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Tel Aviv is sometimes described as just another city with no story to call its own. Today we will pull back the curtain to share the many stories and the foundational narratives that Tel Aviv told about itself through the years and the connections between story and symbol and urban planning, architecture, and design. Whether you want to call it ‘The White City’ or ‘The Big Orange’ or ‘The City That Never Stops’ – join us for a behind the scenes look at Tel Aviv and it’s celebration of the Zionist new normal.
Links for Additional Reading:
How Did Tel Aviv Become a Beacon For Stunning Bauhaus Architecture? Elizabeth Warkentin, Architecture + Design, 25 September 2019,
The Mythography of Tel Aviv, Maoz Azaryahu and Jonathan Silver. Mosaic, 17 November 20222
Tel Aviv: Israel's Cultural and Financial Capital, History of Israel Explained, Unpacked
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Mount Hermon – the eyes of Israel – has been witness to thousands of generations telling their stories throughout the ages. This single, towering peak bears the weight of countless narratives — stories of history, culture, faith from ancient times until today. Hermon is not just a place to go skiing; it’s a place where the sacred intersects with the strategic, where ancient traditions meet the present day, and where diverse communities—Jewish, Druze, Christian, and Muslim—leave their imprints on its slopes.
Links for Additional Reading
Mount Hermon – A General Overview
Mount Hermon – Jewish Virtual Library
Druze Lives Matter | Real Talk Marissa Streit sits with Rania Dean and Omar Nasser
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Much of our consumer experience in the 21st century is antiseptic and impersonal. Visiting Jerusalem’s open air market at Mahane Yehuda is a chance to engage all of our senses, to get out and about, and see a slice of Jerusalem as it lives and breathes in all of its colors, flavors, and tastes. In this episode, we will visit the streets and alleys of Mahane Yehuda – a bit of history, a bit of culinary, and a bit of the human mosaic that makes Mahane Yehuda an exciting classroom for understanding Israeli society.
Links For Additional Reading
The Complete Guide to the Machane Yehuda Market
100 Years Of Photographs At Machane Yehuda Market, Israel21C, Naama Barak, 23 July 2023
Zooming In On The History Of Jerusalem's Iconic Machane Yehuda Market, i24NewsEnglish
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High in the mountains in a land shrouded in mystery for most of us live the indigenous peoples of North Africa – the Berbers. And alongside these proud tribespeople who call themselves – ‘the free men’ – lived the Jews of the Atlas Mountains, of the North African Berbers. Wandering Jews shares the history and stories of this unique episode in the Jewish experience and invite you to consider the borders between history and legend, and the place where these stories become part of our own Jewish memory.
Links for Additional Reading:
The Muslim And The Lost Jews Of Morocco, YNET News
Habrera Hativit, World Music Central
The Caliph’s House, Tahir Shah
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We define our symbols and our symbols define us. When considering the Star of David as a Jewish symbol, one has to head out on a journey through the centuries and across the globe to understand how a widespread geometric configuration became such a powerful defining image of the Jewish people – to our enemies and to ourselves. Join us from Jerusalem to Rome to Morocco to Prague to Basle, Switzerland as we explore the Star of David and our Jewish journeys.
Links for Additional Reading
The Curious History Of The Six-Pointed Star: How The “Magen David” Became The Jewish Symbol, Gershom Scholem, Commentary, September 1949
Star of David: Birth of a Symbol – Legends vs. Facts, ANU – The Museum of the Jewish People, 1 February 2018
Star Of David, Erin Parfet, Shalom Learning Center, 4 April 2024
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Considered by Jewish tradition as one of the holy cities of the Land of Israel, Tsfat’s alleys and hills welcome visitors to explore the Jewish mystical tradition as it was formulated and taught by a unique circle of 16th-century teachers, philosophers, and visionaries, including ‘The Lion’ Rabbi Isaac Luria. The “Wandering Jews” will walk with you through Tsfat and together we will uncover the secrets of a religious approach that continues to be meaningful 500 years after Tsfat’s heyday. What is mysticism? And how did a concept drawn from Jewish texts and mystical tomes become a major calling card for Judaism in the late 20th and 21st centuries?
