On the road again, booktalks

On the road again in New York and Florida during the next six weeks, re booktalks: Here’s the announcement from the Rockland County, NY, JCC: “Launching our Cultural Arts Festival, distinguished author, journalist and travel writer, Ben G. Frank, will open our eyes to a series of amazing Jewish communities in remote parts of the globe. His book, "The Scattered Tribe: Traveling the Diaspora from Cuba to India to Tahiti & Beyond" brings us to a Seder in Ho Chi Minh City and has us share the Shabbat mystique in Morocco. Mr. Frank has observed Jews in 88 countries. 12:30 pm October 5, 2012.” Arranged by Jewish Book Council Network).
ALSO:

7:30 pm Tuesday,Oct 30, 2012, Jewish Heritage Club, Town Villas, Boca Raton, FL.

7:30 pm, Sunday, November 4, 2012, Jewish Heritage Club of Valencia Reserve, Boynton Beach, FL.

12 noon, November 5, 2012, The Huntington Pointe Singles. Huntington Pointe, Delray Beach, FL.

Above talks based on my latest book, “The Scattered Tribe,Traveling the Diaspora from Cuba to India to Tahiti & Beyond.” Globe Pequot Press. Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/The-Scattered-Tribe-Traveling-Diaspora/dp/0762770333/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1337002629&sr=8-1

http://amzn.to/J3Z47T

Blog

@bengfrank

Check out my blog at www.bengfrank.blogspot.com “I Travel the World.”

U.S. eases import ban in Burma

Good news: The U.S. said it would begin to ease a long-standing import ban on Myanmar, providing a boost to President Thein Sein as he carries out political and economic overhauls that have transformed the former military state into a hot Asian frontier market, reports Wall Street Journal. This will encourage even more tourism to this land of the pagodas which includes a small Jewish community. Check out my chapter on Burma in "The Scattered Tribe: Traveling the Diaspora from Cuba to India to Tahiti & Beyond." (Globe Pequot Press) Amazon Blog       

 http://www.amazon.com/The-Scattered-Tribe-Traveling-Diaspora/dp/0762770333/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1337002629&sr=8-1

http://amzn.to/J3Z47T

 

 

My take on Charleston, S.C. in The Jerusalem Post,

 Ben G. Frank, "I travel the world."

My take on Charleston, S.C.in The Jerusalem Post.

C

HARLESTON – On April 12, 1861,

General P.G.T. Beauregard, in

command of the Confederate

forces around Charleston Harbor,

opened fire on the Union garrison holding

Fort Sumter.

At 2:30 p.m. on April 13, Major Robert

Anderson, garrison commander, surrendered

the fort and was evacuated the next day.

Thus began the American Civil War (1861-

1865), also known as the “War Between the

States,” “Brother against Brother,” “War of

the Rebellion” or “War for Southern Independence.”

And it all began on the

Charleston, S.C. waterfront.

No wonder the city is called, “the Mother

City of the South,” emphasized by titles of

local tours, such as “Charleston Tea Plantation

and Party” and “Gone with Wind,” as

well as culinary, historic home, city, boat and

ever-popular carriage tours.

Each day, the city of Charleston whets the

appetite of thousands of visitors from the US

and throughout the world who arrive in this

landmark of American history, which

includes Fort Sumter as well as the home of

the second-oldest Jewish congregation in

continuous use (since 1749), Kahal Kadosh

Beth Elohim (KKBE). Today’s synagogue was

dedicated in 1841 and is considered the starting

point of the Reform Movement of

Judaism in America.

In the first decades of the 1800s.

Charleston boasted “the largest cultured

and wealthiest Jewish community in the

US.” The synagogue today consists of two

structures: the main sanctuary, which once

had the bimah in the center, according to

Sephardic style, but it was moved forward

and the “pews” were changed so they are

facing east.

The second building contains a social hall,

a religious school, offices, a museum and sisterhood

meeting rooms. The synagogue is

open for daily tours – except on Shabbat–

from 10 a.m. to 12 noon and from 1 p.m. to

4 p.m. It is best to call ahead (843-723-1090)

for a visit to one of the oldest Jewish cemeteries

in the US, at 189 Coming Street (1762).

