September 7, 2005

OU Offers Unique Mission to Italy and Israel for Union Society Members

It may come as a surprise, but Italy is the most ancient Jewish community in Europe, dating back to 161 BCE, when Judah Maccabi sent ambassadors to Rome seeking protection against the Syrian Greeks. Because of this full history, the Orthodox Union is offering its Union Society members the opportunity to discover the Jewish past and current Jewish life in Italy with a deluxe tour led by OU President Stephen J. Savitsky and OU Executive Vice President Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb during Thanksgiving week, Sunday, November 20 through Sunday, November 27.

Union Society members are contributors of $5,000 or more to any Orthodox Union program, including NCSY, Yachad, and other programs of the OU worldwide.

“This trip is exclusive, open only to Union Society members to show how grateful we are for their partnership with the Orthodox Union,” declared Mr. Savitsky.

The theme for the tour will be Sages, Scholars and a Special Community. “For a country that’s synonymous with Catholicism, there’s a tremendous amount of Jewish history,” declared Rabbi Weinreb, who will serve as Scholar-in-Residence. “Jews have been living in Italy since before the destruction of the Second Temple and we will attempt to discover their experience through the centuries as part of Italy’s fascinating culture and landscape.”

Some of Italy’s most famous Jews include the liturgical poet Rabbi Meshullam ben Klonimos of Lucca, who is responsible for many of the piyutim in the High Holy Days prayer service; and the 16th century Biblical commentator Obadia ben Jacob Sforno. There are approximately 50,000 Jews living in Italy today, with some 16,000 in Rome.

The group will stay at the four-star deluxe Hotel Bernini Bristol, an elegant 19th century classic on the Piazza Barberini near the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. The tour will commence with a walk through Rome’s piazzas and a stroll through some of city’s most beautiful and famous sites, such as Piazza Navona, Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. The group will also visit the Arch of Titus, which tells the story of Titus and Vespasian’s defeat of Jerusalem in 70 CE; and the Arch of Constantine and the Colosseum, both built partly by Jewish slaves.

The group will also visit uniquely Jewish sites, including the former Jewish ghetto and synagogue. There will also be an optional tour of the halachically appropriate parts of the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel, with an emphasis on the former Jewish community in Vatican City. Lunch and dinner will take place at Rome’s kosher restaurants or with special dinners at the hotel with Italian Jewish leaders. While in Italy, a kosher caterer will be traveling with the group to tend to all of the group’s needs, in addition to dining in local restaurants that meet OU standards of kashrut.

The tour will also include an excursion to the rolling countryside of Tivoli, visiting sites like the Gardens and the Villa D’Este, as well as Villa Adriana (Hadrian’s Palace) and one of Italy’s famous wineries.

After four days in Italy, the group will travel to Israel, staying at the Sheraton Plaza Hotel in Jerusalem, for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner followed by an exclusive performance by the Dor L’Dor acting troupe, to discover how Israel’s most challenging social problems are addressed by this innovative theater group.

The trip to Israel will include visits with Israeli dignitaries and exposure to many of the OU’s activities and programs in Israel. A helicopter tour will take off from Tel Aviv and fly over Jerusalem and various sites throughout the area and will ultimately land in Gush Etzion. The trip will end with a cocktail party and a gala farewell dinner in Jerusalem. An optional extension of the trip in Israel is available at the famed Carmel Forest Spa.

“A significant aspect of this trip is that it is providing our members with an opportunity to see the how OU affects the whole Jewish world,” explained Mr. Savitsky. “Whether it be a kosher vineyard in Italy or through our numerous outreach programs in Israel, the OU is maintaining as well as creating programs and outreach to Jewish communities all over the world. This trip will give our most special donors an opportunity to witness that first hand.”

All accommodations are first class, with only the highest quality hotels and gourmet food. “It will be both a luxurious and meaningful experience,” Mr. Savitsky added.

The ground cost of the trip is $1,950 (exclusive of air arrangements). For more information, please contact Malka Laks at 212-613-8144 or email goldsmitha@ou.org.

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The Orthodox Union, now in its second century of service to the Jewish community of North America and beyond, is a world leader in community and synagogue services, adult education, youth work through NCSY, political action through the IPA, and advocacy for persons with disabilities through Yachad and Our Way. Its kosher supervision label, the , is the world’s most recognized kosher symbol and can be found on over 400,000 products manufactured in 83 countries around the globe.

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