The seminar on Sicilian Jewry will reveal the little known or almost forgotten cultural heritage of communities that have long ceased to exist and their memory has almost faded away. We will study the history of the Jews in Sicily from Roman times until their final expulsion or conversion in 1493. Emphasis will be put on the interesting Jewish culture that emerged in the island as a result of the Muslim conquest and the history of the Jews in Muslim Sicily will be discussed on the basis of the sources that were discovered in the Cairo Geniza. Jewish life under Catalano-Aragonese rule will be examined and, finally, the expulsion and the conversion of the Jews will close the seminar which will revive the religious legacy of an extinct community and commemorate the secret Jewish life of many Jews who converted and merged into Sicilian society. We will finally experience the revival of Jewish life in Sicily today. During the seminar we will visit sites of Jewish interest in the guideccas in Palermo, Trapani, Erice, Siculiana, Taormina, Agira and Siracusa without neglecting the general historical, artistic and natural sites.

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Tue                    Arrival in Palermo. Transfer to hotel.

Nov 4                Late afternoon: Orientation in the hotel followed by a city sightseeing tour.
                          Dinner in a vegetarian restaurant.                                                                           PALERMO

 

Wed                  Lecture: The Defining Characteristics of Sicilian Jewish History, K. Aron-Beller
Nov 5                Lecture: The Arrival of the Jews in Italy – Visual Evidence from the Roman Period, S.Sabar
                          Travel to Trapani where we visit the guidecca and some medieval Jewish sites.

                          Visit the archives to view some old documents.
                          Proceed to the medieval hill town of Erice overlooking beautiful panoramic views. Proceed to

                          the guidecca.                                                                                                              PALERMO

 

Thu                   Lecture on the bus: Jewish Life in Byzantine and Muslim Sicily, K. Aron-Beller
Nov 6               Travel to Siculiana and the Mother church that used to be the synagogue and today

                          containing a baptismal with Jewish engravings depicting scenes from the Old Testament.

                          Proceed to Agrigento to visit the most impressive remains of an important city of the ancient                                    Greek world.                                                                                                              PALERMO

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Fri                      Lecture: Aron Ha-Kodesh and the Synagogue from Late Antiquity to the Renaissance, S. Sabar

Nov 7                 Tour of the Jewish Quarter of Palermo, where Jews lived under Muslims and Christians and                                     created an important community in the Middle Ages.
                           Visit the Royal Palace to see the Palatin Chapel, a wonderful sample of Arab-Norman                                               architecture, with its exquisite mosaics.
                           Visit the Montreale Cathedrale.

                           Service in the hotel followed by a specially prepared dinner.                              PALERMO

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Sat                     Service in the hotel.
Nov 8                 Lecture: The Jews of Sicily under Catholic Rule: From Normal Conquest to Angevin Rule, K.                                       Aron-Beller
                           Afternoon: Visit the Steri Palace, which was once the inquisitional prison where Crypto-Jews                                   were held.                                                                                                                 PALERMO

Sun                    Travel to Agira where the Aron HaKodesh from the medieval synagogue is kept in the local

Nov 9                 church SS Salvatore. Visit the location of the medieval synagogue.
                           Continue to Mt. Etna, Europe’s largest live volcanoes and one of the world’s largest active                                         volcanoes.                                                                                                                TAORMINA

Mon                   Lecture: The beginning of the end of Sicilian Jewry: Jews under Catalano-Aragonese

Nov 10               Rule, K. Aron-Beller
                           Lecture: Jewish Ceremonial Art in the Middle Ages and the Sicilian Rimmonim in Palma de                                       Mallorca, S. Sabar
                           Visit the guidecca and the Greek theater of Taormina.
                           Free afternoon in Taormina.                                                                                  TAORMINA

Tue                    Travel to Piazza Armerina to see the amazing mosaics in the Ambulacro della Grande Cacocia. Nov 11               Continue to Catania to possibly meet with members of the Jewish Community and to see the                                    synagogue.

                          Continue to Siracusa, an ancient Greek city that once rivaled Athens and now is one of the                                        highlights of Sicily.                                                                                                    SIRACUSA

Wed                  Lecture: The end of Sicilian Jewry and Crypto-Judaism, K. Aron-Beller
Nov 12              Lecture: Rabbi Obadiah Bartenura [Bertinoro] and the Customs and Religious Life of the Jews

                         in South Italy and Sicily, S. Sabar
                         Visit the guidecca of Siracusa, one of the most fascinating Jewish quarters in Sicily to see the                                   remains of the synagogue.
                         Visit the amazing miqve.
                         Visit the catacombs of Siracusa St Giovani and Vigna Cassia where we find some Hebrew                                         tombstone inscriptions.

                         Continue to the courtyard of the Belome Museum to see Hebrew inscriptions.
                         Dinner in a vegetarian restaurant.                                                                             SIRACUSA

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Thu                  Depart for the airport in Catania for departure.
Nov 13

PROGRAM SUBJECT TO CHANGE

 

Lecturers:         Prof. Shalom Sabar (Emeritus), Dept. of Art History/Dept of Folklore and Folk Culture, The                                       Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

                         Dr. Kathy Aron-Beller, Lecturer in Jewish History at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and

                         Tel Aviv University.

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Price for land arrangements only: Euro 4045 per person in a double room
                   ***EARLY REGISTRATION UNTIL April 10, 2025: Euro 3985 per person in a double room***

Single supplement (Double room for Single Occupancy): Euro 875
                        Price is based on minimum participants

Price for airfare from Israel (Tel Aviv-Palermo/Catania-Tel Aviv): USD 810
                       (Based on airfares and airport taxes in effect at time of publication and subject to change)
                       People joining us from abroad should meet us in the hotel in Palermo or at the Palermo

                       airport at the arrival of the flight of the group coming from Israel.

Deposit:         Euro 1,200 with registration, of which Euro 600 is non-refundable.
                       Remainder of payment is to be paid by June 23, 2025. Please register promptly as our trips fill                                 quickly.

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Cancellation Fees:                                                                                 HOTELS:
April 30- May 31, 2025……...................30%                                        Hotel Piazza Borsa, Palermo
June 1-Oct 2, 2025 ……………………. 50%                                        Hotel Excelsior, Taormina
Oct 3, 2025 - Departure..…….…….......100%                                      Grand Hotel Ortigia, Siracusa
 

Trip includes:

•  Lectures by Prof. Shalom Sabar and Dr. Kathy Aron-Beller

•  JHS Tour escort

• Local English speaking tour guide

• 9 nights accommodation in 4 and 5-star hotels with daily buffet breakfasts, vegetarian first and last dinners and specially prepared Shabbat meals

• Local transport by tourist bus

• Entrance fees according to itinerary

 

Not included in the price:

• Obligatory health and cancellation travel insurance

• Visa fees if required

• Tips: Euro 100

 

Program subject to change: All rights are reserved by Jewish Historical Seminars to make
staff substitutions if necessary and/or make changes to the program and conditions as
required by force majeure, including cancellation of the trip at any time due to drastic
changes in the situation. Participants are reminded that weather conditions cannot be

predicted and cancellations or changes to visits may be unavoidable.

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Further information:

Contact Debbie:     Tel: 972.2.534.5191, Cell: +972.54.2212503  Fax: 972.2.5700005

                                Email: JHSeminars@gmail.com.   www.JewishHistoricalSeminars.com

                                The trip is run in conjunction with Ayala Travel and Tours, Jerusalem