Sightseeing in Rio

I feel I need to pinch myself...I am really in Brazil and more than that- I am in Rio de Janeiro!

We spent our only full day in Rio by sightseeing, sightseeing and more sightseeing. It was a day packed with seeing all the things for which Rio is famous- including Sugar Loaf, Copacabana Beach, Ipanema Beach (where our hotel is located), the Opera House, the Hippie Market and more! The main Jewish focus of today was having lunch at the Bar Ilan School- a Jewish school for 2000 students up to age 14. We also drove by the A Hebraica in Rio- which is much more like an American JCC than the one we saw in Sao Paulo.

Upon our return, I plan to post pictures from our time here.

Now, it is off to relax and go to sleep before our last day (for now) in beautiful Brazil!

Shabbat in São Paulo

We arrived in São Paulo on Thursday afternoon and we went right to touring. We had a fascinating visit at the Universidade de São Paulo to meet with Dr. Suzanna Chwartz, who is the head of the Jewish Studies program. During our stimulating visit, we had a glimpse into what life is like at the largest university in Brazil (70,000 students), while also learning about the Jewish Studies program- both the wonderful successes and everyday challenges.

Following our meaningful visit, we then took a tour, by bus of São Paulo- the largest city in Brazil and truly one of the largest cities in South America. To say that the traffic was heavy is a HUGE understatement! However, we had a chance to see how the city grew (which happened VERY rapidly), take in some of the wonderful monuments and even make a quick visit to Japantown, as São Paulo is home to over 1 million people from Japan or of Japanese descent.

Next we went to check into our wonderful hotel- the Caesar Park. We had a little time to freshen up and then it was off to dinner at another authentic Brazilian Steak House. However, since Thursday was December 1^st ,which is World AIDS Day, it was very important to me that as a group we took some time to reflect on the impact HIV/AIDS has had on our lives and lives of the entire world. We had a little service, and I felt like I was able to truly give honor to the memory of my Uncle Marty Finkelstein (may his memory always be for a blessing). It was also wonderful to see how one of the major monuments in São Paulo had a giant red ribbon draped on it, in honor of World AIDS Day.

Friday was packed with visiting Jewish sites...we went first to Congregação Israelita Paulista (CIP) one of the largest Reform synagogues in São Paulo. We met with the Rabbi- Ruben Sternschein  And boy, is it a small world! As soon as we saw each other we knew we had met before. In fact, we met on a number of occasions, as he had previously been the rabbi at Har-El in Jerusalem. I spent many Shabbatot (Shabbats) there while I was living in Jerusalem (2001-2002). 

http://www.cip.org.br

Also, check out more of the photos of our historic visit at http://www.cip.org.br/fotos/verFotos.jsp?albumID=332

After a wonderful visit, we then went to see an amazing social action program run by another synagogue- Comunidade Shalom. (http://www.shalom.org.br/)  We spent the afternoon with intellectually challenged individuals who are able to learn many wonderful skills.  It was a truly emotional experience as we spent time with the workers/clients (or as they call them- apprentices).

From there, it was on to Comunidade Shalom for a tour of their amazing new building- which even includes a Mikvah.  We stayed with them for a ruach (spirit)-filled Shabbat service complete with wonderful melodies. Of course we did not fully understand the sermon (it was in Portugese) but we fully enjoyed the entire service experience!

Today, we spent Shabbat morning back at CIP for a very interesting Shabbat experience. It was a bit more traditional (what we might call Conservadox), but still they were incredibly welcoming.  It was such a treat to see and celebrate with two couples who were about to be married, a beautiful baby girl who had her Simchat Bat (baby naming), and of course- the Bar Mitzvah boy.  After a fantastic Kiddush, we spent time at A Hebraica. WOW! It is one of the largest Jewish Community Centers/Country Clubs in all of South America with 25,000 members. To say that it was BEAUTIFUL is a huge understatement. I can only compare it to a Disney World version of a JCC- complete with 6 pools, 2 theaters, a 3000-person stadium and 17 places to get something to eat or drink! WOW!

After that, we went back to the hotel to relax, have a snack and pack.  Then, it was off to the airport for a post-Shabbat flight to Rio de Janerio.

What a time in Recife!

To say our time in Recife was amazing is a real understatement.  While there, we had the chance to visit the first synagogue in the Americas, to see and pray in the oldest synagogue in Recife- dating back to 1910 and to spend time in the Jewish Cultural center.

This is an original stone from the floor of the Kahal Zur Israel Synagogue from the early 1600s.

One of the highlights was meeting the students and teachers at the liberal Jewish school. The kids (and adults, too) were beyond cute and just as excited to meet us, as we were to meet them. The language barrier was no real barrier as there have people to translate English to Portuguese and vice-versa. Besides, a smile means the same in any language!  Speaking of languages, it´s been great to see Ruben (my husband) communicate in the common language of Yiddish with a number of people, and I even had the chance to speak in Hebrew to communicate, as well. It is a wonderful feeling to use our Jewish languages with fellow Jews in distant places. It is a great way to connect to feel connected to the Jewish people.

Ruben speaking in Yiddish to historians and members of the synagogue.

Aside from some of the ¨Jewish Touring,¨ while in Recife, we also went to a the home and studios of one of the most famous Brazilian ArtistsFrancisco Brennand. We ate at a number of great restaurants, including one of the best Brazilian Steak houses. Even though I am a vegetarian, I loved the salads, side dishes and dessert!  We also had a chance to visit an old prison which is now a tourist venue filled with a great deal of local shops.

Another highlight from our time in Recife (prounounced, ¨hey-cee-fey¨) was a boat ride where we saw the three islands which comprise Recife. We learned of the city`s amazing history and saw where progress is being made for the port and in preparation for the World Cup in 2014.  

After three great days in Recife we took a flight to Sao Paulo. Today was a great day in the largest city in Brazil, but more on that later...

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 The first group of Rabbis to come on an official mission to Brazil all standing in what was the very first synagogue in the Americas (1636-1654).