✈ Florence, Italy

Contributed by: Elina Rokhkind | Last Date of Travel: October 2009

Kosher Info:

There are three sources of kosher food in Florence, all of them located in close proximity to the synagogue.

The first is the dairy vegetarian Ristorante Ruth. Since it’s the only sit-down place, you get to meet here all kosher tourists visiting Florence at the time. The menu is not too extensive and rather eclectic, as is the restaurant’s décor. The food itself is decent, but not overly sophisticated; the house wine is pretty good. You can order here fish, pasta and vegetable dishes, as well as soups, pizza, and deserts. The restaurant’s owner, Simcha, is a very friendly and interesting man, who personally serves and gets to know his customers.

Then, there is a small store – Kosher Market, which sells packaged goods and wine, as well as a selection of imported frozen products, so they can prepare pizza or schwarma for you on the spot. They can also serve tea and instant coffee, and there are a few tables to sit while grabbing a bite. The frozen food is not great and overpriced, compared to the US. On the bright side, they sell some local cheeses and deli meats, which are delicious, and a good value too. Order a sandwich to take with you for the day of touring, and pair it with some delectable fresh Italian produce; then come back in the evening for a sit-down meal in the restaurant – this is a good plan in the kosher-limited Florence.

The third place – Chabbad of Florence – was always locked when we passed by, so you probably need to make the arrangements in advance.

Tourist Info:

We fell for the charm of Florence in an instant. This amazingly beautiful city surrounded by picturesque Tuscany hills exudes harmony and has a healthy dose of everything. Being the cradle of Renaissance, Florence is loaded with historical sites and grand art, yet the tourist crowds are manageable. For a modern cosmopolitan city with vibrant economic and cultural life, Florence is moderately-paced as Florentines prefer enjoying Dolce Vita to hectic lifestyles. The historical center is quite compact, which allows exploring it entirely on foot.

The heart of Florence is the Piazza del Duomo, where the famous Gothic Cathedral (known as Duomo) with its beautiful multi-colored facade is located. The Cathedral’s enormous red dome, renowned for being the first free-standing dome of its size since antiquity, is seen from everywhere around the city. Next to the Duomo is the Campanile (bell tower), which you can climb (all 414 steps of it) for the breathtaking views of the city and surrounding countryside. The architectural trio of the Piazza is completed with the Baptistery – the oldest Florentine building from the 11th century.

The powerful Medici family that ruled Florence during the Renaissance times was instrumental in beautifying the city, and lots of magnificent art pieces used to stand under the open sky. Nowadays, however, most of them are sheltered inside the numerous museums, and their place in the streets is taken by skillfully made copies. One couple we met during our travels was convinced they saw David’s Michelangelo a while ago in front of the Palazzo Vecchio (the old Town Hall). This was indeed the historical place of the famous symbol of Renaissance, but since 19th century David’s home is under the specially designed dome in the Accademia art gallery.

As it was said, the art is abundant and museums and palaces are plentiful in Florence – schedule carefully what you wish to visit. During our trip we managed to see the above mentioned Accademia (where aside from David you can find several more sculptures of Michelangelo), Palazzo Medici-Riccardi (early Medici residence, most famous for its frescoed private chapel), the immense and luxurious Palazzo Pitti (later Medici residence, complete with beautiful gardens and more art), and the free Palazzo Davanzati (a restored medieval house where you can glimpse into the life well before food-processors and modern bathrooms, and be surprised how ingenious people had been). And of course the Uffizzi – one of the most prominent Europe’s galleries – is an art-lover’s absolute must! Indeed, this surprisingly manageable museum housing the best Renaissance art in addition to classical sculptures, have the highest concentration of masterpieces per square foot we’ve ever encountered. In order not to stand in line for hours, it is highly recommended to use their advance reservation system.

Aside from enjoying its art and architecture, Florence is just a picture-perfect place to stroll. Admire the big castle-like Palazzo Vecchio, and imagine the tumultuous past unfolding on the Piazza della Signoria in front of it. Take a buggy ride on the cobblestones of the city center, or ride a carousel in the dusk on Piazza della Repubblica accompanied by the lively tunes of street musicians. Drop by the San Lorenzo market with its rows of bargain-priced leather goods, and get amazed by the abundance and variety of produce, and design of food shops at the nearby Mercato Centrale. Cross the romantic Ponte Vecchio– the oldest Florentine bridge spared by the Nazi during their retreat, and take a walk down the Oltrarno neighborhood’s winding streets among ancient buildings and artisan shops. Take a mini-hike to Piazzale Michelangelo for some amazing city views from the top of the hill. Finally, peep inside the big-name boutiques in this fashion-conscious city, and have a look at other interesting shopping options like a 600-year-old perfumery.

Although, we did not have time for it, we read the trips to the nearby Tuscan hill towns, such as San Gimignano, are really lovely. Other day trip options from Florence are to the interesting cities of Pisa, Siena or Lucca.

Jewish Info:

The imposing Great Synagogue of Florence with its green dome distinctive on the Florentine skyline of red-tiled roofs, was built in Moorish style in the end of 19th century. The grand and beautiful building is, unfortunately, mostly empty as minyan gathers for morning services only 3 times a week. The synagogue houses a small museum, and organizes guided tours of its inside, providing some background on the Jewish history in Florence.

Unless you hire a private guide knowledgeable about the Florentine Jewish history and sites significant to it, there is nothing explicitly Jewish to see in Florence. The Ghetto, formerly located on the place of the present Piazza della Repubblica, was completely destroyed in 19th century. Giovanna Bossi specializes in Jewish Florence tours, but we ended up not using her services, which I partially regret. Please refer to Jewish Italy website for relevant contact info.

