of information is available at this site relating to touring the country and Prague City
http://Jewish.tourstoprague.com
Kosher Food
Hard to find beyond Prague
Prague
The Czech Republic, home of the "Velvet Revolution" of November 1989, is a city of diversity and contrast in architecture, music, literature, and drama. Here you will find tradition and charm often missing from the usual tourist stops of Western Europe. It's one of the most beautiful cities we have ever toured.
Hotels Guest House Lida
Small rooms, but nice and clean and the breakfast was good. 10 minutes from the Charles Bridge
http://www.lidabb.eu/en/
Hotel Chopin Located in the middle of everything, but on a quiet street. It is across the street from the train station. Rooms are modern and clean with a private bath, reasonably priced and offers a buffet breakfast.
http://www.chopinhotel.cz/en/home/
Prague Jewish Cemetery Used from the 15th century to 1787as the final resting place for all Jews living in Prague. The confined space forced graves to be piled one on top of the other. Tilted at crazy angles, the 12,000 visible tombstones are but a fraction of countless thousands more buried below. The oldest marked grave belongs to the poet Avigdor Kara, who died in 1439. http://www.jewishmuseum.cz
Prague Old Jewish Area Tour Private tours - walking, car, minivan or bus choices
http://prague-private-tours.com/
Prague Synagogue The legend is that the synagogue was built on the site of an ancient Jewish temple http://www.travelchannel.com
Terezin
WW II Memorial Concentration Camp Tour The minimum length of a tour is 5 hours, but the tour company can handle longer tour times to accommodate the tourist
http://private-tours.net/
The tour includes 'Terezin town' that was used as a Ghetto; The small fortress that became the Gestapo's prison in 1940; the Bohusovice crematorium; The Jewish and the National Cemeteries; the Memorial by the river Ofire. The Camp is about 1 hour northwest of Prague.
Tova Gilead
Offers Jewish Heritage and Family tours to Budapest, Prague and Vienna for small groups Tel: 1 800 242 8682
http://www.tovagilead.com
There is nothing like seeing for yourself, so Shirley and I traveled to Prague and Budapest in August 2006. We boarded a river cruise, after spending four days in Budapest to end up in Prague for another four days.
Our daughter and son-in-law did a similar trip, traveling from Budapest to Prague to Vienna via train which they enjoyed.
American Jewish Congress Offers a comprehensive 18 day tour which includes Warsaw, Lublin, Krakow, Vilna, Kovno, Prague, Terezin, and Budapest
www.ajcongresstravel.com
Egypt
"From An Antique Land"
If you can't visit Cairo in person, read this book. It is a hybrid of history, cultural investigation and travelogue ... enchanting, and so it is.
Bassatine News A newsletter from the Jewish Community Council of Cairo
http://bassatine.net/
Estonia Here you will find links to Estonian Association of Travel Agencies, Estonian Ecotourism Association, Estonian Rural Tourism, South Estonian Tourism, Tallinn in Your Pocket, Turismiweb, Tallinn Airport, Port of Tallinn, Estonian Railways and more
http://www.einst.ee/links.html?id=45
Ferry There is an excellent ferry boat service including one between Helsinki and Tallinn
http://www.lindaline.fi/en/
Hotelli Helka A nice, modern hotel in a great location next to the new Kamppi Center and near a Metro station. Breakfast is included http://www.helka.fi
Old Town Tallinn Walk Old Town as the taxis at the ferry docks are a rip-off. The old town is the old medieval Hanseatic heart of the city preserved mostly by long Soviet benign neglect and quickly spruced up once Estonia regained its freedom. It's an easy day trip.
http://www.isango.com/estonia-tours/tallinn-tours/tallinn-old
-town-walking-tour_3707
Trains don't reach across Estonian borders. There is no train connection to other Baltic states or EU states. Only international passenger route on railways goes to Moscow, and is operated by GoRail:
http://www.gorail.ee/?lang=en
Another site that includes information on transportation and accommodations
http://www.1182.ee/eng/
Guides Yulik Gurvitch Offers his experience as a guide for touring Estonia and neighboring countries. Yulik speaks Hebrew, Yiddish and English fluently.
Contact Yulik at
yulik@delfi.lt
French Links
Offers Jewish tours in both Paris and in Provence covering the history, art and heritage of Jews during the past 2,000 years. http://frenchlinks.com/
http://www.pagesjaunes.fr/
(in French and covers Lille, Paris, Strasbourg, Nantes, Lyon, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Marseille, and a few others)
Alsace
Alsace Region Guides Vivianne Beller, 30 route de Rosenwiller, 67560, Rosheim. Telephone: 333-88-50-29-32
E-mail:
vivjpbbel@wandoo.fr Hotels Hilton Holiday Inn Place de Bordeaux
http://tinyurl.com/y9bbxd4
I chose the following Paris hotels from a story in one of the
Traveler magazine stories. Shirley and I stayed at The Grand
Hotel and found it very convenient to walk in almost any direction,
for the sites we wanted to see. The farther you stay from the
medieval center of Paris, the larger the hotel rooms, but the longer
the subway ride into the city. Paris has a wide selection of
independently run lodgings in historic, evocative, locales.
When phoning Paris from the U.S., add country code (33) and city
code (1).
