The
Jewish tour is the first in the series of heritage tours we plan to offer, each
a pilgrimage in search of our history and our soul.
This is a unique tour where you will walk in places where our ancestors lived,
and imagine the life that they had as Jews in the Romanian community.
The tour is sprinkled with lectures, slide shows, meetings and creative
activities that stir imagination, inform, and provoke in such a way as to
explore the riches, contradictions and cultural uniqueness of the Romanian
Jewish experience in the last hundred years. Given how few the lasting clues of
the presence of the Jews are visually, it is impossible not to dwell on the
tragedy and injustice of what took place. However, the remaining beauty of
synagogues, and the undiluted artistry and feeling of sacredness of cemeteries
does give us access to the fulgent life of Jews in Romanian cities and
villages.
We will provide ample time for discussion and listening in order to honor the
diverse feelings and memories that are conjured by such a journey. It is also
our hope that our journey be a pilgrimage that brings us to a renewed sense of
the living connection to history, sacred history, religion and community that
flourished in Jewish consciousness.
Our journey and presence recognizes and invigorates the spirit of our ancestors,
honoring their lives.
Laura Simms
Author & Tour Leader
