Zeynep Uslu News Today

(JTA) — Since the fall of the Iron Curtain, Prague has been a popular tourist destination for both Jewish travelers and others interested in Jewish history. The Nazis left many

Nesim Bencoya speaks from his office next to the restored Sinyora Synagogue in Izmir. JTA photo by David I. Klein. IZMIR, Turkey—Since the fall of the Iron Curtain, Prague has been a popular tourist destination for both Jewish travelers and others interested in Jewish history. The Nazis left many of city’s synagogues and Jewish sites

Once known in Greek as Smyrna, the city has had a Jewish presence since antiquity, with church documents mentioning Jews from the 2nd century CE. Today, fewer than 1,300 remain

Izmir, a hub of Sephardic history, is drawing tourists with a synagogue restoration project.

Izmir Jewish Heritage Project is renovating synagogues, hold festivals for local residents to get acquainted with Jewish culture and Cuisine, representing a unique piece of cultural heritage.

Izmir, Turkey, once known in Greek as Smyrna, has had a Jewish presence since antiquity, with early church documents mentioning Jews as far back as the second century AD.

“From the 17th century, Izmir was a center for Sephardic Jewry. We can’t recreate that, but we cannot forget that either.”