Links for Additional Reading:
An Introduction to Jewish Mysticism, Michael Howald, Sefaria
Kabbalah: An Overview, Joseph Telushkin, Jewish Virtual Library
The Mystics of Safed, Dan Cohn-Sherbok, My Jewish Learning
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The Dead Sea is one of the great natural wonders of the world. And the surrounding Judaean Desert has been the backdrop for some of the most exciting chapters in the history of the Land of Israel – from King David’s Ein Gedi to Qumran’s Dead Sea Scrolls, to the heights of Masada, and the pioneers of modern times. The Dead Sea is disappearing at an alarming rate – and the question is whether or not our grandchildren will vaguely remember the ‘Salt Sea’ as they stand at the edge of a salt-encrusted crater. Our episode will explore the story of the Dead Sea and the environmental challenges facing the sea and all of us.
Links for Additional Reading:
Pollution in the Promised Land, Alon Tal, California University Press, 2002
What Can We Do To Stop The Dead Sea From Dying? With UnPacked on YouTube
Land, Water And The Changing Dead Sea Environment: A Microhistory Of Kibbutz Ein Gedi, Nir Arielli, Journal of Israeli History, 2022, VOL. 40, NO. 2, 235–256
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Join us as we step into the dazzling world of Sephardic Jewry during the Golden Age; an era of tolerance and thriving creativity. Meet legendary figures like Shmuel HaNagid, Moses de Leon, and Maimonides, whose groundbreaking works - along with the rich cultural exchange between Jews and Muslims - sparked the remarkable flourishing of Sephardic Jewish civilization. Who were these Sephardic Jewish superheroes? How did the Golden Age inspire Jews centuries after the collapse of Jewish life in Iberia? And how “Golden” was the Golden Age?
Links for Additional Reading:
The Ornament of the World: How Muslims, Jews and Christians Created a Culture of Tolerance in Medieval Spain, Maria Rosa Menocal, PBS Series
Under Crescent and Cross: The Jews in the Middle Ages, Mark R. Cohen
Hebrew Poets in Old Spain, Hillel Halkin, Commentary, July/August 2007
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In this episode, we’re heading to Tzippori, an ancient city in the Galilee that became a symbol of Jewish resilience. After the destruction of the Temple and the fall of Jerusalem, Tzippori emerged as the heart of Jewish life in the land of Israel. At the helm of this transformation was Judah the Prince, a community leader, diplomat, and confidant to the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius. He is most famous, however, for codifying Judaism’s oral traditions into the Mishnah, a monumental work of five volumes, that laid the foundation for Jewish law and life for centuries to come. Join us as we explore Tzippori and uncover how this unlikely northern hilltop city helped codify a vision for the future of the Jewish people.
Links for Additional Reading:
As a Driven Leaf - A novel by Milton Steinberg, Josh Lambert
The Orchard, Yohi Brandes
Israel's Archaeological Site Zippori Calls to Jews and Christians, i24 News
The Book of Legends/Sefer Ha-Aggadah - Legends from the Talmud and Midrash, Hayyim Nahman Bialik and Y.H. Rawnitzky
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Tel Aviv’s ANU Museum of the Jewish People shares the unparalleled story of the Jewish Experience – yesterday, today, and tomorrow. The Museum refuses to relegate the Jewish experience to a tale of tears and fears. Instead, ANU traces the diversity and plurality of Jewish life in every corner of the world where the Jewish people lived throughout the ages. ANU strives to keep it contemporary – with exhibitions dedicated to women in Jewish history, comedy as Jewish and Israeli expression, and even Jews in popular music. Visiting ANU is not only about the past; it is mainly about how we encounter and understand our own story – and share that with others – as we use the past to fuel our future.
In this episode, we host a special guest – Dan Tadmor – the CEO of ANU. Dan shares his take on how the museum has grown and developed, and how he and his team have turned their vision into an internationally recognised museum milestone.
