Jewish Sicily: A Hidden World Rediscovered

Participants arrive independently in Palermo and transfer to the hotel. In the late afternoon, we gather for an opening orientation introducing the themes of the journey and the extraordinary history of Sicilian Jewry. A panoramic city tour offers a first glimpse into Palermo's layered past before we gather for a specially prepared welcome dinner together.

Following an opening session on the defining characteristics of Sicilian Jewish history by Dr. Kathy Aron-Beller, we travel to Trapani to explore its historic guidecca, or Jewish quarter. We will view the Palazzo della Giudecca, once a center of Jewish intellectual and communal life. Continuing to the breathtaking hilltop town of Erice, we encounter medieval streets, sweeping views, and traces of Jewish presence woven into Sicily's landscape.

Today's learning session explores Jewish life in Byzantine and Muslim Sicily, a period of extraordinary cultural interaction and flourishing. We travel to Siculiana to visit the Mother Church, home to a remarkable baptismal font decorated with scenes connected to the Hebrew Bible. We then continue to Agrigento to explore the magnificent remains of the ancient Greek world at the Valley of the Temples.

Today we explore Palermo's extraordinary blend of Arab, Norman, Jewish, and Christian influences. Following a learning session examining Jewish life under Catholic rule, we visit Monreale Cathedral, famed for its dazzling golden mosaics. Back in Palermo, we walk through the historic Jewish quarter, visit the ancient mikveh, and explore the Royal Palace and Palatine Chapel, one of Sicily's greatest examples of Arab-Norman art and architecture.

This morning's learning focuses on the beginning of the decline of Sicilian Jewry under Aragonese rule. We travel to Piazza Armerina to see some of the world's most extraordinary Roman mosaics at the Villa Romana del Casale. Continuing onward to Siracusa, we encounter one of Sicily's most important ancient Greek cities, rich in history, beauty, and layered civilizations.

Today we delve into the final chapter of Jewish life in Sicily and the rise of Crypto-Judaism after expulsion and forced conversion. In Siracusa, we explore one of the island's most fascinating guideccas, visit the remains of the synagogue and the recently rediscovered mikveh, and see Hebrew inscriptions preserved within the city. Visits to the catacombs of San Giovanni and Vigna Cassia deepen our understanding of the region's religious and historical complexity.

Today is intentionally lighter, allowing time for personal reflection, rest, wandering through the beauty of Siracusa, or quiet conversations with fellow travelers. Shabbat in Sicily offers an opportunity to pause and absorb the remarkable history, learning, and experiences of the journey.

Today we continue exploring Jewish Sicily under Catholic rule and the lasting traces of Jewish life after expulsion. In Agira, we visit the church preserving the Aron HaKodesh from the medieval synagogue and explore the location of the former Jewish quarter. We then continue to Taormina, one of Sicily's most picturesque hilltop towns, known for its dramatic beauty overlooking the Ionian Sea.

Our final full day includes a tour of Taormina's guidecca and its extraordinary Greek theater overlooking the sea. We then travel to Mount Etna, Europe's largest active volcano, whose powerful landscape has shaped Sicilian history and imagination for millennia. This evening we gather for a festive farewell dinner in Taormina, celebrating the friendships, learning, and discoveries shared throughout the journey.

Participants depart Sicily from either Catania or Palermo, carrying home the stories, memories, and hidden Jewish history of this extraordinary island.