June 1122, 2015

TRAVEL
Portugal:
Secret Jews and Art

The Jewish Museum

1109 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10128
Under the auspices of The Jewish Theological Seminary

TheJewishMuseum.org
travels@thejm.org
212.423.3200

IN T RODUC T ION

The country of Portugal is a mosaic of cultures, magnificent

art and architecture, and home to fascinating Jewish
heritage and a community of secret Jews. Well explore
the artistic sides of Portugals culture with visits to worldclass art museums and contemporary artists studios.
Our tour will be enhanced by lectures by renowned
professors and meetings with Jewish communities. We
will visit spectacular castles, gardens, and UNESCO World
Heritage sites together with historic Jewish quarters in
cities such as Lisbon, Porto, Castelo de Vide, and others.
Well unravel Portuguese mysteries while taking an in-depth
look at Portugals art and Jewish heritage. We invite you to
join us on this unique tour to one of Europes lesser-known
but highly significant destinations. We hope you will come
along on this exciting trip.

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D A ILY I T INE R A RY

Thursday, June 11
ARRIVAL IN PORTUGAL

Portugal in the world during those 800 years.

Arrival at Lisbon International Airport and transfer to

the five-star Tivoli Hotel. Check in and enjoy free time
to relax.
4 pm: Join your guide and begin a panoramic
sightseeing tour of the citys neighborhoods,
monuments, and architecturally significant buildings.
Lisbon is, without a doubt, a charming capital city.
Famous landmarks are scattered throughout an urban
landscape unlike any other. Marvel at the beautiful
views from above the Tagus River. This is a city at once
Atlantic and Mediterranean, and you will discover
the citys rich variety of cultural heritages in one of
Europes most charming capitals. Jewish life probably
began here not long before the city fell to the Moors
in the 8th century. Enjoy the extraordinary view from
high up on Castelo So Jorge and the Alfama Quarter.
A large Jewish community flourished here in the area
of the Rua da Judiaria.
Welcome dinner at Tgide, a restaurant boasting
excellent food and a superb view over the city.
Lecture by Jos Oulman Carp, President of the Jewish
Community of Lisbon, on the forthcoming Jewish
Museum of Lisbon in Alfama and the history of the CIL
Comunidade Israelita de Lisboa.
Overnight: Lisbon (dinner included)

In the evening, visit Lisbons main synagogue, Shaare

Tikva, where Rabbi Eliezer Shai Di Martino will meet
the group.
After services (optional), enjoy Shabbat dinner in
the synagogue (or in a Kosher restaurant near the
synagogue).
Overnight: Lisbon (dinner included)

By kkmsrais [CC BY 2.0], via flickr

Saturday, June 13
LISBON JEWISH HERITAGE AND HISTORIC
NEIGHBORHOODS
Morning on your own. In the afternoon, meet your
guide at the hotel and enjoy a walking tour from
Avenida da Liberdade to Rossio Square, which was the
site of the Court of the Inquisition.

Friday, June 12
LISBON & SHABBAT SHALOM
Start the day with a visit to Fronteira Palace and
Garden, a place of harmony and beauty that reflects
the ideals of the Italian Renaissance. This is one of
the most important places to see great Portuguese
tile work. The Room of Battles has been called the
Sistine Chapel of tile work.
Visit the National Museum of Ancient Art (Museum
Nacional de Arte Antiga), which is considered one
of the most important art museums in Europe. Its
collection spans the 12th to the 19th centuy and
reflects the history, culture, and role played by

Chiado is an elegant, sophisticated district of theaters,

bookshops, old-style cafes, art nouveau jewelry shops,
luxurious international names such as Herms, and
local treasures such as the opulently gilded Tavares
Rico restaurant, opened in 1784; the fine porcelain
shop Vista Alegre; and the boutique of worldrenowned Portuguese fashion designer Ana Salazar.
Visit the Chiado Museum which has a collection
of Portuguese modern art alongside temporary
exhibitions of art by Portuguese artists working today.

