Jewish Heritage Trip to Spain, Portugal and Gibraltar Blog

I had met our tour guide, Betsalel Steinhart, on November 9, 2015, the anniversary of Kristalnacht, when Beth Emeth began its Poland-Israel tour. Four years later, our tour of Sephardic heritage and history ended on November 9, 2019.

On our Shabbat in Portugal, the last full day of our trip, we read Parshat Lech Lecha, the beginning of our people's 4000 year journey. Each of us has our own Jewish journey in life. For two weeks, close to thirty of us shared an amazing journey. At each site, we beared witness to a Jewish history that was and/or a Jewish history that is. We saw sites where synagogues and Jewish communities used to be. We saw sites where a renewed Jewish life is taking place, in such places as Barcelona, Gibraltar, Belmonte, and Lisbon.

We marveled at how small Jewish communities secretly preserved their Jewishness during times of oppression. Contrast this to the rate of assimilation nowadays in places where Jews live freely. How ironic! What is our responsibility?

Soon, we will light the Chanukiah. As I do so this year, I will marvel about the Jews of the Iberian peninsula who had to hide their Jewishness, even as we now are commanded to publicize the light of Jewish pride and commitment outwardly.

I wish everyone a freilicha Chanukah.

(Pictured: Sharee Tikva - The Lisbon Synagogue)