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MOTOR COACH TOURS - AIR AND CRUISE TRAVEL

* "CHICAGO" IS COMING TO TORONTO!

* March 27-29 & April 24-26

* (1997 Tony Award!)
MYRTLE BEACH —S.C.
3 shows, touring, 10 meals
* April 19-25 & Oct. 4-10
* "MOON OVER BUFFALO"
* April 19 & 26 Adrian
* NASHVILLE
May 14-17
* CAPE COD/WHALEWATCH
* May 17-23
*

$58
FRANKENMUTH & BIRCH RUN
Feb. 14 - "The Gaylords" (Valentine's Day!)
$279
Mar. 11 "The Platters"
April 4 - "The Ink Spots"
"THE LION KING" - NEW YORK
$589
May 13-17
$699
(Includes Ellis Island & Statue of Liberty)
WILLIAMSBURG/NORFOLK
$63
April 16-22
During Virginia Garden Week
$399 * * LILAC FESTIVAL
* *
Rochester, NY
$659 * * May 15-17
* *

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AIR AND CRUISE SPECIALS

*

APPLE VACATIONS — MAUI SAVE $50-$100 per couple
TRAVEL NOW THRU 6/5/98 — 5 nts. fr . $899.00

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* Prices p.p. dbl. occ. Group Discounts. CALL FOR FLYERS, ADDITIONAL TRIPS & DETAILS

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Cruice and air specials have restrictions and can be withdrawn anytime.

BERKLEY TOURS AND TRAVEL, INC.

(248) 559-8620 or 1-800-875-TOUR (8687)

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• 2000 acres • 1

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• supervised children's programs • 2 conducted Seders • Synagogue on premises
• 3 gourmet meals daily • Glatt Kosher, Cholov Yisroel • complimentary tea room

• lavish buffets • Western Bar-B-Q • entertainment • Torah classes • special guest lecturers

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Experienced and personal service

FOR ALL YOUR
TRAVEL NEEDS

CALL LANA

248 - 661- 6677

Fun, Affordable & Exciting!

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EXPLORE EXPERIENCE LEARN RELAX

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NETANYA

A Volunteer Study Tour

HADASSAH

1/23
1998

138

ONE MONTH IN ISRAEL
April 26—May 25, 1998 $2999. (p.p.d.o.)
$498. (single supplement)

Call Hadassah Missions Dept 1-800 363-2373 or 212-303-8159 fax

(Please note that rote is subject to change and does not include airport taxes.)

Travel

Synagogue Treasures Found
In Modern Istanbul

Mt. Ararat in the eastern part of the
country.
Visits to these synagogues are part
of the Jewish heritage tour of Turkey
visit to the photo show of
organized by Isram World of Travel.
Turkish synagogues at New
In the course of 15 days, tour mem-
York's 92nd Street Y cannot
bers will journey from Istanbul to
but whet a traveler's
Ankara, the national capital; to
appetite to see for himself the mag-
Cappadocia, the region of under-
nificent houses of worship in that
ground cave dwellings and churches
country.
carved from rock; Konya, the birth-
New York architect Joel A. Zack
place of the Whirling Dervishes;
headed the mission to Turkey and
Antalya, the heart of the Turkish
with his team drove more than 6,000
Riviera on the Mediterranean; and
miles from one end of the country to
Izmir, reputedly the birthplace of
the other to document and analyze
Homer and, today, Turkey's seaport
50 synagogues and former syna-
on the Agean.
gogues.
Photo by AP/Burhan
En route,
Jews came to
there are meet-
Turkey in great
ings and meals
numbers only
with Jewish
after 1453,
community
when Ottoman
leaders in
Turks seized the
Istanbul,
Byzantine capi-
Ankara, Bursa
tal,
and Izmir;
Constantinople,
Sabbath service
renamed it
at Neve
Istanbul and
Shalom, the
decided to
now-refur-
rebuild it as the
bished Istanbul
capital of the
synagogue
Ottoman
A woman sells birdseed in front of the main
which was the
Empire. The
gates of Istanbul University.
scene of a mas-
task of rebuild-
sacre of 23
ing required the
congregants in 1986; the ruins of the
importation of thousands of workers
1,700-year-old synagogue in Sardis;
from the countries of the former
and, of unusual interest, visits to two
Byzantine Empire, including many
Izmir synagogues in which the star
Romaniote Jews.
and the crescent, the prominent sym-
The 15th century Yambol, the old-
bols of Islam and the Ottoman
est surviving synagogue in Istanbul,
Empire, are displayed.
recalls that period. It was built by
There are several other active syna-
Jewish settlers from the Macedonian
gogues in Yahudi Mahalessi, the
village of Yambol. A painting on the
ancient Jewish quarter of Izmir,
ceiling of the restored synagogue — a
including Senora, named for Donna
dreamy Yambol of rosy sunset, purple
Gracia Mendes, the 16th-century
mountain, flowering trees, arched
philanthropist who endowed it.
stone bridge and elegant white man-
Kosher meals are not available on
sion — recalled for nostalgic congre-
the tour, but there is a kosher restau-
gants an idealized version of their
rant at the Hotel Merit Antique in
native village.
Istanbul, where the last four days of
The restored Ochrida synagogue,
the tour are spent.
also in Istanbul, was built to com-
Isram's Jewish Heritage Tour of
memorate a second and larger wave
Turkey leaves New York on the last
of Jewish immigrants. It followed the
Sunday of every month, starting in
expulsion of Spanish Jewry in 1492,
April. The prices range between
an event marked in the synagogue by
$2,995 and $3,195. Included are air
a highly polished oak bimah in the
fare, domestic travel by plane and
shape of a ship's prow. To many of
bus, five-star accommodations at
the founding members of the
Hilton and Sheraton hotels, full buf-
Ochrida congregation, the shape was
fet breakfasts, five lunches, nine din-
a symbol of the ships which carried
ners and sightseeing led by two high-
them from the Mediterranean ports
ly educated Turkish guides.
of Spain to the harbor of Istanbul. To
For information, call 1-800-223-
other members, it evoked Noah's Ark,
7460. [1]
which also had landed in Turkey, on

GABRIEL LEVENSON
Special to The Jewish News

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