The synagogue is designed in the Grecian

Doric architectural style. Over the front door

is a marble tablet bearing the inscription of

the “

Shema” prayer in Hebrew and English.

The early Charleston Jews were mostly

Sepharadim who came from England in

1695. South Carolina was one of the most

tolerant states among the 13 American

colonies and offered religious freedom to all.

Until this day, Charleston is called “the Holy

City.” More Jews arrived in the 18th century

from France, Holland, Jamaica and Barbados.

Jews were engaged in commerce – especially

in the growing of indigo, one of the most

important crops in South Carolina. Large

numbers of Charleston Jews served the

American Revolutionary cause.

The Civil War may have started there and

been a vital center of the Southern cause, but

except for a brief mention during tours or on

information sheets, the conflict is not the

main topic of conversation.

During the War Between The States, the

Jews of Charleston were Southern patriots

and aligned themselves with the Confederacy.

Benjamin Mordecai contributed $10,000

to South Carolina’s war chest and fed thousands

of widows and orphans at his own

expense. Many Jews enlisted in the Confederate

Army – so many that KKBE found it

impossible to obtain a quorum of trustees

during the war. Among KKBE’s members

were the parents of Judah P. Benjamin, who

some historians call “the brains of the Confederacy,”

and the parents of Bernard M.

Baruch, financier and statesman.

With the end of the Civil War, Jews, like

their neighbors, became poverty-stricken.

Many left the South. So impoverished was

the area that there was no noticeable recovery

until the mid-20th century. After World

War II, Jews once again moved back for economic

and professional opportunities.

Founded in 1670 and named “Charles

Town” for King Charles II of England, the

city became Charleston in 1783. Upon

arrival, tourists immediately sense a slice of

life of the “Ole South,” including foods like

grits. Stop at Marion Square on Calhoun

Street, where, adjacent to this huge grass

rectangle, stands a castle-looking structure

known as the old Citadel Military College,

now an Embassy Suites hotel. The square

plays host to a popular farmers’ market

every Saturday morning, when the field is

resplendent with booths selling arts and

crafts. In an open food court, omelets are

made before your eyes.

An upscale and historic hotel is Charleston

Place, a few minutes’ walk from KKBE. Less

expensive is the Marriott Courtyard on Calhoun

Street, across from Marion Square.

Fronting on Marion Square alongside Calhoun

Street, near the statue of Southern

leader John C. Calhoun (1782 –1850), is the

Holocaust Memorial. The site, which was

dedicated in 1966, is easily missed because its

shape is that of a flat 12-foot bronzed

tallit

(prayer shawl) on the ground with one of the

fringes cut, as is done in Jewish burial. The

memorial is surrounded by a fence to evoke

the sense of the concentration camp.

Saunter up and down King Street, with its

architecture and boutiques that will take you

back in time. If it’s art galleries you’re after,

you won’t go wrong with 133 establishments

in Charleston, a walking town.

Visit the old homes in their unembellished

Victorian, Georgian and Italian architecture

that makes the city an in-tourist destination.

Stop at the Palmer House in the Historic

District for a beautiful view of Charleston

Harbor and Fort Sumter. Since the thermometer

in summer can reach 105 degrees

Fahrenheit, travelers prefer to travel by airconditioned

vehicles to view the nearby

antebellum plantations.

For 17 days and nights each spring, the

world-famous Spoleto Festival USA – internationally

recognized as America’s

premier performing arts

festival – fills Charleston’s historic

theaters with opera, theater,

dance, chamber music

and symphony performances.

The Jewish population is

increasing. About 6,000 Jews

reside in the Charleston area,

which has a city population of

about 120,000 and a metro

population of 600,000. Many

arrived recently as part of the

movement of young American

Jews working with the

military as well as seniors who

find Charleston a charming

and less expensive area to

retire, with its low taxes, cultural activities

and scenic views. The more affluent end up

at Kiawah Island Golf Resort.

Being the oldest and largest synagogue of

the community, KKBE boasts 500 households

as members and holds Friday night services

at 8 p.m., although on the first Friday of

every month, a Shabbat dinner is held at 5:45

p.m. and services are at 7:00. And here’s a

twist: unlike most American congregations,

this Southern house of worship serves fried

chicken. (No, they don’t dish up grits.)

Kosher chicken must be ordered in advance.

