Sacred Jewish Journeys
Welcome to Spiritual Adventure of Jewish travel. I am joyfully leading specialty curated tours of Jewish interest. Each itinerary is crafted to see the highlights of each country and to make connections with the local Jewish communities wherever possible. In these times, it is important to stay in touch with those in far-flung places – while learning about our history and culture.
With each of my trips you will come away with new friends, and feel the comradery of an instant community that I intentionally foster among the participants. We will sing a lot, learn a lot, and eat well …and we will do our best to be a blessing to those we visit.
Becoming a community and make long lasting connections, we see the sights, have amazing mystical experiences. This is what makes my trips different from all other basictouring companies. Traveling in my groups, we become a healing force.
See below for the places I’ve been and join me for the next adventure!
2026
Jewish Croatia, Slovenia, and Trieste (Italy) – 4-13 March 2026
Pre-tour: Jewish Sarajevo and Bosnia – 27 February-4 March 2026
Join us for an exciting exploration of the Jewish heritage of the Western Balkans. Take in the splendor of Croatia’s Adriatic pearl – Dubrovnik – including the city’s enchanting 16th century synagogue. Walk along the narrow Venetian streets in Split, tour Diocletian’s Palace, and meet members of Split’s vibrant Jewish community. Stroll through beautiful Zagreb, weaving harmoniously Mediterranean and Central European cultures. Savor the beauty of the turquoise, crystal-clear Plitvice Lakes. Stroll through historic Ljubljana, Slovenia’s charming and serene capital. Visit Lake Bled and Bled Castle, nestled in the foothills of the Julian Alps. Spend an afternoon in Italian Trieste, and have a drink in one of James Joyce’s favorite cafes.
During our pre-tour in Bosnia, celebrate Purim with Sarajevo's Jewish community. See the beautifully illuminated Sarajevo Haggadah; enjoy Sarajevo’s rich Sephardic and Ashkenazi synagogues; visit the grand 17th Jewish century cemetery; stop at the street corner where Franz Ferdinand was assassinated; revel in the beauty of Mostar’s old town and its iconic Old Bridge. Visit the legendary grave of Rabbi Moshe Danon.
- Sample delicious olive oils & native wines
- Savor the delectable Dalmatian cuisine
- Taste handcrafted chocolates
- Take in the natural beauty of the Adriatic coast
- Relax at the serene Lake Bled, surrounded by the dramatic Julian Alps
- Enjoy regional folklore, music, and dance
- Order authentic Italian gelato and espresso in Trieste
- Visit Game of Thrones filming locations in Dubrovnik
- Walk through Europe’s most pristine Ottoman Bazaar in Sarajevo
- Visit Sarajevo’s oldest hammam (separate hours for women and men)
- Celebrate Purim with the Jewish community in Sarajevo
Click here to download the itinerary.
Greece 2025
Greece, where the land is filled with the power of ancient myths of God’s and Goddesses, where the Jews have lived through many centuries. Join me for a spiritual adventure to seek and explore, learn and taste the offerings of the land. We will cover the basic locations of the Jewish communities, as well as enter the magic of the siren’s song. I’ve heard the food is wonderful in Greece.
Here is the link to the itinerary:
Athena, goddess of wisdom and warfare, summons us to her city and Zeus’s lightening bolt wakes us out of our slumber to the call of adventure! The hero/heroines’ journey lies before us. What do you choose? And, If not now, when?
The Jewish community of Greece is ancient. The history of Jews in Greece may date back thousands of years to the Babylonian exile when some captive Judeans reportedly settled in Greece instead of returning to Israel.These are the Romaniot Jews. Many Ashkenazi Jews from Central Europe arrived in North Greece after the crusades and found refuge in the city of Thessaloniki. Greece also became a haven for persecuted Jews fleeing the Inquisition. Many strands of our history converge and there is plenty to learn about!
As well, the Greek Goddesses – and Gods - the inspiration of many legends - have much to teach us.
- Hera, the goddess of women, marriage ruler of the skies and heaven, wrestled with Zeus for power
- Apollo is the god music, dance, healing, light, poetry, and more. Through the Oracle of Delphi he sought answers to the mysteries.
- “Can we find what we love?”, asks Aphrodite?
- Will we encounter the agricultural goddess, Demeter, mother to Persephone, who was abducted by the underworld god Hades to be his bride?
Where will you find the hidden? These are the questions we will ask as we traverse where the presence of the Divine feminine is etched upon the land.
Past Tours
2024 - Adventure in India!
In 1983-84, I spent the year studying in Jerusalem. At the end of that year, I had decided to travel through Asia to return to my home in Toronto. Facing me was a hard decision. Should I stay in Israel for Passover or leave before? If I skipped Passover, I could go to India, Nepal, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, etc...... but if I skipped India, I could stay in Israel for Passover....