Seventh
Arrondissement The home of the Eiffel Tower, the Assemblee Nationale, the
Invalides, and the Rodin Museum as well as the American University
and the American Library. Hotel du Champ de Mars
7 rue du Champ de Mars, 7th
Phone: 45-51-52-30 Fax: 45-51-64-36 stg@club-internet.fr
Hotel Muguet 11 rue Chevert, 7th
Phone: 47-05-05-93 Fax: 45-50-25-37 http://www.hotelmuguet.com
Marais /
Bastille Centered around the Place des Vosges and the rue des Rosiers.
These areas can be noisy at night, but good informal dining and the
National Center for Arts and Culture make it a popular choice for
those who want a lively area.
Hotel Beaumarchais 3 rue Oberkampt, 11th
Phone: 53-36-86-86 Fax: 43-38-32-86
Louvre -
Madeleine
Right in the heart of the Right Bank, and centered around the Louvre
and the Place Vendome. Hotel Montpensier
12 rue de Richelieu, 1st
Phone: 42-96-28-50 Fax: 42-86-02-70
Hotel Favart 5 rue Marivaux, 2nd
Phone: 42-97-59-83 Fax: 40-15-95-58 favart.hotel@wanadoo.fr
Latin Quarter Location is around the Sorbonne, the market at the bottom
of the rue Mouffetard and the menagerie of the Jardin des Plantes.
Hotel des Grandes Ecoles
75 rue Cardinal Lemoine, 5th
Phone 43-26-79-23 Fax: 43-25-28-15 http://www.hotel-grandes-ecoles.com
St-Germain-des-Pres This would be known as the "high-priced district" of
Paris as well as being the Bohemian Paris.
Grand Hotel des Balcons 3 rue Casimir-Delavigne, 6th
Phone: 46-34-78-50 Fax: 46-34-06-27 http://www.balcons.com
Hotel du Lys 23 rue Serpente, 6th
Phone: 43-26-97-57 Fax: 44-07-34-90
Grands Blvds.
& Montmartre This is considered the main drag of Paris's theater row and the
neighborhood is interesting with hidden passages and venues. Hotel des Croises 63 rue St-Lazare, 9th
Phone: 48-74-78-24 Fax: 49-95-04-43
"Traveler's Guide to Jewish Germany" Authored by Billie Ann Lopez and Peter Hirsch and published by Pelican in 1998. A guide to Jewish sites in 186 towns and cities in Germany. Provides for each entry its geographic location, significant cultural or historical sites, and an overview of its history Includes practical travel tips, a chronology of German Jewish history, a glossary, an introduction to Hebrew letters and numbers, regional maps, color photographs and an index.
Airlines Continental Airlines
Offers connections to Frankfurt, while Lufthansa has non-stop Munich service. Trains service main cities, but the smaller and quainter towns are best reached either by automobile or busses. General Romantic Road information is available from Tourism Work Groups, Dinkelsbuehl. Inns are the usual accommodations.
Telephones:
To call phones from the U.S., dial 011 (the international dialing
code), 49 (country code for Germany) 228 (local code for Bonn) and
then the local phone number.
The department store Galleria Kaufhof located at Monckebergstrasse 3 offers some kosher food. To arrange for kosher meals brought to a hotel, contact Catering Zach - phone: 49 178 519 3384.
Dolly Asher
Is the only Jewish guide in Athens and is knowledgeable about the Jewish Community and its sites, as well as sights of general interest. Telephone 934-6739; Fax: 937 3264; Cell Phone: 087 258 6416;
E-mail:
asser_dolly@hotmail.com
She can also arrange and lead Jewish heritage tours throughout Greece.
Kol Hakehila
A quarterly publication about the Jewish communities in Greece as well as Jewish heritage tours including the Island of Rhodes http://www.yvelia.com
A travel planner that will plan public transportation between any two addresses, stations, or points of interest in the Netherlands. You can enter the address where you are staying in Amsterdam, for example, in the "FROM" part and select "Cemetery" and input "Den Haag" in the "TO" part. The Jewish Cemetery is called the "Israelistsch Begrafplaats".
http://journeyplanner.9292.nl/
Cemetery Easiest way to get to the Jewish cemetery from Amsterdam CS to Den Haag, then take tramline 1 to Scheveningen, (it will pass the cemetery) located at Scheveningseweg 21a. It is the next stop after the Vredespaleis (Peace Palace).
Guides Meron Ten Brink A former guide in
Israel, specializes in Amsterdam's Jewish Quarter and the Portuguese Synagogue.
American Jewish Congress Offers an 12 day tour of some of Europe's most fascinating Jewish sites in Central Europe which includes Budapest, Vienna, Prague, and Terezin.
www.ajcongresstravel.com
Researchers
Andras Koltai Offers his research services. Hungarian Jewish Roots provides all kinds of researches that are helpful when trying to find anything about your ancestors and other relatives. If you only want them to take a picture of a building that once belonged to your great-grandparents or research your family tree, he offers his many
services.
www.jewishroots.hu
Telephone
To call Hungary from the U.S, dial 011 (the
international dialing code) and 36 (the country code)
for Hungary.
This large city is made up of two formerly independent cities, Buda and Pest, divided by the Danube river, with an island in the middle.
