Once a Synagogue
Sicily, Italy
Marla and Evan Simon enjoyed a trip to beautiful, scenic Sicily in May 2025. The bread and pasta were amazing, but so was the history. Pictured here is a remnant of Sicily’s past vibrant Jewish community, which numbered around 40,000 before the 1492 expulsion. This building in Taormina, once a synagogue, now serves as the town’s police station. Today, it’s estimated that only about 70 Jews remain on the island.
Oldest synagogue, continuous use in the United States, Charelston, NC
The Osbands had the opportunity to visit Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim in July 2025. Founded in 1749, KKBE is one of the oldest Jewish congregations in the United States. The congregation is nationally significant as the birthplace of Reform Judaism in the United States. It is located in the heart of beautiful Downtown Charleston.
Holocaust Memorial Center
Skopje, Republic of Macedonia
In a moving visit this past June 2025, Janet Besser learned that virtually the entire Jewish Romaniote community of Macedonia, dating back to the Roman times, was killed in the Holocaust. These people were a significant part of the Jewish community well into the medieval period. The museum covers Macedonian Jewish history and the Holocaust more broadly. It was simple and very moving.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.