fbpx
Category

vacation

Pesach Trip Options Beyond the Ordinary

Passover travel once meant shlepping to Miami Beach, where great operatic tenors like Robert Merrill and Jan Peerce would conduct the seder at a fancy-schmancy hotel, or to the Catskills, which was more haimish but just as fattening.

But Passover travel options today have expanded to include experiences ranging from Disney World to the Caribbean to a dude ranch in Wyoming. And you can get some decent deals on Miami Beach, too.

Nevis’ Jewish Past a Tropical Treasure

Savvy travelers in need of a getaway come to the Caribbean island of Nevis to relax at restored sugar plantations, like the Montpelier Inn, or the opulent Four Seasons. Celebrity visitors have included Michael Douglas, Oprah Winfrey and Princess Diana, who immediately fled to the island to relax after her breakup with Prince Charles.

Buenos Aires Let Me Dance to Your Beat

In Buenos Aires you wouldn\’t know about the Argentine economy\’s disastrous crash — except, perhaps, by chatting with your taxi driver and discovering he was a former tycoon.

BA, as old hands call it, has retained its prosperous appearance and cosmopolitan cool, and it remains one of the world\’s most fabulous cities. In fact, given the peso devaluation, the once-pricey Argentine capital should be visited soon, while its delectable cuisine and shopping, some of the finest in South America, are a relative bargain.

No wonder this glittering capital was so inviting to the upwardly mobile Evita in the early 20th century — this huge but green city boasts a level of European-style opulence and elegance equal to anything in Europe, and most closely recalls the finest residential neighborhoods of Paris.

Shabbat on Slopes Takes Wrong Turn

To me, skiing is almost a religious experience. When you\’re flying down the back bowls, sun on your face, cool air filling your lungs and a warm feeling filling your heart, it\’s like you can feel the hand of God.

Xmas Shabbat Grounds Some Merry Mitzvahs

Consider this year\’s fluke on the December Dilemma: Christmas Day usually occurs during the workweek, with Jews often handling this day off by filling Dec. 25 with some volunteer work — then Chinese food and a movie.

But the quirks of the calendar find this Dec. 24 falling on a Friday, meaning Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are in a rare calendar co-existence with Shabbat.

Back to the Desert

The weekend was spectacular, not only from an intellectual standpoint, but as a Jewish parent and communal professional. It was refreshing to see so many generations of Jewish families — some with children, some without — learning together, singing together and laughing together.

After 45 Years,

Berkeley, 1959. The Berkeley Gazette announced the marriage of two students at Temple Beth El.

Enjoy Wedded Bliss in Lotus Position

Not every couple\’s notion of the ideal honeymoon entails a hedonistic beach resort and lots of fruity drinks garnished with umbrellas. Some want to begin married life with yoga.

Some couples pursue tantric yoga, a form that includes a tranquil sexuality, in hopes of creating a powerful union of mind, body and spirit. The Institute for Ecstatic Living — (877) 982-6872; www.ecstaticliving.com — organizes tantric vacations to Costa Rica, Hawaii and cruise getaways.

Big Screen, Bigger Picture

From films on the killing fields of the Khmer Rouge regime of Cambodia and civil war in Sudan to mental illness and homelessness in America, the series will allow viewers to take a second look from a Jewish perspective.

More news and opinions than at a
Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.

More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.

More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.