The area north of the Dohány Synagogue was once heavily
populated by Jews - in fact - it has been noted that 1 in 4
residents of the area were Jewish.
Genealogical research in the territory of historical
Hungary. Research concentrates on documents stored in the archives of the target area, libraries and cemeteries. Primary source of information is a variety of records and census statistics and obituaries, newspapers of the period along with local history literature.
http://www.galut.hu/
There is nothing like seeing for yourself, so Shirley and I traveled to Prague and Budapest in August 2006. We boarded a river cruise, after spending four days in Budapest and ended up in Prague for another four days. If you want to know more about our Itinerary, send me an E-mail.
Jwebindex@gmail.com
Ireland
See also my Ireland page for additional sightseeing information
American Jewish Congress offers an 11 day tour of Jewish Ireland which includes visits to Killarney, Cork, Dublin, Galway, Connemara.
www.ajcongresstravel.com
American Jewish Congress Offers a 15 day tour which includes Jerusalem, Golan, Tiberius, Safed, Akko, Haifa, Caesarea, and Tel Aviv
www.ajcongresstravel.com
From October through April, the weather is warm, but not hot. It is about four hours drive from Tel Aviv's airport to Eilat. There are 50 hotels and their restaurants are kosher, but many other restaurants are not. It is an excellent choice to make a day trip to Petra in Jordan.
See for yourself some of the known archaeological treasures online
"Jerusalem Step By Step" A tour guide with a twist. A binder with separate booklets inside. Each booklet presents, in detail, a guided walking tour complete with a map, recommendations for food stops and even referrals to hidden restrooms. 011 972 4 8337 448 or
Email:
wizeguide@gmail.com
Municipality of
Jerusalem What you want to know that is going on currently in Jerusalem
and cultural events that will be taking place in the city. It
is in Hebrew and if you look at the top left of the page, you
will see a link to English
http://www.jerusalem.muni.il/jer_main/defaultnew.asp?lng=2
Tel Aviv
Kosher Food in Tel Aviv An article by Adeena Sussman offers much information about eating out in the city in the June/July 2009 issue of Hadassah Magazine
http://hadassahmagazine.com
American Jewish Congress
Offers a 15 day tour of Italy where Jews have lived for more than 20 centuries. Visit Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan, Stresa. They also offer an 11 day tour covering Rapallo, Cinque Terre/ Pisa, Livorno, Florence, San Gimignano, Colle Di Val D'Elsa, and Siena.
www.ajcongresstravel.com
The "cradle" of the Renaissance, it is like
a jewel box, rich with art masterpieces, sophisticated and
simply perfect. Cross the Arno River from bank to bank via
the most famous bridge - the Ponte Vecchio. Many of the
shops are/were owned by Jews. If you don't mind climbing, try
the hill of San Miniato al Monte and experience a postcard view
of the city.
Rome has often been referred to as "the
Eternal City". It has been inhabited for more than 2,000
years. You will need, at the minimum, three days to just
visit the fabulous sites of the city. Take the Open Top
Bus Hop-Hop Off Tour. This double-decker bus offers
recorded commentary in English and onboard help so you can full
enjoy your visit. Be sure to visit the Trastevere,
a popular district full of history, located on the other side of
the Tiber River.
An interesting article entitled "In Search of Jewish Rome" by Amy E. Robertson appeared in the July/August 2009 issue of National Geographic Traveler. It offers a "walking tour" starting at Teatro di Marcello. Included is a map of the Jewish area.
http://traveler.nationalgeographic.com/2009/07/on-foot/rome-interactive
Hilton Garden Inn at the Fiumicino airport. There is a moving sidewalk connecting the hotel to the airport.
http://tinyurl.com/c6tg3s
Walk the traffic-free streets and cross
more than 400 bridges while discovering a labyrinth of 150
winding canals. The most convenient way to move around
this magnificent city is using a vaporetto - a public boat that
plies the waterways of Venice. If time permits,
take a water taxi to the island of Murano where you will
discover the art of glassmaking. Lose yourself in the
ghetto where you will find several synagogues and a mikva.
Cafe Lechaim Entrance on Dzirnauv Street - located in the basement of the Jewish Community Center. Telephone 371 728 0235 Shalom - A. Briana 10 Telephone: 371 736 4911
Offers non-kosher Jewish dishes
Radi un Draugi (Friends and Relatives) A comfortable and reasonably priced hotel in Riga - located a block away from the Peitav Shul. Telephone: 371-722-0372 E-mail:
radi@draugi.lv
Reval Hotel Latvija
One of Riga's largest and pushiest hotels and not far from the Jewish Community Center. Telephone 371-7772222 E-mail:
latvija.sales@revalhotels.com
Guides Baltic Tours We used this company in 1994 and were very satisfied with their service. They have an office in the US 77 Oak St. Suite 4 Newton, MA. 02164 Phone: 617 965 8080 and an office at Tumo-Vaizganlio 9/1, Vilnius; Phone: 22 79 79
Guides Ilya Lempertas Jewish historian Phone: 370-871-3285
Roza Bieliauskiene (She is also the curator at the Vilna Gaon Jewish Museum) Phone: 617-917
Regina Kopelevich Phone: 869 905 456
Rabbi Yehuda Fried Nesivos Yeshiva Tours to Lithuania and Poland
fried@sefer.org
Yulik Gurvitch Offers his experience as a guide for touring Lithuania and neighboring countries. Yulik speaks Hebrew, Yiddish and English fluently. Contact Yulik at
yulik@delfi.lt
Maxima Market Mindaugo Street 6 has a kosher food section and the Chabad House sells kosher food and provides a kosher dinner to travelers after Friday night services.