Links for Additional Reading:
ANU – The Museum of the Jewish People
ANU, a New Museum of the Jewish People, Opens in Tel Aviv - Izabelle Taborosky, Tablet Magazine, 22 July 2022
The Story of the Jews by Simon Schama - The BBC Series based on Schama’a outstanding two volume introduction to the Jewish Story
A Short History of the Jews - Michael Brenner, Princeton University Press, 2012
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In this episode, we journey off the beaten path to Moisésville, a small town in Argentina’s vast pampas that became a beacon of hope for Eastern European Jews fleeing persecution in the late 19th century. Founded with the support of Baron Maurice de Hirsch’s Jewish Colonization Association, Moisésville was an ambitious attempt to build a new life on foreign soil, where Jewish traditions could thrive far from the pogroms of Europe. We’ll explore how this "Jerusalem of Argentina" became a hub of resilience, culture, and adaptation, reflecting the universal Jewish quest for belonging. Join us as we uncover this forgotten chapter of history and reflect on what it means to find a home in an unexpected place.
Links for Additional Reading:
The Search for an Alternative Homeland, Jewish Chronicle
How the Orient Express’s Baron Maurice de Hirsch Changed the Track of Jewish Migration, Times of Israel
The Zionist Vision, Excerpt from Theodor Herzl’s Book, “The Jewish State.”
The (Railroad) Baron, Jewish Review of Books
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Imagine the shores of the Galilee Sea – the Kinneret – at the turn of the 20th century – a parched, blistering landscape. And the early Zionist pioneers – young people who had left Europe and their families to build the dream of a Jewish national home - had no air conditioning. We will explore the place, period, and phenomenon of pioneering. What were the hardships? And what was the dream? And where are we at today?
Links for Additional Reading:
Go Cemetery Hopping — It’s Not All That Grave - Jessica Steinberg, Times of Israel
Rachel Bluwstein - Dana Olmert, The Jewish Women’s Archive
The Second Aliyah - The Israel National Library
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J2 Adventures brought to Israel over ninety solidarity missions since October 7th, 2023. Communities, synagogues, and federations all came to Israel to stand with Israel and to take Israel’s story back to their families and communities.
In this special episode of Wandering Jews, two of our tour educators – Doron Wilfand and Lior Hochberg - will share their perspectives on their experiences over the past year, and the difficulties of telling a story that remains ongoing and painful. How does one tell a story that all of us are so much a part of?
Additional Resources
Mapping the Massacre – An Interactive Map Documenting the Events of October 7th
Memory & Hope: October 7, One Year Later - the Shalom Hartman Institute
Israel at War - the Institute for National Security Studies
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The Israeli Breakfast with its array of cheeses, spreads, breads, fresh fruit and veg is a tasty and important symbol of culinary national pride. Foodies since the 1950’s have celebrated the nearly sacred status of this buffet feast. Join us to consider the origins and contexts that cooked up this gastronomic tribute to all good things Israeli – from the kibbutzim and moshavim of the pre-state period, to the bounty of ethnic identities, to a recipe that you can make at home with a taste of Israel.
Links for further reading:
The Best Cookbooks for Israeli Food - Israel21C, Jessica Halfin
A Culinary Renaissance in the Israeli Countryside - Smithsonian Magazine and Travel & Leisure, Saki Knafo
Israeli Breakfast – What’s So Distinctive about It? - Israel Inside Out
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The streets and parks and monuments of Berlin reveal all kinds of Jewish stories – including those of women who were pioneers and innovators in a vast breadth of fields. Join us to hear about their stories as we return ‘herstory’ to Jewish history as we walk Berlin.
Links for further reading:
The Literary Salons Of Berlin Petra Wilhelmy-Dollinger traces the history of Berlin’s salon culture from the 18th-20th century…
Hannah Arendt Stephen J. Whitfield tells the story of one of the leading intellectuals of the Twentieth Century.
As a Burning Flame: The Dream of Regina Jonas by Noa Mishkin A graphic novel exploring the life and impact of the first female ordained rabbi in Ashkenazi Jewish history.
