South America, home to the Amazon rainforests and ancient native American cultures is one of the world’s most fascinating, exciting and rewarding tourist destinations. What many US Jews don’t realize is that South America also has a rich Jewish heritage that goes back five hundred years. The Jewish connection began with the intrepid fifteenth century European explorers, and continues to this day through the vibrant and self-confident Jewish communities in Argentina, Brazil and neighboring countries.
Customized Jewish travel itineraries allow you to explore the bustling Jewish quarters of Buenos Aires and the historic synagogues of Rio de Janeiro, while enjoying some of the world’s finest luxury Jewish travel experiences with world class hotels and resorts and gourmet kosher dining. If you have a family history in South America, an organised tour with a professional Jewish travel company is a wonderful opportunity to connect to your ancestral roots and immerse yourself in a vibrant Jewish culture.
Whether you’re planning a solo adventure, a family vacation or a group trip, kosher travel in South America will give you some unforgettable cultural and historical insights. You’ll also have plenty of opportunities to connect with modern South American Jewish communities, visit synagogues and take part in community events.
Discover South America’s Rich Jewish Heritage
Although most Jewish ancestral roots in South America can be traced back to the big waves of migration in the 19th and 20th centuries, some of the earliest Jewish pioneers in the New World were Marranos or Conversos who fled the murderous cruelty of the Inquisition in Spain and Portugal. Danger, insecurity and lack of opportunities in Europe and Russia brought more Jewish immigrants.
The Ashkenazim were joined by Jews from the Mediterranean, North Africa and the Levant as the Ottoman Empire stagnated and crumbled. US Jews who sign up for luxury Jewish travel experiences in South America are often surprised to discover that there are strong communities of Syrian Jews. It’s a special experience to visit an Orthodox Syrian synagogue in Buenos Aires, and then sample tasty Jewish Syrian or Turkish food – with a unique South American twist!
Some of South America’s top tourist destinations have significant Jewish communities and a deep Jewish history. Oceanside cities like Buenos Aires, São Paulo, and Montevideo – famed for their miles of golden beaches – offer a superb luxury vacation experience. They also contain important Jewish historical landmarks, museums and synagogues.
Exclusive Cultural and Historical Landmarks
Buenos Aires is home to an important Jewish community – one of the biggest in the diaspora – and a walking tour of the old Jewish neighborhoods of Once, Villa Crespo and Abasto (home to the only kosher MacDonald’s outside Israel) is a fascinating experience. When you explore the old district with a professional guide, it’s easy to imagine how they appeared to past generations of Argentinian Jews, many of whom were ‘Rusos’ who had fled Russia.
Most walking tours also include a trip to the Plaza Embajada de Israel. The square is named for the Israeli embassy destroyed by terrorists in 1992 and there are 22 lime trees, planted as memorials to the dead. If you visit the Metropolitan Cathedral you can see a moving memorial to the victims of the 1994 AMIA building bombing. Other Jewish travel destinations in Buenos Aires include the outstanding Sinagoga de la Congregación Israelita Argentina, built in Roman-Byzantine style and the city’s Jewish museum and Holocaust museum.
Rio de Janeiro also has some superb historic synagogues. The Templo Libertad and the Grand Synagogue are two beautiful examples of Jewish religious architecture. At the center of Rio’s Holocaust memorial is an impressive 72 foot-tall tower, divided into ten parts to symbolize the Ten Commandments. Beneath the tower is an underground exhibition with a full interactive display.
Premium Travel Options and Luxury Amenities
South America is a continent of contrasts. The big cities easily rival the North American and European counterparts when it comes to high-end boutique hotels with kosher-certified dining. Many of the finest hotels overlook the Atlantic Ocean and some of the world’s most famous beaches, including Rio de Janeiro’s iconic Copacabana and Ipanema beaches. Your travel company will coordinate with your hotel to arrange chauffeured transportation around the local area, with an option for VIP shopping tours for souvenirs, fashion or jewelry.
Luxury and exclusive Jewish travel experiences include private guided tours of museums and synagogues and other heritage sites as a matter of course. If you have a deeper interest in aspects of Jewish heritage and culture (or other non-Jewish subjects) luxury tours can be tailored to include lectures by historians and academics, meetings and book readings with writers, film shows, or even research into your own family history and ancestral roots .
Immersive Experiences for Families
Kosher travel in South America is definitely child-friendly. If you’re planning to travel with young kids or teens, there is no shortage of exciting youth activities that will capture their imagination and give them some amazing lifelong memories. South Americans love sport, and the Argentinian Jewish community in particular is sports mad. Your Jewish travel company will be able to arrange visits to local jewish sports clubs where your kids or grandkids can make new friends and burn off some energy.
Not everybody wants to play soccer or basketball, and there are plenty of less energetic alternatives. Kosher cooking classes are a great way to add appetizing South American Jewish dishes to your culinary repertoire and meet fellow cooking enthusiasts. It’s also possible to join community workshops in Jewish art and music, all influenced by vibrant and colorful South American styles.
Plan Your Dream Trip to South America
South America is a massive continent that includes pretty much everything from the tropical rainforests of the Amazon, to the snow capped Andes mountains, Antarctic wildernesses – and the frenetic 24 hour party atmosphere of the Rio carnival. Variety is the name of the game, but there are a few basics that are pretty much the same everywhere. The first is that South America is generally a friendly place where people have a passion for life and love to have a good time. American Jewish tourists receive a warm welcome.
You’ll also find that exchange rates are generally very favorable to the US dollar, which means that you’ll be able to really make the most of your time there. It’s important to remember that South America is in the Southern Hemisphere and the seasons are reversed. You can escape the US winter and enjoy the hot summer beaches and pools in Brazil or Argentina. There are local variations in temperature and rainfall, so if weather conditions are a consideration, you should liaise with your travel company. They will recommend the perfect month to travel.
Your Jewish travel company will work with you to create the perfect tailored itinerary for your family or group. Most Americans want a trip that balances Jewish heritage travel with a chance to explore some of South America’s outstanding natural beauty and local culture and ancient Native American history. Your travel company will arrange for professional English speaking guides, as well as luxury vehicles with vetted drivers and security where necessary.
South America is an amazing travel destination for American Jews. If you want to explore your ancestral roots in the continent, or simply experience the region’s vibrant and colorful Jewish culture, Gil Travel will help you to create the perfect luxury tour with a customized itinerary and the chance to create some wonderful memories for the entire family!
This post was written in collaboration with Iris Hami is President of Gil Travel Group, the largest travel management firm sending people to Israel. She has over 40 years of experience in the travel industry, and uses that knowledge to craft unique Jewish journeys around the world.