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D A ILY I T INE R A RY

In the evening, enjoy a lecture on Jews in Portugal

during World War II by Professor Irena Pimentel or
Professor Jorge Martins.
Overnight: Lisbon (dinner included)

Sunday, June 14
LISBON ART AND ARCHITECTURE
Morning visit to the C. Gulbenkian Foundation.
This is one of the finest museums of its type in the
world and contains the extraordinary collection of
an immensely wealthy Armenian oil magnate. The
collection is dominated by his taste for magnificent
French furniture, Oriental carpets, and paintings by Old
Masters. Cross the modernist garden of the foundation
to visit another museumC. Gulbenkian Foundations
Centro de Arte Moderna (CAM)whose collection
presently encompasses around 9,000 works of art by
Portuguese and international artists.
Visit Belm Tower and the Jernimos Monastery. Both
are noted UNESCO sites and magnificent examples of
Manueline architecture (which is the specific form of
the late gothic in Portugal). The vast church is of great
interest; it contains the tombs of Vasco da Gama as
well as several kings and queens of Portugal. In the
nearby Cultural Centre of Belm, designed by architect
Vittorio Gregotti in 1992, enjoy the Berardo exhibit. See
works by Marcel Duchamp, Pablo Picasso. Salvador Dal,
Andy Warhol, Francis Bacon, and notable Portuguese
artists such as Maria Helena Vieira da Helena Silva,
Helena Almeida, and Cabrita Reis.
Overnight: Lisbon

Monday, June 15
LISBON/ESTORIL/SINTRA
Morning drive along the Atlantic coast to Sintra, the
Glorious Eden of Lord Byron and ancient summer
refuge of the royal court. Due to its artistic, botanical,
and historic richness, the Sintra landscape has been
declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Visit the
only surviving Portuguese Royal Palace from the Middle
Ages. The rooms contain remarkable azulejos and
artesonado ceilings dating from the 15th to the 17th
century.
After lunch in the town center, visit Portugals first
landscaped garden, an exceptional botanical collection
bringing together species from all around the world.
Unique scenes along winding ways pass by ruins, lakes,
and waterfalls. Then enter the palace itselfbuilt in
neo-gothic style with Indian influences. The tour will
be led by a landscape architect responsible for the
continuing care and ongoing restoration of parts of
the garden. Return to Lisbon and visit a leading art
gallery in town or an artists studio. Meet with Jewish
photographer Daniel Blafuks to discuss his work.
Overnight: Lisbon (lunch included)

Tuesday, June 16
LISBON/VORA/MARVO
Morning departure to the Alentejo region to tour the
village of vora, the finest example of a city from the
Golden Age of Portugal and a UNESCO World Heritage
site since 1986. It was here that one of the largest
Jewish communities existed up until the 15th century.
Several houses still bear niches where mezuzot were
once fastened to doorposts. The buildings that once
housed the synagogue and the surrounding structures
of the Judiaria (Jewish quarter) still stand in the citys
historic district.
After lunch in a traditional restaurant, visit the Public
Library, where Hebrew manuscripts dealing with the
Jewish communities of the 13th and 14th centuries
are housed, as well as Abraham Zacutos Almanaque
Perpetuum, a series of navigation charts used during
the Age of Discoveries. Next, continue to Crato,
arriving at the former monastery of Santa Maria Flor da

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D A ILY I T INE R A RY

Rosa, which has been renovated and converted into

a hotel.
Dinner and overnight: Crato Pousada (lunch included)

Wednesday, June 17
MARVO/CASTELO DE VIDE/BELMONTE
Start the day with a walking tour of Marvo. This
impressive fortress town served as an entry point to
the thousands of Jews who fled Spain in the 14th and
15th centuries. Later, depart to Castelo de Vide, where
a large Jewish community existed in the 14th century.
A medieval synagogue stands at the corner of the Rua
da Judiaria and Rua da Fonte. Restored to its original
appearance, the synagogue today features the original
14th-century sanctuary. Departure to Belmonte, check
in to your historic hotelanother delightful Pousada. In
the evening, enjoy a private dinner in an elegant dining
room at the Pousada with some members of the local
Jewish community.
Overnight: Belmonte Pousada (dinner included)