http://www.israelim.com/restaurants_e_europe.htm
Lithuanian Travels An article was published in "The Chicago Jewish News" On the left, click on Archives and you will find, among many stories, an article by N. Sue Weiler describing her trip to Lithuania in 2000.
http://chijewishnews.com/
Koshershop Located at Waldemar Thranesgate 55; Phone 47 22 353 910 Stocks kosher items. The community will arrange kosher dining for groups and advise hotels on rules of kashrut'
http://www.dmt.oslo.no/english/kashrut/
"Resistance Trail" A trail leading to neutral Sweden during WW II and information on Oslo
www.visitoslo.com/
Orient
American Jewish Congress Offers a 16 day tour of Jewish Orient (includes one of the three synagogues in Bangkok and the Margen Avoth Synagogue in Singapore along with meeting the Rabbi at Ohel Leah Synagogue in Hong Kong which includes visits to Bangkok, Singapore, Bali, and Hong Kong.
www.ajcongresstravel.com
Panama
There are several kosher restaurants, two shochtim (kosher slaughters) two cheese-making businesses and two kosher supermarkets. One of the supermarkets is the second largest kosher supermarkets in the world next to one in Israel.
American Jewish Congress offers a 14 day tour of Jewish sites in
Lima, La Paz, Puno, Cuzco,
Machu Pucchu.
www.ajcongresstravel.com
Poland
Reading several posts regarding traveling throughout Poland, I gleaned these tips: (1) Write down where you want to go, so that you don't have to learn the specific words and mispronounce them (2) Bring along a GPS unit - it will be of great value and help you from getting lost (3) it might be an idea to rent an apartment if you plan on staying for any length of time. One recommended site that seems to cover the larger cities of Poland as well as other countries is:
http://www.apartmentsapart.com/
This is the architectural capital of Poland, having escaped the destruction of WW II and is the home of one of the oldest universities in Europe. Krakow is also known for its cultural life.
Tomasz Cebulski Tomasz is an academic at Jagiellonian University and is a Jewish genealogist and guide, based in Cracow, but leading research all over Central University. Tomasz Cebulski - przewodnik - guide genealogy researcher (+48) 513-158-001
cebulskit@interia.plor
cebulskit@hotmail.com
Photographs Should you want to see some typical photographs of the area you may want to visit, or should you want a professional photographer to shoot people or locations, this site provides a good link, in my opinion.
http://www.megaloman.com/vertep/
Travel information While driving in Poland wouldn't be too difficult, renting and driving a car beyond the border of any of the former Soviet block countries is quite difficult and not recommended.
Most rental companies don't allow it, the reason being that rental cars are prime targets for thieves and a car rented in Poland and stolen in the Ukraine makes legal proceedings to apprehend and prosecute perpetrators not worth it.
STAY POLAND-OTA A travel agency that offers a great amount of information about traveling through Poland plus maps of all kinds. Nowy Swiat 29/3 00-029 Warszawa/Warsaw, Poland Tel: (48-22) 829 40 72 Tel: (48-22) 829 59 78 Fax: (48-22) 829 40 74
agnieszka@staypoland.com
First class train travel from Moscow to Kiev in august, 1994.Photo of Shirley Margulis taken by Ted Margulis in our compartment having a 'glassela tay'.
Traveling Russia (and Eastern Europe) in general is not a relaxing "vacation" experience. It is more for the educational and international experience that Russia is the number one selection. Service and accommodations are rated as first-class, but some experienced American travelers find facilities something less. The better facilities are limited. We have traveled most of the Eastern European countries and have found this to be true, but if you are relatively young, and in good health, go for it!
Even the name "Soviet Union" is history --- and people there quickly correct you. Now it's Russia, Ukraine, the independent Baltic nations -- Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia -- and about a dozen other autonomous entities. However, typically, there is no new name for the entire region. Go with the right mental attitude. The Soviet Union challenges you psychologically more than physically. Being there is to experience history in the making. Go prepared to endure the disarray and discomforts that generally accompany profound social change: shortages, delays, and confusion -- even worse than in the bad old days under Communism.
http://www.nwhealth.edu/healthyU/findBalance/travel.html
American Jewish Congress Offers a comprehensive 11 day tour which includes Moscow and it's surrounds, and St. Petersburg.
www.ajcongresstravel.com
Russian Cities on the Web Traveling to Russia or within Russia? Get information on your destination from the many links shown on this site. http://www.city.ru/
Mikhail, our driver, serving us tea. Mikhail was a former
MIG pilot and although we couldn't communicate in Russian, he knew
and we knew that there was deep respect for each of us.
Our friend, and guide in Russia, is pictured with my wife Shirley as
we enjoyed a day at Sasha's
Dacha (a summer home in the forests).
Unfortunately, Sasha passed away after we had spent several weeks
with him and his wife Valentine.
