Skylake Synagogue | Jewish Heritage Alliance

Jewish heritage alliance put together a trip to Portugal to understand the roots of Jewish communities after the inquisition. I joined with great expectations, and the reality was even greater than my expectations. A well organized tour, first class lodging and dining and amazing guides and guests. The participants were also an important part of the experience because many of them were actual descendants from families torn apart and banished from their original lands by the inquisition. I highly recommend any tour that Jewish heritage alliance puts together and am looking forward to joining on upcoming projects.

We are writing to express our appreciation for the wonderful Portugal tour that you put together. As you recall we were on the tour, March 2024. From the very beginning we were impressed with your organization as well as your personal attentiveness and availability. Beginning with our arrival at Lisbon airport we were well cared for by our guide, Antonio and our content expert, Peter Tarlow who were always available and very helpful throughout the tour . The tour bus was comfortable and the presence of WIFI, a real bonus. The accommodation and meals were very good and we especially appreciated the fado dinner when we returned to Lisbon. We thought the pace of the tour was appropriate. There were many sites to see but we didn’t feel rushed. Both Antonio and Peter were interesting speakers and were able to convey a great deal of information in an enjoyable manner. This tour had as its focus the Jewish history of Portugal and it more than met that goal. We learned a great deal and enjoyed ourselves immensely. We have already recommended this tour to several of our friends. Thank you for your help in organizing this tour, Steven and Enid Wassner

Our friends, Enid and Steve Wassner had invited us on the Portugal tour. We were fortunate that we were the last couple to sign up for your trip. As Christians, we felt that it was an incredible trip. We give thanks to Antonio Goncalves who escorted us through the cities in Portugal giving us insight into history of the sites in the relationship to the Jewish population and Dr. Peter Tarlow who gave us a clear picture of the Jewish journey through his lectures. They were very conscious of any needs we may have had. The tour was well organized, and the hotels were comfortable. The only suggestion we have was to spend a few more days in Lisbon. We found that the company of the other guest added to our enjoyment. Thank you Michael for your work in making this trip possible. Best Regards, Nancy and Larry Peters

We are finally home after a busy and extraordinary trip. We are all grateful that you were able to organize the first part of our experience in Portugal. Benny was fabulous and with his knowledge and experience he helped us understand the Jewish experience in Portugal. We spent 2 full days in the villages and towns and had the privilege of meeting Danielle, her family and see the synagogue and museum in Belmonte. Although we thoroughly enjoyed seeing many of the places where crypto Jews lived, we felt what was lacking was the connection with a living community, which, in reality does not exist except for in Belmonte, Lisbon and Porto. And they are practicing modern Judaism not old customs. In addition, if we had more time, we would have gone to the Holocaust museum on the border with Spain and I would have arranged a guide through you for Porto. Then I think our experience would have been more complete. We found the Portuguese to be a warm and kind people open to discussion about the Inquisition and their Jewish past. Everyone in the hotels was so nice and accommodating. Looking forward to seeing you again soon. Ellen and Gershon Bodner

I loved the trip! Having led tours to Israel, I understand the difficulty of trying to please every one---so you don't!!! But having experience in putting trips together, I have to say that Michael did a great job! All of the extras (not realized by most of the group) were great! I so enjoyed the heart Michael and how much more he put into this trip that I plan to sign up for more trips! Rose and I did not know what to expect--and afterward we both agreed that this trip more than met our expectations! Hanukkah sameach (or is it chag urim sameach) Bernadette Martinez

The extensive tour I was on in Portugal sept 12 to sept 29 2024 was one of the best tours I’ve been on. I have travelled a lot over 50 yrs and this tour was way beyond my expectations. Our private tour guide was very knowledgeable, educated, caring and fun to be with. His passion for making the experience of getting to know Portugal from every point was extraordinary. Benny our private guide and driver took us to 14th and 15th century villages with Jewish history. Besides visiting historical villages, we visited a cork factory, wool factory, embroidery group, tapestry museum and illustration of tapestry making, port tasting, wine tasting, tile making, and sites in Lisbon i.e. train station, McDonald’s, riverfront and major statues. In Porto we visited the beach where many expats are living. Benny wanted my traveling companion and I to experience diƯerent types of cooked fish and in the town of Cascais we did. I highly recommend this private tour given by the Jewish Heritage Alliance. It’s a tour you will be telling your family and friends about for years to come. Judi Hochman Los Angeles

Our trip to Portugal was flawless. The hotels were excellent and well-located. The trip had an superb itinerary which allowed the participants to visit not only the important tourist sites in Lisbon, Porto, Sintra and Cascais like many other tours, but also to visit other cities (Tomar, Belmonte, Vilar Formoso) with key sites that played a significant role in the history of the Jews in Portugal. The individuals who led our trip - Antonio and Rabbi Tarlow -- were a superb duo, knowledgeable, informative and patient. Not only did Antonio have a great personality and sense of humor, the love of his country was infectious. The Rabbi’s commentaries perfectly completed Antonio's talks, and the Rabbi's post-dinner presentations were fascinating and entertaining, even after a long day of travelling. His expansive knowledge of the history of the Spanish and Portuguese inquisition, as well as all things Jewish, added great value to the experience as well as an unparalleled understanding of Jewish Portugal. They are top professionals in their fields. I highly recommend the trip.