By guymoll [CC BY 2.0], via flickr

Thursday, June 18
BELMONTE/TRANCOSO/PORTOT
Morning visits to significant Belmonte museums
and monuments. Start at the Jewish Museum and
continue to the Judiaria and Bet Eliahu Synagogue.
Next, proceed to town of Trancoso, where Jewish
merchants first settled in the 12th century. Visit the
well-preserved Casa do Gato Negro (The House of
the Black Cat). The faade of the house is decorated

with emblems that have been interpreted as

representations of the Lion of Judah and the Gates
of Jerusalem. The Isaac Cardoso Center for Jewish
Interpretation along with a new synagogue called
Beit Mayim Hayim are located here. Mr. Jos Levi, a
Jewish archaeologist who has been researching Jewish
heritage in Serra da Estrela area, will give a lecture on
Jewish life in this region and lead the tour.
Depart to Porto, a city built in the Middle Ages on the
bank of the Douro River, where the harmony between
the architecture and the contours of the landscape
creates an urban environment of singular beauty.
Check in to the Hotel da Msica, the first Kosher hotel
in Portugal!
Overnight: Porto

Friday, June 19
PORTO
Morning visit to the Serralves Museum, the foremost
museum for contemporary art in Portugal.
Later, take a walking tour of the old city, declared
a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1996. Visit the
Cathedral, dazzling in its mixture of romantic and
baroque elements, before descending to the Ribeira
area, where we find the characteristic quays beautifully
restored in their ancient stone. Porto was well known
among the Jewish traders during the Middle Ages and
today there are remains of what was once a typical
Jewish quarter in the Middle Ages. Later, at the
Kadoorie Mekor Haim Synagogue, meet with some
members of the Porto community and learn the story
of Captain Barros Basto, who became well known in
the Jewish world for trying to rescue the descendants
of the Jews who were forced to convert in the 15th
century and who continued to practice, in secret,
certain precepts of the Jewish religion. The Porto
Synagogue is an outstanding architectural monument,
and one of the most extraordinary places of Jewish
worship in the world. Shabbat services (optional)
followed by Kosher dinner with some members of
the community.
Overnight: Porto (dinner included)

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D A ILY I T INE R A RY

Saturday, June 20
PORTO LECTURE AND LEISURE
10 am: Meeting in the hotel with the Jewish American
writer Richard Zimler, who will give a lecture on Jewish
Porto.

de Linhares Fado restaurant, where we have the

opportunity to discover this melancholy and moving
Portuguese folk music. Because of its uniqueness, Fado
has been declared a UNESCO intangible world heritage
in 2012.

Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

Overnight: Lisbon (dinner included)

In the evening (after Shabbat), visit the famous port

wine cellars. Enjoy dinner at Taylors Wine Cellars
restaurant, which has superb food and wine to
complement its oustanding view over the old city.

Monday, June 22
DEPARTURE DAY

Overnight: Porto (dinner included)

*Please note: Itinerary subject to change.

Transfer to the airport to connect to your flight home.

Sunday, June 21
TOMAR/LISBON
In the morning, depart for Tomar. Visit the 15th century
synagogue, now the Abrao Zacuto Museum, located
on what was once Rua da Judiaria. With Gothic vaults
upheld by four central columns, this structure houses
Jewish gravestones, the cornerstones of the 13thcentury Synagogue of Belmonte and the 14th-century
Lisbon Synagogue. Later visit Convento de Cristo
(UNESCO World Heritage Site), which once served as
the headquarters of the Order, which promoted the
Portuguese Age of Discoveriesassisted always by
the contribution of Jewish scientists and investors.
Depart to Lisbon and check in to your city center
hotel. Tonight we enjoy a farewell dinner at the Casa

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AC C OMPANYING GUIDES AND L E ADERS

Maria Helena Lemonnier

EXPERT TOUR GUIDE

Sandra Montez
TRIP LEADER

Maria Helena Lemonnier is an officially licensed tour

guide and manager with fluency in four languages. Her
particular expertise is Jewish Heritage Portugal and
Portuguese architecture and art. Lemonnier holds a BA
in Tourism from the Instituto das Novas Profissoes and a
certificate in the English language from the University of
Cambridge. She has also completed additional studies
in architecture and artespecially the art of Lisbon.
She will be our guide during our tour of Lisbon.