Saturday services are at 10 a.m.

A highlight of the visit to KKBE is the Chosen

Treasury Judaica Shop, open Sunday

through Thursday from 10 a.m. To 4 p.m.

and Sunday from 10 a..m to 3 p.m. Rabbi

Stephanie Alexander says the synagogue is

“rightfully proud of its place in Jewish history

and, to this day, is vibrant in its practice of

Judaism.” After all, it stands as the oldest

Reform congregation in the US, notes Anita

Moise Rosenberg, a KKBE vice president.

Charlston also hosts the Conservative

Emanu-El synagogue and two Orthodox synagogues:

Brith Shalom Beth Israel and Congregation

Dor Tikvah, which is located in the

Jewish Community Center.

Shannon Warner, who belongs to KKBE,

says the Jewish community is united in its

support of Israel and is “up on what is

happening” in the Jewish state. She says

that all segments of the community work

together, including the scheduling of a

community calendar.

Chabad of Charleston and the Low Country

has existed for the last five years and is situated

in the suburb of Mount Pleasantt.

Rabbi Yossi Refson, who is from England,

says kosher meals are available at Hyman’s

restaurant. This establishment offers kosher

meals prepared at the Chabad House. Supermarkets

also stock kosher products.

The Jewish community is thought of well

“because they were treated well and they

treated everyone else well,” explains Refson.

The writer is a journalist and the author of several

Jewish travel guides. www.bengfrank.blogspot.com;

twitter:@BenGFrank

THE J E RUS A L EM POS T SUNDAY, S E P T EMB E R 9 , 2 0 1 2

TRAVEL TRENDS 7

A SIDE VIEW of KKBE, the second oldest

Jewish congregation in continuous use in

the US. Inset, the Holocaust Memorial on

Marion Square, in the historic section of

Charleston.

(Ben G. Frank)

• By BEN G. FRANK

Special to The Jerusalem Post

VISITORS CANOE in Myakka River State Park near Sarasota, Florida.

(Marjie Lambert/Miami Herald/MCT)

Sarasota: Where culture, nature share the stage

• By MARJIE LAMBERT

The ‘mother city’ of the South

Charleston, South Carolina is not only a pearl of southern American

culture, it also boasts an historic Jewish community

Suu Kyi Visits America: How far we have come!

 That Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma’s pro-democracy leader, has arrived for an American visit augurs well for continual political and social reforms, including the release of hundreds of political prisoners in Myanmar. How far we have come! When I was in Burma, (Myanmar) just a few years ago, one couldn’t even mention the name of this ikon of her people who for about 20 years was under house arrest and often in prison. But Burma is opening up and Suu Kyi is now a member of Parliament. And while there is a long road ahead, Western nations, including the U.S. have lifted some sanctions imposed during military rule. The small Jewish community in Burma survived a half century of military rule. To this very day, Moses Samuels every day opens Musmeah Yeshua, the 100-year-old synagogue in Yangon, as I note in my book, The Scattered Tribe: Traveling the Diaspora from Cuba to India to Tahiti & Beyond,” (Globe Pequot Press) in which I have a whole chapter on Burma entitled, “The Land of Golden Pagodas.” See all ye world travelers “on the road to Mandalay, where the flyin-fishes play.”  Visit my blog Blog  bengfrank.blogspot.com “I travel the world.” Amazon  http://www.amazon.com/The-Scattered-Tribe-Traveling-Diaspora/dp/0762770333/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1337002629&sr=8-1  http://amzn.to/J3Z47T  And check out this website: Myanmarshalom.com, for more tourist information on Burma.

 

 

 

 

