Unlike most of the rest of Italy, much of the period from the Early Middle Ages up to the beginning of the modern age (around 500-1500CE) is hidden here in this southern part of Italy. Jewish life began here with the generation of Jews deported by the Romans at the time of the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70CE and continued for centuries up until the definitive expulsion of the Jews from the Kingdom of Naples in 1541. This Jewish Historical Seminar will concentrate on the regions of Puglia. Our study will take us to Lecce, Otranto, Oria, Bari, Trani, Taranto, Matera, Venosa, where we will visit sites of Jewish interest and see the most important relics of the Jewish past.  Our seminar will reveal the little known or almost forgotten cultural heritage of communities in Puglia that have long ceased to exist and their memory has almost faded away.  We will uncover little known chapters in ancient, medieval and early modern Jewish history that are essential for a proper understanding of communities that emerged and rose to prominence elsewhere in Europe.

 

Mon, Sep 1:       Arrival in Bari, a port city on the Adriatic Sea and the capital of southern

                           Italy’s Puglia region. 

                           Orientation in a room in the hotel followed by a vegetarian dinner.   BARI

 

Tue, Sep 2:        Lecture: The Jews of Southern Italy in Roman Times, K. Aron-Beller     

                           Lecture: From Jerusalem to Rome: The Beginnings of Italian Jewry –

                           Between History and Archaeology, S. Sabar

                           Travel to Taranto to visit the National Archaeological Museum to see Jewish

                           Tombstones. Visit the Cattedrale di San Cataldo, the oldest Romanesque

                           Cathedral with frescoes, mosaics and sculptures by great artists.

                           Travel to Oria to see the Jewish Quarter and the Archaeological Museum to

                           see Jewish stones with epigraphs. Continue to Lecce, known as the “Florence

                           of the South”, with its stunning baroque historic center.                      LECCE

 

Wed, Sep 3:       Lecture: Jews under Byzantine Rule in Puglia, K. Aron-Beller

                           Lecture: Jewish Art and Visual Symbols in the Talmudic Period: Between

                           the Land of Israel and the Diaspora, S. Sabar

                           Visit Lecce with the wonderful Jewish Museum located in the heart of

                           the medieval Jewish Quarter.

                           Travel to Santa Maria al Bagno to visit the Museo della Memoria e

                           dell’Accoglienza which retraces the history of thousands of Jewish survivors

                           from the holocaust hosted in transit camps between 1944 to early 1947. 

                           Travel to Gallipoli and visit an olive mill and the Jewish area.             LECCE                                                    

Thu, Sep 4:         Lecture: The Jewish Catacombs of Italy: Between Rome and Venosa,

                            S. Sabar

                           Travel to Galatina to visit the 14th century Basilica di Santa Caterina

                            d’Alessandria, a treasure of art and ancient times with magnificent frescoes.

                            Continue to Otranto to visit the Jewish quarter and to visit the Cathedral di

                            Santa Maria Annunziata with the ornate mosaic flooring and hopefully

                            the Museo Diocesano that hosts the most ancient Jewish funerary

                            epigraph of Puglia, “Glyka’s Stele.”                                                        LECCE                                                                                                                                               

Fri, Sep 5:          Lecture on the bus:  Medieval Jewish Life, Aron-Beller

                           Wine tasting in the kosher winery, Cantine Leuci.

                           Visit an olive orchard for olive tasting and a tour.

                           Travel via Ostuni known as the “White City” with its white-washed houses

                           and historic charm.                           

                           Continue to Trani, known as the “Pearl of Puglia” where there was a major

                           Jewish community.

                           Shabbat Services in the medieval synagogue, Scola Nova followed by

                           Shabbat dinner.                                                                                          TRANI                                                                                                                                            

Sat, Sep 6:         Shabbat Services in the Scola Nova synagogue.

                           Shabbat lunch.                                    

                           Walking tour of the Jewish quarter and visit the Sinagoga Museo Sant’Anna

                           formally called the Scola Grande built in 1247 and one of the four synagogue

                            buildings which survived.                                                                       TRANI                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Sun, Sep 7:        Lecture: Expulsions, Conversions and Inquisition, K. Aron-Beller                         

                           Travel to Venosa to see the funerary slabs in the Castle.

                           Visit the medieval Church “L’Incompiuta”, a fascinating Norman-Gothic Abbey

                           which still displays Hebrew Inscriptions on its wall.

                           We will try to visit the famous Jewish Catacombs.

                           Travel to Matera, a city on a rocky outcrop in the region of Basilicata. MATERA   

 

Mon, Sep 8:       Lecture: Medieval Hebrew Manuscripts and Printed Books – Between

                           Rome and Reggio Calabria, S. Sabar

                           Visit Matera, with the Sassi area, a complex of cave dwelling carved into the

                           mountainside which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

                           Travel to World Heritage site Alberobello, a small town known for its trulli,

                           whitewashed stone huts with conical roofs.

                           Visit Bari and the Jewish Quarter. See Jewish Tombstones in the courtyard

                           of the Castle.

                           Return to Matera for a specially prepared dinner.

                                                                                                                                           MATERA          

                          

Tue, Sep 9:         Transfer to the Bari airport for departure.   

                    

                                                      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 

         Prof. Fabrizio Lelli, Hebrew language and literature at the “La Sapienza” University of Rome, Italy

 

 

Price for land arrangements only:  Euro 3895 per person in a double room

      ***EARLY REGISTRATION UNTIL Oct 22, 2025: Euro 3845 per person in a double room***    

                                                                                               

Single supplement (Double room for Single Occupancy): Euro 830

                          Price is based on minimum participants

 

Price for airfare from Israel: Approximately USD 660

                          (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 Bari or at the

                          Bari airport.

 

Deposit:  Euro 900 with registration, of which Euro 500 is non-refundable.

     Remainder of payment is to be paid by May 1, 2025.   Please register promptly as our trips fill quickly.                                                         

             

Cancellation fees:                                                 

                       Apr 1-Jun 30, 2025…....…..……...........................30%

                       July 1-31, 2025……..…….…...…….………...…….50%

                       Aug 1, 2025-Departure..…….…….......……….…100%                

                                                                                                         

Included:

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

•   JHS Tour Escort and Prof. Fabrizio Lelli

•   Local English speaking tour guide                        

•   8 nights accommodation in 4-star hotels with daily buffet breakfasts, 1st and last dinner and Friday        Shabbat  dinner and Saturday Shabbat lunch

•   Local transport by tourist bus

•   Entrance fees according to itinerary     

               

Not included in the price:                                     

• Obligatory health and cancellation travel insurance

• Visa fees

• Tips Euro 95

                                                                          

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.

 

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