Sandra Montez is a licensed tour guide and tour

manager who has led tours all over the world. Her
special expertise is in Portuguese Jewish history and
culture. Since 2001, she has been studying Judaism
and Jewish History at the Universidade Nova in Lisbon
and the Lisbon Synagogue. Courses she has completed
include Introduction to Judaism, Portuguese Jewish
History, Sephardic Ways of Living, 15th-century
Portuguese History, Architecture of Lisbon, Art History,
and the History of Portuguese Glazed Tile. She offers a
wealth of experience and tourism skills in addition to
a unique combination of academics related to Jewish
Portugal and the art of Portugal. She will be our guide
for tours of Portugal outside of Lisbon.

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A C C O M M O D AT I O N S

The Tivoli Lisboa Hotel

Hotel Flor Da Rosa-Crato Pousada

Located on Avenida da Liberdade, this elegant five-star

deluxe hotel is set right in the heart of Lisbon. Housed
in a deluxe 1930s building, the hotel features a rooftop
bar with a panoramic view of the city below.

The charming Hotel Flor Da Rosa has incorporated

many original features from its former existences
as a Palace, Convent, and Castle. The castle was
the home of the Hospitallers of the Order of Malta,
and their distinctive motif is featured throughout
the Pousada. The Pousada has been beautifully
converted by carefully blending traditional and modern
conveniences.

The Tivoli Lisboas outdoor pool area includes a

spacious terrace framed by a green garden.
While staying at the hotel, you can enjoy a drink in the
privacy of the Terrao Bar with a superb view over
Lisbon, or take a moment to relax in the Tivoli Caf
Lisboa. Their lively on-site restaurant Brasserie Flo
Lisbon satisfies even the most discerning of palates. At
the Terrao restaurant, enjoy the selection of stylish
dishes accompanied by a unique view over the city of
Lisbon.

The hotels elegant swimming pool is surrounded by

beautiful, lush gardens and is the perfect place to
relax and unwind. All rooms have en-suite bathroom,
heating/air conditioning, minibar, bathrobes, hairdryer,
safe, cable TV, and internet access.

The tastefully furnished rooms have flat-screen TVs

with satellite channels and a sitting area with velvet
seats. Some rooms overlook the courtyard or Avenida
da Liberdade.

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A C C O M M O D AT I O N S

Hotel Convento De Belmonte

The former convent of Nossa Senhora da Esperanca
(Our Lady of Hope) is now the luxurious Hotel Convento
De Belmonte. The ecclesiastical origins of the convent
have been maintained in this new, elegantly designed
Hotel Belmonte. An original amphitheater can be found
in the surrounding woodland, and the Pousada has an
18th-century chapel.
This hotel has panoramic views over the plains across to
the peaks of the Serra de Estrela mountain range. The
Pousada Belmonte has excellent facilities including an
outdoor swimming pool, restaurant, bar, terrace, and
luxurious lounge areas.
All rooms are named after Friars who stayed at the
convent. All rooms have balconies and all modern
conveniences, including en-suite bathroom, air
conditioning, free internet access, minibar, safe,
hairdryer, cable television, and telephone.

Hotel da Msica, Porto

Much more than an elegant design hotel, the Hotel da
Msica is a plunge into a symphony of experiences.
Forming part of the iconic Mercado do Bom Sucesso
building, the Hotel da Msica marries modernity and
comfort with a whole orchestra of culture, gastronomy,
and history.
The Hotel da Msica has 85 rooms spread out over four
floors. Spacious, modern, and inspired by musical scores
by famous composers, the rooms offer the utmost
comfort and convenience in a welcoming environment.
The hotel hits just the right note and is pitch-perfect.
Amenities include individually controlled air conditioning,
bathroom with hairdryer and shower, desk, free wireless
internet throughout the hotel, telephone, LCD TV with
cable channels, minibar, safe, electronic key, and laundry
service.
*All four of these hotels (pousadas) are selected for
their special character and history that make them
unique. The Hotel da Msica is especially distinctive in
design and is kosher, as well.