home Sept. 7, 2012 A prolific travel writer Ben G. Frank focuses on Jewish communities. CYNTHIA RAMSAY A trip to Detroit. That’s when it all began for Ben G. Frank, author of A Travel Guide to Jewish Europe: Third Edition, A Travel Guide to Jewish Russia and Ukraine, A Travel Guide to Jewish Caribbean and South America and, most recently, The Scattered Tribe: Traveling the Diaspora from Cuba to India to Tahiti & Beyond. “When I was 14-years-old, my father put me on a Greyhound bus in downtown Pittsburgh, bound for Detroit,” explained Frank to the Independent in an e-mail interview. “When I got there, my cousins showed me the city: Vernors Ginger Ale plant, a Tigers baseball game, the Chrysler assembly line. I called it ‘travel.’ After all, I went from one destination to another, and I had fun. And I have been traveling ever since – mostly to exotic Jewish communities.... But, what really clinched travel for me was a trip I took four years later as a member of the second Habonim youth workshop in Israel, where we spent a year working on a kibbutz, studying and traveling around the country. A remarkable journey!” Nowadays, Frank pointed out, a nonstop El Al flight from New York to Ben-Gurion Airport takes 10-11 hours. “About a half-century ago,” he said, “when I went, this was the route: from Idlewild Airport (now JFK) to Gander, Nfld.; to Shannon Airport, Ireland; to Amsterdam, then by train to Paris; from Paris, overnight train to Marseilles; then aboard a Zim Line passenger ship, the Negba, which was a former American freighter or ferry boat, to Naples; to Piraeus, to Haifa.” Frank, who has worked as a journalist and has owned his own public relations firm, said that, in his travels, he has “always sought out the Jewish community and wrote about them for Jewish and non-Jewish publications.” His first three Jewish travel guides were put out by Pelican Publishing Company; the latest, by Globe Pequot Press. His wife often travels with him and the pair has taken their two sons, Martin and Monte, on trips to England, France, Brazil, Austria, Italy, Greece, Turkey and Israel. They also took their 12-year-old grandson, Randy, on a trip to Israel, which is mentioned in The Scattered Tribe. “Proudly, I must say he has been to Israel twice since that memorable trip,” added Frank. “So, if you can, take your grandchildren on a trip to the Jewish state, it will be rewarding!” For travelers wanting to get the most out of their journeys, Frank recommended, “First and foremost, as strange as it sounds, one should really want to go to a destination or destinations. Get excited about visiting the country, or countries, of your choice. Try as much as possible not only to read up on the destination and its sites, but plan ahead a day-by-day schedule. Even if you go on a guided tour, there will be free time. Have some ideas what to do in leisure hours, so you don’t sit around the hotel lobby trying to plan. Remember though, rest is good, especially when traveling. You can always come back. “Regarding visits to Jewish sites: long gone are the days when you could just walk into a synagogue or Jewish museum overseas,” he continued. “Contact the offices of Jewish organizations or houses of worship and tell them specifically when you are coming and ask what security arrangements they have in place. Always have your passport with you. Security, especially in Europe and South America, is very tight. They may actually take away your passport while you are inside the building. “Try and meet as many residents of the country you are visiting. Some programs offer visitor exchanges/dinner with a family, etc. These are very valuable and will help make your sojourn memorable. “If you are on your own,” he concluded, “a good suggestion is to take a general city tour and then go back and see the sights that interest and intrigue you. In certain countries, it is valuable to sign up with a tour ahead of time. Everything possible that you can do in advance will help. For example, know the days that the museums or centres are open, and that includes Jewish institutions, which may be closed on Friday, but open on Sunday.” Frank has visited some 88 countries, including the 10 that are featured in Scattered Tribe. Despite this breadth of experience, and the research he puts into every journey, he said, “I still realize how little I know and that is why, even after I come home and write about a country or city, I still try and keep up with events in that locale.... The point is travel enhances one’s knowledge. Your trip should motivate you to read up on the country you visited. I, of course, take copious notes if I am on a tour or trip, and I write as much as I can in my notebooks – more even than the average journal kept by a tourist. So, I highly recommend you keep a journal. “Also, since I am a voracious reader, I get lists of good books on the country, its Jewish community. For instance, I am planning a trip to Cyprus, which intrigued me after reading Bitter Lemons by Lawrence Durrell. But, I also want to learn about the Jewish community, its institutions, etc., and, in this case, how it feels for a Jewish person living about an hour’s flight from Israel, the homeland of the Jewish people. I want to learn about the struggles of the Greeks against the Turks who, about 40 years ago, seized a part of this beautiful island, or