Tags: chabad, florence, Florentine, jewish florence, jewish ghetto, jewish italy, kosher florence, kosher italy, michelandelo, renaissance, tuscany

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✈ Venice, Italy

Contributed by Elina Rokhkind | Last Date of Travel: October 2009

Kosher Info: All Jewish life in Venice is clustered inside the former Ghetto area of two compact squares – Campo di Ghetto Nuovo and Campo di Ghetto Vecchio. Here you can find two meat kosher restaurants: Gam-Gam, which is owned and operated by Chabad, and Le Balthazar with the adjacent new kosher hotel Giardino del Ghetto (same ownership) under the supervision of Chief Rabbi of Venice.

It was packed in Gam-Gam on Thursday night, so reservations are recommended. The food was tasty and the service efficient, but the menu was mostly Israeli style with just a few Italian selections. On Shabbat Gam-Gam hosts communal meals (free, but donations are appreciated). They told us that in the summer they had up to 700 guests each week eating in shifts! During our October stay it was less crowded, but the restaurant was full nevertheless.

Le Balthazar also offers Shabbat meals, which you have to pre-pay. During our visit they hosted a morning Kiddush for everyone in their quaint backyard garden, so we got a glimpse of Le Balthazar’s cuisine and atmosphere. I must say, we were rather impressed, both the fresh authentic Italian delicacies they served and the lovely décor contributed to an extremely pleasant experience.

There is another small B&B in the Ghetto – Locanda del Ghetto, which only serves catered kosher breakfast for its guests.

There are also two kosher bakeries – one was never open while we were there, and the other had a nice selection of breads and pastries, and sold kosher packaged products and wine. The bakery is apparently owned by non-Jews, since it was open on Shabbat, while displaying two kashrut certificates. Chabad also runs a small makolet, where you can buy some dry goods and dairy, but it does not have set operation hours, so you need to arrange with them to open it.

Another dining option is the dairy cafeteria in the Jewish Museum of Venice, open during the museum hours. We tried it and were pleasantly surprised, as it offered simple but yummy Italian dishes and heimishe service. Finally, we discovered a gelateria Il Gelatone within a 5-minute walk outside of the Ghetto: all flavors marked with a K are kosher, but cookie holders are not permitted – ask for a paper cup.

Travel Info: Considered an ultimate romantic city with its web of narrow streets and myriads of canals, cozy squares, dreamy bridges and unique architecture, Venice would indeed be so if not for the masses of tourists. But even with the Manhattan-like crowds, the place is worth touring.

Many day-trippers never get to explore Venice beyond the St. Mark’s Square and a gondola ride. In fact, the city has a number of interesting museums and palaces one can visit, but the best part is just to roam through Venice, discover some back streets which no tourists reach, get lost in the narrow lanes and be amazed by the past grandeur and the ongoing struggle with the water to keep the history from decay. The Venetian phenomenon of acqua alta (“high waters”) caused primarily by the exceptionally high tides in the Adriatic Sea and magnified by the Venice’s continuous sinking into the lagoon, brings about periodical flooding of the area and challenges the upkeep of the suffering buildings.

Take a vaporetto (waterbus) ride along the Grand Canal – the once magnificent facades are somewhat dilapidated, but still charming. During the “high waters”, which foremost hit the overwhelmed by tourists San Marco area – the city’s lowest point, people navigate on raised platforms, and traffic can be slow.

By all means, take some guided tour once in Venice to learn more about the rich and interesting history of the Venetian Republic. Both the Doge’s Palace “Secret Itineraries” tour (where they bring you to otherwise inaccessible floors of the palace) and the Clock Tower tour we took were very engaging and are highly recommended. The Doge’s Palace and the Clock Tower are both located on the famed Piazza San Marco together with the Basilica San Marco, the Campanille (bell tower) and several museums. Cafes with outside seating on the Piazza feature baroque and jazz music bands, and at night the square becomes a scene of “dueling orchestras”, when bands from different cafes take turns in showing off their virtuosity.

If you have a chance, visit other islands in the Venetian lagoon. Murano Island, famous for its glassmaking shops, is an interesting option, where you can catch a glass-blowing demo and purchase discounted (compared to Venice) glass pieces.

Jewish Info: The Ghetto area is the center of the Jewish life in Venice. Venetian Ghetto is the oldest in Europe – in 1516 it was decreed that Jews are to live in the small area in sestiere Cannaregio where the old foundries (geti in Italian) were located. Due to the guttural pronunciation of the German Jews who first settled in the geti area, the word “ghetto” appeared. Initially the Jews were given the Ghetto Nuovo, but later the Ghetto was enlarged to include Ghetto Vechio (the names of New and Old refer here to the new and old foundries, not sites of Jewish settlements). The Ghetto was closed at night, and the surrounding canals were patrolled by Christian guards. The Ghetto was abolished with the Napoleon’s conquest in 1797.
Several thousands Jews lived in this pretty confined area of two squares. Unusually high buildings with subdivided floors are the result of the cramped living conditions.

The synagogues in Ghetto Nuovo are located on the top floors of the buildings. Five beautiful 16th century synagogues (called Scole) are well-preserved and can be seen on a guided tour through the Jewish Museum of Venice. Two synagogues are open for services (the Levantine Scola in the winter, the Spanish Scola in the summer), with other synagogues functioning during the holidays.
Aside from the synagogues and the Jewish Museum, there are two Holocaust memorials, Beit-Chabad and their small yeshiva, and a bunch of Judaica stores in the Ghetto. For additional details check the Jewishitaly.org website.

Tags: chabad, gam gam, ghetto, grand canal, jewish ghetto, jewish italy, jewish travel, jewish venice, kosher italy, kosher travel, kosher venice, piazza, venetian

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