Wandering Jews - Famous Jewish Women – A Google Map A number of sites in Berlin connected with famous Jewish women who have played key roles in writing the history of Berlin and the Jewish 'herstory' in modern times.
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A library is often seen as a quiet space, but Israel’s National Library defies that stereotype. It is a vibrant space that not only highlights the role of books in the centuries-old Jewish story but also shines a light on Jewish identity and resilience. Join us for a glimpse into this dynamic setting and explore the questions it raises about the People of the Book in our time.
Links for further reading:
The National Library of Israel
Stories from the Israel National Library on Google Arts and Culture
The Cultural Revolution at the National Library of Israel by Ruth Ebenstein
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David Magen set out on a journey to uncover his family’s history. His journey spans continents, from the historic cities of Vienna and Prague to the bustling streets of Shanghai, the serene Isle of Man, and the heart of Israel. David’s dedication to tracing his family tree is not only inspiring but also highlights the intimate connections between personal histories and the broader tapestry of the history of the Jewish people. David’s excitement and commitment invites each one of us to take a journey into our own family history and memory.
Links and resources:
MyHeritage.com Family Tree Builder
Ancestry.com The world's largest collection of online family history records
JewishGen.org The global home for Jewish genealogy
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Few peoples traverse their homeland as Israelis do. The hike, or tiyul, is integral to the narrative of a people returning from exile, yearning to reconnect with their land. In this episode, we delve into the tiyul as a key aspect of Israel’s tradition of knowing the land, “Yediat Ha’Aretz,” and explore the profound connections between walking and memory.
Links for further readings:
Hiking in Israel: Why Are These Trails Different? Shay Rabineau, AJS Perspectives – The Magazine of the Association of Jewish Studies
From Backpacks To Trailblazers: A Visual History Of Hiking In Israel Gilad Carmeli, Ynetnews.com. 20 April 2023
The Israel National Trail
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Join us for a captivating exploration of Jerusalem's Western Wall, originally a retaining wall of the Temple Mount and today one of Judaism’s holiest sites, acting as a magnet for Jews and non-Jews alike from across the globe. We will be zooming in on Ezrat Yisrael, the egalitarian section that symbolizes the ongoing quest for inclusivity at this sacred site. Sorelle shares her personal journey, finding solace and connection amidst the ancient stones of the Kotel, while Scott describes the profound impact of Ezrat Yisrael on J2’s groups. Through poignant narratives, we uncover the complexities of the Kotel's role as a unifying and/or divisive force for all Jews, highlighting the challenges and aspirations of creating a space that truly belongs to all.
In today’s “something for the road,” J2‘s Rivka Brama, Head of Content and a Jerusalemite herself, shares her favorite place to hang out in Jerusalem’s city center.
Links for further reading:
How the Western Wall Became One of Judaism’s Holiest Sites: When and how did Jews begin praying at the Western Wall? Amit Naor, The Israel National Library
Welcoming Israel: A Blessing for New Jews: A Visit to Azrat Yisrael - Scott Copeland, Times of Israel
Equal Access For All Jews at the Western Wall - Israel Religious Action Committee
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Find more at j2adventures.com
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Today we're embarking on a thrilling journey into the timeless legend of the Golem of Prague and its contemporary counterpart, the Golem of Rehovot. Along the way, we'll traverse through the captivating realms of graphic novels, cinematic masterpieces, and the ever-evolving landscape of artificial intelligence. Sorelle recounts her mesmerizing encounter with the Golem of Rehovot at the prestigious Weizmann Institute of Science. Along the way, we confront profound questions surrounding control and Jewish power and responsibility from the vantage point of AI, contemporary technology, and the ongoing Hamas-Israel war.
In our “Something for the Road,” J2‘s very own Yoni Millo shares his favorite Israeli book – which can also be enjoyed as a movie!
Links for further reading:
The Golem of Prague & The Golem of Rehovoth - Gershom Scholem, Commentary Magazine, January 1966
The Maharal’s Robot - Ro Oranim
Golem - Jay Michaelson, My Jewish Learning
The Golem - Y.L. Peretz
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Find more at j2adventures.com
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- Visa fler
