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| A local Jewish woman explains how mezuzot (encased Hebrew parchments) are common in Diaspora communities throughout India // Photo by Pacific Delight Tours |
Pacific Delight Tours has teamed up with Rabbi Marvin Tokayer and the Foundation for Remote Jewish Communities (FRJC) to create a series of specialized Kosher Jewish interest tours. The program's first tour will be India: My Second Home, which will be followed by an expansion of tours throughout Asia and other global destinations where travelers can meet and learn about the lesser known and thriving Jewish Diaspora communities.
The two-week itinerary is led by Dr. Nathan Katz, an award-winning author on Indian Jewish life. Departing January 10, 2017, the tour provides travelers with the opportunity to meet and interact with India’s Jewish communities in Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi and Agra.
The tour is designed to enlighten travelers about the Jewish people who have lived in peace in India for over 2,000 years. The itinerary will take guests into the least known and most benevolent Jewish communities in the world, including a Jewish kingdom established in the 5th century, as well as teach them about how Jewish communities have flourished in India overtime, thanks to a variety of cultural similarities.
Sites visited on tour include the Taj Mahal and Elephanta Caves, among other UNESCO World Heritage sites. Throughout the tour, travelers will experience Shabbat services and dinners in Mumbai and New Delhi, tour historic synagogues with local Jewish community members in Kochi and Kolkata and explore rural Jewish settlements by boat in Kerala’s backwaters. Through Old Delhi, guests can experience a scenic rickshaw ride complete with cultural music and dance performances.
The kosher tours utilize deluxe hotels, such as Mumbai’s five-star Taj Mahal Tower. Other possible accommodations include the Vivanta by Taj-Malabar Hotel in Kochi, the Oberoi Grand Kolkata Hotel, Taj Mahal Hotel in New Delhi and Agra’s ITC Mughal Hotel.
Rates for the fully-escorted tour start at $7,195 per person, based on double occupancy. Rates include deluxe accommodations, all meals (Kosher or vegetarian), all intra-Indian flights, services of English speaking guides and escorts, cultural events, personalized photos and blog of the trip as well as all taxes and gratuities. International airfare and visa processing fees are not included, but can be arranged by Pacific Delight Tours based on competitive market rates.
The tour cost also includes a $900 per person tax-deductible donation to Rabbi Tokayer’s FRJC, a 501(c)3 non-profit educational charity devoted to preserving and promoting endangered Jewish communities on the outskirts of the Diaspora.
Call 800-221-7179 or visit www.PacificDelightTours.com for more information.