ZVS offers their service to take care of everything necessary including getting an invitation. The
package for the application is 9 pages and the application is rather detailed, asking some very personal questions about your history and your life. The cost (in 2010) was $215 (US) per person. Highly recommended by a recent traveler as reported on Travelzine http://www.zvs.com/
Irkutsk/Lake Baikal
A major city on the Trans-Siberian railway and nearby Lake Baikal shows you some of the fantastic variety of Siberia. Lake Baikal, the world's oldest lake, is over one mile deep and contains one-sixth of all the fresh water on earth.
http://www.myazcomputerguy.com/everbrite/Page6c.html
Kiev
This city is the historical, economic and cultural capital of Ukraine and is situated on seven hills straddling the Dnieper River. The city, which is over 1,000 years old, has many interesting sites, but be prepared for the hotels are not up to Western standards - yet.
http://www.kievukraine.info/
Restaurants Menus are lmost invariably in Ukrainian or Russian and not as
extensive as the may first appear. They tend to list all possible
options rather than those available on a particular night.
Zakuski means starters - try "ikra" (caviar), Vyalenaya Osetrina
(smoked sturgeon) and griby's smetanoi (Ukrainian specialty of
mushrooms in thick creamy sauce), plus countless salads and
assorted cold meats. Main courses offer less variety. It
is usually either pork or beef.
Reservations: In better class
restaurants they can be made on the same day. Drinks -
champagne and vodka are always a safe bet, wine lessso as you could
end up with grape liqueur. Imported alcohol is much more
expensive than the local drinks and are priced in dollars.
Service - battling with Soviet legacy, some more successfully than
others. You will need at least an hour to eat lunch or dinner.
Lviv
"The city where East meets
West"
Hotels TheGrand Hotel
Prospekt Svobody 13
(0322) 76 00 71, 76 90 60
A luxurious fully-renovated 19th century hotel right in the center
of the city
TheHotel George
Ploshcha Mieckewicza 1
(0322) 72 59 52, 72 67 51
Built by an Austrian company, this old building once housed the most
elegant hotel in Lviv. Limited rooms with bath and
toilet are available and there are 3 restaurants on the premises.
TheDniester Hotel
Vulice Mateyko 6
(0322) 72 07 83
A large, though sterile looking modern building atop a hill near the
city university. All rooms have bath and toilets and there are
dining facilities in the building.
Moscow
This is the cultural and political capital of Russia and the home of the Kremlin and Red Square, Gorky Park and Arbat Street.
Hotels Arbat Hotel Formerly known as Oktyabrskaya II
Aerostar Hotel Located beyond the ring on Leningradskiy Prospect.
Grand Hotel Located near the site of Novodevich monastery.
Hotel Baltschug
Kempinski * Shirley and I stayed here during our stay because it is within
walking distance of Red Square and other sites. Accommodations
were very good.
Hotel Mezhdunarodnaya Located a quarter mile from the While House
Olympic Penta Hotel Located just outside the Garden Ring, near the Olympic Stadium.
The Slavyanskaya Radisson Hotel Located near the Kiev train station, almost directly across the river from the White House.
Jewish Journeys Caters to Jewish travelers to Moscow and St. Petersburg E-mail:
jewishjourneys@yahoo.com
St. Petersburg (Leningrad)
A sophisticated and cosmopolitan former capital of the Russian Empire, it has been called the Venice of the North for its many canals. Beyond the main boulevard, you will see the "real" city.
Nevsky Inn Located off Nevsky Prospect. Staff speak fluent English and the kitchen is always open for tea and coffee. Serves an excellent breakfast and offers free internet connection.
http://www.nevskyinn.ru
Hotel Saint-Petersburg A huge abundance of beautiful views: palaces, churches, squares, memorials, bridges, and riverside sights. This site offers many services for the traveler
Shalom Restaurant St. Petersburg's only kosher restaurant 8 K. Tomchaka, near the Moscow gate on Moskovsky Prospekt Telephone: 327 5475 http://www.shalomkosher.spb.ru
Photographs Should you want to see some typical photographs of the area you may want to visit, or should you want a professional photographer to shoot people or locations, this site provides a good link, in my opinion.
http://www.megaloman.com/vertep/
Slovenia
Hotels Grand Hotel Union Best Hotel in Ljubljana is the Located on Miklosceva Street
American Jewish Congress Offers a 15 day tour of Spain. Visit Madrid, Toledo, Almagro, Granada, Cordoba, Seville, Marbella and Barcelona. From Barcelona, you can go on your own for a day in medieval Gerona (See my
Spain
page) Website:
www.ajcongresstravel.com
Red de Juderias in Spain There are several regional Jewish heritage routes existing, at least as concepts or suggested itineraries. One is the Red de Juderias which has recommended stops in Avila, Barcelona, Tudela and 12 additional towns. http://www.redjuderias.org
Jewish Cemetery on Avenir Street in the old
Montjuic (Jewish Mountain) area can still be viewed.
Strolling across La Rambla, the pedestrian boulevard that's
Barcelona's beating heart, leads you to El Raval which
is an often overlooked neighborhood with striking architectural
allure - wrought-iron balconies and large shuttered windows above
narrow alleys and pleasant squares. On La Rambla, with its market stalls and street performers is the city's information center. Off La Rambla, find the narrow
Marlat Street where at number five is the oldest synagogue in Europe.
