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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