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P RO GR AM DE TAILS

Participation
Limited to 26 participants, this program is open to
Members of the Jewish Museum. Non-Members are
welcome to join the Museum in order to participate.
Designed for people of all ages, Travel Programs entail
walking moderate distances and may include uneven
or slightly hilly terrain and/or stairs. Participants
need to be in active, good health, able to keep up
with the group, ready to travel as part of a group, and
experience cultural differences with grace.

Land Program Cost

$4,995* (plus $75 Jewish Museum membership fee
for non-Members); based on minimum enrollment
of 15 participants

Program Cost Includes:

11 nights at deluxe hotels**
Breakfast daily; 2 lunches and 7 dinners including
farewell dinner on June 21
10 days of sightseeing including entrance fees to all
sights on itinerary, in a deluxe air-conditioned motor
coach and English speaking guides
All Museum entrance fees and tours
All hotel porterage (1 piece of luggage per person) at
each hotel, taxes, and service charges
Tips to guides, drivers, and chambermaids, and at
group meals
*Per person, based on double occupancy, for registration by

Second deposit of $1,000 per person due: March 31,

2015. Balance due: 60 days prior to departure (April
11, 2015). Call 215.568.6655x253 or 800.223.3855x253
with any questions.

Changes
All rights are reserved by the Program Directors to
make faculty substitutions and/or to modify the
itinerary (including hotels) as needed.

Insurance
For losses necessitated by you having to cancel your
participation, we strongly urge all participants to
take out trip insurance. For your convenience, trip
cancellation insurance information will be sent upon
registration or consult your own insurance agent.

Cancellations

March 1, 2015. Cost after March 1: $5,450. Single supplement

for booking on March 10, 2015.

All cancellations must be received by the Jewish

Museum Travel Program in writing. Cancellations up
to February 6, 2015, full refund less $500 deposit per
person; after March 10, 2015, 50% refund per person;
after April 10, 2015, 25% refund per person.
No refunds after April 10, 2015.

To Register

Not Included

To reserve your place, complete the reservation form

and return with your non-refundable deposit of $500
to our office at:

Travel insurance
Meals not included in itinerary
Personal expenses of each individual including laundry
services, telephone calls, and airport transfers to Tivoli
Hotel in Lisbon.

$906 additional. Limited to 26 participants; based on minimum

enrollment of 15 participants.
**Upgrades to Collection Rooms are available at the Tivoli Hotel
in Lisbon, per person $155 and for single rooms $329. Upgrades
require advance payment, are non-refundable, and are available

The Jewish Museum Travel Program at GIL Travel

1511 Walnut Street, 2nd Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19102

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R E G I S T R AT I O N F O R M

Portugal:
Secret Jews and Art
June 1122, 2015

Please complete this form and

include a non-refundable deposit.
Registrations are accepted by
telephone or fax. Registration
forms may be mailed or faxed.

Mail to:
The Jewish Museum Travel
Program at GIL Travel
1511 Walnut Street, 2nd Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19102
T 215.568.6655x253
F 800.223.3855x253

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Disclaimer of Responsibility

By registering for this program, participant specifically waives any and all claims of action against the Jewish Museum, the Jewish Museum Travel
office, and their respective staffs for damages, loss, injury, accident, or death incurred by any person in connection with this tour. The Jewish
Museum, the Jewish Museum Travel office, and their respective staffs assume no responsibility or liability in connection with the service of any train,
vessel, carriage, aircraft, or other conveyance which may be used wholly or in part in the performance of their duty to the passengers. Neither
will the Jewish Museum, the Jewish Museum Travel office, or their staffs be responsible for any injury, death, loss, accident, delay, or irregularity
through neglect or default of any company or person engaged in carrying out the purposes for which tickets, vouchers, or coupons are issued. No
responsibility is accepted for losses or expenses due to sickness, weather, strikes, wars, and other causes. In the event it becomes necessary or
advisable for any reason whatsoever to alter the itinerary or arrangements, such alterations may be made without penalty. All rights reserved to
require any participant to withdraw from the tour at his/her own expense when such an action is determined by the tour staff to be in the best
interest of the participants health and safety, and that of the group in general.

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