There are no kosher restaurants in Barcelona, but arrangements can be made in advance by contacting the Jewish Center info@cibonline.org
I highly recommend
staying here at least one night. This smallish city has a
large medieval quarter including the walls that you can walk around
on enjoying great views including the ancient synagogue and mikve at
the top of the walk. Take the train from Barcelona. Hotel Peninsular
http://www.novarahotels.com/2011/index_en.asp
Maps
Free maps and brochures available from the
National Tourist Office of Spain
Phone: 323 658 7188 (From the U.S. first dial 011-34) http://www.spain.info
Metro line 8 links
up with line 4 for airport-city center service. Abono de 10 Viajes
is a reduced-fare 10 ride Metro and bus ticket http://www.metromadrid.es
Jewish Spain There is an interesting and informative web site that will be of interest to Jews interested in the history of Jews of Spain offered by Kosher Delight, a Jewish Online Magazine
http://www.Kosherdelight.com/SpainSynagoguesBarcelona.htm
Hotels
http://www.queenshotel.se/english Located on Drottninggatan, the pedestrianized main
shopping street that runs right down to Ganmla Sta, the old city.
Sigvard Rubinowitz
Tour Guide A professor of organizational psychology at the University of Gothenburg offers lectures on the city's and country's Jewish history and relevant sightseeing programs. He can be reached at 46 31 302 13059. The programs are only offered in Swedish
Switzerland
Hotels
Hotel Ascot Located in Zurich, is Jewish owned and located opposite the Enge train station. It is within walking distance of synagogues and has a non-electric entrance for Shabbat. 9 Tessinerplatz Zurich, Switzerland 41 1 363 208 1414 www.ascot.ch
Guides
Peter Ern A guide with knowledge of Jewish sites Telephone: 41 1 363 6439 E-mail
peterjern@bluewin.ch
Restaurants
Schalom Restaurant Offers kosher menu and delivers to hotels. 33 Lavaterstrasse
in the ICZ Building 41 1 283 2233
E-mail:
catering.schalom@bluewin.ch
Turkish Airlines Direct flights from Istanbul to Damascus www.thy.com
It is best to travel with "hidden" US dollars as credit cards, with the exception of Visa Debit Cards, are not acceptable. It is also difficult to convert Syrian pounds back into dollars
Tour operators count on about $100 a day per person for driver, guide, acceptable hotels with breakfast and entry fees. When possible, request accommodations in restored historic houses. Umayyad Palace Restaurant Located in Damascus is highly recommended for lunch or dinner buffet of Syrian foods and nightly entertainment. Phone 222 0826
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/syria/damascus/entertainment
-nightlife/live-performance/umayyad-palace-restaurant
Tunisia
The country telephone code is 216 and the city code for Jerba is 75. Independent travel is safe and rewarding, but for ease, facility and English-speaking guides, it may be better to go through a tour operator.
Turkey is easy to travel on your own. You don't need to waste money on a tour group, and the bus service is first class. Each town, no matter how small, has an "otegar" (bus station) on the outskirts of town and for a dollar, you can ride the "dolmus" into the city center.
American Jewish Congress Offers a 15 day tour which includes Ankara, Cappadocia, Konya, Antalya, Pamukkale, Sardis, Izmir, Istanbul.
www.ajcongresstravel.com
Hotel Sapphire in Sirkeci One of the many hotels in that area of the city. Sirkeci is an excellent area to be based in, especially if you enjoy exploring on foot. It is an older area, full of narrow roads, and is quiet at night as there were few cars in the area.
https://hotelsapphire.com/home.html
Poshier hotels like the Hilton are mainly clustered in the Beyoglu area.
One cannot travel throughout Ukraine or Russia without utilizing the services of a driver and a guide. They might be one and the same, but you should rent a car and driver/guide. The cost should be about $50 per day + expenses. The guide will help you not only with language problems, but also with police, regulations, etc. Although we usually travel as independent travelers, we found it necessary to have a guide and driver and would never have attempted to do any sightseeing on our own, without them.
There are hotels in most cities, but inquire ahead, before you start your journey. There are no motels, and you will not find hotels in villages, but one can rent a bed in a peasant's house (with outdoor facilities). Do not expect modern plumbing in villages or in larger towns. There are restaurants and fast-food places in most localities. Take care about eating and drinking water in many places (as you would in Mexico). I ate a lot of watermelons while traveling the country.
A visa is required to enter Ukraine. Visas can be obtained from any Ukrainian consulate upon submission of an invitation. Copies of the official invitation can be obtained from the consulate or through a travel agent. Three Ukrainian consulates are located in the US: Washington DC, New York City and Chicago.
http://www.whatson-kiev.com/about/
"Hippocrene Language and Travel Guide to Ukraine" Authored by Linda Hodges and George Chumak
Jewish Heritage Grand Tour Includes the cities of Odessa, Kiev, Berdichev, Zhitomir, Polonnoye, Shepetovk, Khmelnytsky, Medzhibozh, Chernovitsy, Kamenets Podolsky, Shargorod, Zhmerinka, Vinnitsa, Uman and Kiev. Other tours offered by Gold Line are available at their web site including quite reasonable pricing.