the British rule on the island and how the latter deported Jews fleeing Europe after the Holocaust from Palestine to Cyprus, and the current close relations between Israel and Cyprus and Greece, especially after Turkey has turned away from the Jewish state and is in fact hostile to Israel.” While Frank does as much pre-travel reading and planning as he can, he stressed that, “for travel writers and astute tourists, it is the chance encounters that are crucial. Cafés, boat rides, restaurants provide opportunities for instantaneous meetings. That’s when I really get the information I need to write a good travel piece. The Scattered Tribe is full of anecdotes and experiences of meeting travelers by and by. Some of the best travel books I have bought were discovered just walking along the quays on the Seine River, in Paris, for example; or the secondhand bookstores in London. They still grace the shelves of my library and, I must add, are much used.” Frank has an extensive library, especially travel guides and narratives, he said. “I also save my travel notebooks and I keep going over them, even after I have written articles or books,” he added. “First of all, they are a memoir and, secondly, they give me ideas for future articles. Also, photos help remind one of sites and experiences.” In his travels, Frank has witnessed Diaspora Jews’ strong support for Israel. He gave the example of France where, “Despite the pressure and the real danger of antisemitism, they support Israel to the fullest.” He added, “Frankly, I didn’t see the divisiveness regarding Israel overseas that at times occurs here in North America. In Russia and Ukraine, for example, I believe Jews there strongly support Israel. Remember, a million Jews from the former Soviet Union still live in Israel and about a million Jews from the former USSR still remain in Russia and Ukraine. But, many from Russia and Israel travel back and forth, as a visa is not required between the two countries. Russian Jewry and Israel and their relationships are both covered in The Scattered Tribe.” Other countries, with much smaller Jewish populations are included in The Scattered Tribe, raising the question, perhaps, as to why some Diaspora communities continue to thrive while others struggle to survive. “Whether it’s the Bronx, N.Y., or Seville, Spain, or Yangon, Myanmar, Jews do not leave unless truly threatened. Yes, numbers of Jews in any given community may assimilate, but I don’t know too many Jewish communities which have died out, even oppressed ones,” said Frank. “Take Cuba, for example. In 1959, when Castro began spouting his atheistic and communist beliefs, which threatened not only the Jewish religion but its livelihood, most of the 14,000 Jews left in the early 1960s. A remnant of about 1,500-2,000 Jews remained. Despite the aid of Canadian Jews and Jews from outside the U.S., we almost lost them and, undoubtedly, would have, had not the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, thus forcing Castro to open up and at least allow a semblance of freedom of religion. In the last two decades, a Jewish revival has taken place on the island and there are three synagogues and a kosher butcher shop and rabbis visiting and Jewish organizations, like the JDC [Joint Distribution Committee], now aiding the community.” Frank added, “Another example where Jews ‘hang on’ is Burma (Myanmar). In 1964, most of the Jews fled that country when a brutal military regime took over the government. And yet, a few dozen stayed on. Every day, Moses Samuels opens the 100-year-old synagogue, Musmeah Yeshua Synagogue, in Yangon, Myanmar. He hopes to get a minyan. Most of the time, he does not, unless tourists arrive. Approximately 20 Jews live in the country. And, now, with Myanmar opening up to the West, more tourists are flocking to this historic land. “I never say a Jewish community is about to die out. Back in the 1980s, Jewish commentators were saying that the Austrian Jewish community would not exist much longer. Four decades later, there are about 6,000 Jews in that country, with synagogues, kosher restaurants and activities. The Diaspora is strong; it relies of course on Israel, the homeland of the Jewish people. One very significant fact: the Diaspora after 1948 is voluntary. We Jews live in various countries around the world because we want to, knowing that should trouble occur, we have an address: the state of Israel.” Even though there are Jewish communities almost everywhere in the world, Frank lamented that, while a relatively large amount is known and written about Europe, including Russia, “we know little about North Africa and Asia, where Jewish communities once flourished and ... even today, exist as small Jewish congregations. Morocco, for example, has about 4,000 Jews and a rich Jewish history. In Hebrew or Sunday school, I was never taught about Jews in Asia and, yet, Jews have lived in India for over 2,000 years. I feel we have a job to do; not only to tell the story of the Jewish Diaspora, but also to educate Jews all over the world as to these wonderful, welcoming, small, exotic Jewish communities throughout the world. They are our brothers and sisters, too. Asia is ‘in’ today, tourist-wise. So, Vancouverites, since you are close to Asia, visit the ‘Scattered Tribe’ there. They would like to see you. Bon voyage!” ^TOP