http://www.jewishroute.kiev.ua/
Hotels The Opera Hotel at 45 Prospect Svobody 380 322 259 000; Web site is in Ukrainian but has photos of hotel at site. A newer establishment with clean and comfortable rooms and within walking distance of most Jewish attractions.
www.hotel-opera.lviv.ua
Restaurants
There are no kosher restaurants, although Seven Piglets at 9 Bandera Street; 380 322 975 507 is a good choice for authentic Ukrainian food and offers several vegetarian options.
http://www.fellnertravelinfo.com/ukraine/index.shtml
Tour Guides Alexander Denisenko Owner of Travel Ukraine Agency; Phone: 380 506 710 725. Alexander studied at Yad Vashem, The Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority in Israel, and is an expert on the Holocaust and Jewish sights in the region according to Hadassah Magazine April 2008. He offers help with genealogy research at the local branch of the Ukrainian Central Historical Archive (3 Soborna Street) the largest repository of genealogical information about Jews in Galicia
www.is.lviv.ua/~tuag
Odessa
The only hotel in Odessa that was certified as satisfying international standards is the hotel-ship Taras Shevchenko anchored at the city passenger sea terminal (located at the bottom of the famous Potemkin steps). The hotels reserved for the congress re not that bad by post-Soviet standards.
Londonskaya and Krasnaya, a privatized mini-chain are located in nineteenth-century buildings in the heart of the city center; Londonskaya is right on the Prymora'kyi Boulevards, on the block between the City Hall and the top of the Potemkin steps. Krasnaya is on the corner of Pushkin and Bunin Streets (about a 10 minute walk from Londonskaya) across the street from the Philharmonic and a block away from the Western and Oriental Art Museum. Both were Intourist hotels in the Soviet era.
http://travel-2-ukraine.com/information/mapsodessa/
Photographs
Should you want to see some typical photographs of the area you may want to visit, or should you want a professional photographer to shoot people or locations, this site provides a good link, in my opinion.
http://www.megaloman.com/vertep/
Ukraine Fact book, Guide to Kiev, Kiev Photo Gallery and "Things You Should Know When Arriving in Ukraine"
http://www.uazone.net/Caption.html
UkrainianWeb.com
This commercial site offers translation services; travel information, Genealogy Search, Money Transfers and much more
http://ukrainianweb.com/ukrainian_links.htm
Personal Experiences
Subject: ROEKARD's Update on her
December, 2008 Research in Ukraine
From: Karen Roekard
roekard@lmi.net
Date: Thu, 8 Jan 2009 23:54:34 -0800
Contents:
(1) Ukraine overview
(2) The Central State Historical Archive in Lvov
(3) Research Help
(4) Research Costs
(5) Goal of Work
(6) Getting the Material You Want
(7) Negotiating and Taking Photographs
(8) Tabula Register Collection
(1) Ukraine Overview: This was my fourth trip in four
years to Ukraine where I have spent at least six weeks, most of it
in archives or negotiating with town authorities. We were supposed
to spend two weeks there but completed our work in 9 days and so
left and went back to Poland for another week. The situation in
Ukraine felt the most "challenging" that I have experienced
because of the extremely bad Ukrainian economy and the
then-impending confrontation with Russia, which has now
happened.
What this meant for us, (I had taken Nadja along; she is one of
the young women who works for me as an assistant), was that
hotel, food, etc. were inexpensive -- 7.6 Hryvnia to the dollar (currently
8.4) -- as compared to my other trips (5.2) and it was
winter rates. It also meant that I felt a need to be hyper-vigilant:
the revived appeal of abducting foreigners had been brought up to me
in conversation.
(2) TheCentral State Historical Archive in Lvov:
Still a great building, former monastery, (and yes,) a long
flight of steps up and a renovation project going on; thus, a very
high level of dust. I assume that this work might be done by next
summer. Some of the material I've utilized there is at least a tiny
bit dusty or moldy, it's very old! I think it's worth the experience
just to feel the
paper from the 18th century. Wear a mask if you have to.
(3) Research Help: While it is critical to have a researcher
who is from Ukraine and skilled at archival work, what I have
found to be far more important is to use the services of someone who
has really, really good relations with the staff at the archive (s).
I was fortunate to have a very skilled researcher working with me,
both before I arrived and then while I was there.
Note: You cannot do research in this archive without the help of
someone who reads/writes Cyrillic and speaks Ukrainian!! Give up on
any idea of doing this yourself. I know that researchers have been
recommended on this list serve so you can look in the archives for
names of researchers.
(4) Research Costs: Even though I could have negotiated
paying my researcher in Ukrainian currency, which would have
been a huge cost savings for me given the conversion rate, I chose
to pay in dollars and give the benefit of the exchange rate to my
guide without whom I could not be doing what I do. This is a wise
and kind act -- save money on hotels, entertainment and food (you
can see very good opera for $10 for a 9th row Orchestra seat, have a
good dinner for $10 and stay in the new hostel!) but be as
extravagant as you can afford to be with anyone who helps you with
your work. Thus, as I was leaving the archive, I made sure to buy
presents for the people who work there. Expect to pay $80 - $100 a
day for a Ukrainian researcher who knows their way around
this archive and its staff. (This cost far more than my hotel
room.)
(5) Goal of Work: From the perspective of my micro-historical
work, my goal was to collect another huge amount of document or five days).
s,
mostly from the Rawa Ruska and Belz Tabula Register
Collection, but also documents we identified when we translated
the town's card index files in 2006. From the perspective of my
personal genealogical research, there were a few other towns from
which I hoped to gather documents -- mostly from town inventories
and vital records not in JRI or indexed by the Mormons e.g. the
Brezezany Birth, Death, Marriage.
(6) Getting the Material You Want: It is critical that you be
clear about what you are trying to get and let your researcher know
beforehand so that they can order the folders you want before you
get there, over the course of a week or two, so that they can get it
all. You must pay them for time spent in this way. When you arrive,
the material will be there and if you find yet additional things in
which you are interested, you are more likely to get these few
folders in a day or two (except for the Cadastral Maps which took
us four
(7) Negotiating and Taking Photographs: As usual in
Ukraine, "expect the unexpected," things changed a lot
from my last serious foraging trip in late 2007. This year there was
no need to carry on any form of serious negotiations around
photographing as they had a "policy" in place. I do not know
if this was a policy for everyone, for me, for that week or for the
moment. It is Ukraine.
They charged me ~$5.20 to photograph as much as I wanted from any
book or file. This meant that if I took a photograph of one page of
a book or if I photographed the entire book, they were going to
charge me $5.20. Nadja and I moved from the concept of taking notes
or audio-recording, to photographing as much as we could, often
entire books, whether we needed them or not. They would not let us
photograph entire books of vital records.
I brought two high end, small, digital cameras with me, each of
which has a special image stabilizer feature. Nadja and I spent most
of our time in the archive taking photographs, between 2500 and 3500
images of documents. We got to the archive as they opened in the
morning, each took one of the seats next to the two windows, and
utilized the natural light for as long as it made sense. (The
days were very, very short this time of year.) The staff put on
the lights fairly early and we would move to seats that received
strong light from the chandeliers. We had my desk size tripod but it
wasn't necessary.
(8) Tabula Register Collection: I think that doing the
pain-staking work to fully harvest the incredible riches in this
collection requires extraordinary dedication. Because I really
wanted to get out of Ukraine as quickly as possible on this
trip, I mostly photographed index books rather than the complete
books of records. The indexes provided the names of the main
characters, their house numbers and an indication of what the
contracts are about. What I know from the hundreds of contracts I
already photographed in 2006 is that there is a huge amount more
information and people listed in the complete contracts. They hold a
lot of the mystery and history of the women. Needless to say, I am
very interested in this.
I think this answers most of the questions asked of me, at least in
a minimal way. That's it. From a posting by Karen Roekard
United Kingdom (Britain, England)
Portal guide to England with introduction to the country and market, business, culture, touring, and cuisine. Discover and explore England and Europe.
AllofEngland.com Presents England in all her glory, splendor and style. Tour the market place, visit businesses, plan travel and experience the cuisine as we bring international businesses, culture, travel and e-commerce together in an uncommon virtual experience for villagers and voyagers
http://www.allofEngland.com
Guides
Mike's a real Brit and wants to share his knowledge with you. You'll learn a lot from his with titles such as: Totally London; Visit Scotland; Southwest; Liverpool, Wales and more
http://www.beabritdifferent.com/
National Theatre
This site offers the history of the house, and you can peruse the list of plays performed there. http://www.nt-online.org
Poor Jews Temporary Shelter The Temporary Shelter, as it is now known, still functions and provides a service for refugees and other disadvantaged people. To increase funds, they are happy to provide good quality accommodations for London visitors in a Kosher environment.
If you plan on traveling around the U.S., these sites will be of interest.
www.SmartFuel.com
a subscription app that can help you find cheap gas on your route.
Auto Maintenance
http://www.RepairPal.com
uses GPS to locate repair shops and provide ballpark estimates along with finding you the closest service. Free for iPhone and Android
http://www.myassist.com/
helps you find a dry cleaner, last minute hotel, flights, rental car, etc. There is a nominal charge.
Arizona
Phoenix
Mostly flat and laid out on a grid pattern, this city is easy to
navigate, but it is spread out in all directions, so you will need
to rent an automobile.
There are several kosher restaurants, and they are mostly owned by
Bukharan Jews.
The following web site can supply kosher meals to hotels. Also Kosher products can be found in various supermarkets, including Safeway, Star Market, Foodland and Times.
www.oahukosher.com
My advice to you is that if
you will be traveling to this beautiful "land of the ten
Thousand Lakes" country, the best times are in the spring and
fall. Take this piece of advice from a guy who spent the
first 25 years of his life living here on the north side of
town.
New York City's Lower East Side Tour
There is a free cell-phone walking tour of "the Lower East Side: Birthplace
of Dreams" at 1 800 644 3545 To get started, go on-line
www.talkingstreet.com/les.php
and print out the list of 13 stops. Next, program the tour's telephone number into your cell phone; you will call in at each site. You will probably recognize the voice you hear as comedian Jerry Stiller.
Share information, travel agents, guide's names, etc. with others. Should you have any recommendations for travel agents, hotels, , etc. I will be happy to publish them on this page. Send any information and recommendations you would like to share to
Jwebindex@gmail.com
* Indicates a Hotel that we stayed
in
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