I made the decision to stay in Israel and picked up the trip in Kathmandu. In my naïveté, I thought for sure I would get back to India sooner. Yet life, - marriage, children, rabbinical school, and covid - had other plans for me. Since then I have always longed to go to mysterious, exotic India. Since I already have a daily yoga practice.... India has called to me:)
The time is finally now and I have put together this amazing trip to in India that will cover a lot of territory.
Those of you:
- who want to learn about the Jews of India, meet the local community and share a synagogue with them, this is a trip for you;
- who have read the Jew and the Lotus, that featured Reb Zalman and have always wanted to go to Dharmsala, this is for you;
- who want an introduction to India,- seeing some of the major highlights -this is a trip for you;
- who want to taste the flavors of many different regions of the country, this is a trip for you,
- who want a good group experience, traveling with a seasoned spiritual tour guide -this is a trip for you
- who seek group and fellowship of companionship and community as we travel, this is a trip for you.
- who have India on your bucket list, this is the trip for you!
- who have always wanted to see the Taj Mahal and the Ganges River this is a trip for you!!!
If you want a deep emersion in chanting for hours at at Ashram, this is not for you, but I can guarantee spiritual adventures anyway:) and you can always stay longer!
I have paired with Rahel Musleh, the expert on Jewish India travel. She and Joshua Shapukar and I have put together this dynamic diverse trip. It is priced a little higher than my other previous trips, but we are going for longer time. It takes longer to get there, why not stay two extra days? We cover a lot of ground and will be flying to cover a lot of territory..its a big country!
I couldn’t squeeze everything into the trip, so there is a post trip for those that want to see a little bit more of the country. I can promise this: there will be sights to see, adventures to be had and friends to make.
Here is the Link to the itinerary
For more information, email me at
2023 - Adventure in Morocco!
Ready to Travel?? let's go
Join me for an amazing adventure, a once in a lifetime tour of the exotic country of Morrocco! Morrocco is filled with a rich history of Jewish expression, culture and history. From the ancient Jewish community to the Haman/Hot Baths dripping with Argan oil; the desert complete with camel rides and the bustling markets, the couscous and the baklava, we will immerse ourselves in this exotic civilization.
Moises Hassan-Amselem, who lead our Spain tripwas born in Morocco and will be our guide. We have put together a fantastic itinerary through Jewish Morocco, historical hot spots, exotic terrain of desert and beaches and mystical experiences, It's a once in a life time trip.
find the itinerary here: click to open itinerary
and watch this page for updates
If you have questions, email me:
rrayzel@shechinah.com
or Moises:
moroccojewishtour@gmail.com
You can download the registration form here: Registration Form
The price of the trip is on the registration form itself
For more information, email me at
2019 - Eat, Pray, Heal: Journey Through Jewish Spain in November
Come join a Jewish adventure in Spain. The history of the Jewish community in Spain is complex: rich,
creative and tragic. In its day, the Sephardic cultural era was a 500 year explosion of creativity and
interfaith relations. Today there is a resurgence of Jewish life, and a return to Spanish roots by many
families who fled the Inquisition. The spiritual summons to Spain compels us to heal this chapter of
our history.
Join Rabbi Rayzel Raphael as she guides you on an enriching odyssey of Spanish Jewish culture. With experienced tour guide and also a lecturer at University, Moises Hassan-Amselem, resident of Seville, Spain, you will visit the major cities where Spanish Jewish heritage flourished: Barcelona, Gerona, Toledo, Segovia, Cordoba, Granada and Seville. We will visit major sighteeing locations, old city walls, palaces, eat Spanish delicacies; and broaden our sense of the Golden Age of Spanish Jewry. Spending Shabbat with the local Jewish community – we will also pray at places where our people were shattered and scattered. Come for the tour, leave with a sense you have been on a holy mission.
More about this Trip
Itinerary for this Trip
How to Pay for this Trip
Please email me at
for instructions on how to send the information so it is secure.
Travel to Jewish Seville is a Must with Moises
Spain's Most Famous Jewish Quarters
Google Map of Places on this Trip
2018 - Israel Transformation Tour
My goal is to take you on an adventure. Travel opens us up to many new ideas and cultures and my idea of travel is not to just to tour but to experience, interact and taste what the world has to offer. Each day’s itinerary is crafted to be a journey of transformation. My intention is to explore the ancient roots of Jewish spirituality. We visit archeology sites and follow the path of growth and blossoming from these roots. We visit change makers, secular and religious. Weaving between layers of history, we find the thread of connection, through herstory. My hope is that each participant also finds their own place on the path as we travel - adding their voice to this ongoing tradition. And of course we eat well, tasting what each place has to offer.
For more information, email me at
or call 215-237-2955
Israel
In the meantime, I started redesigning an itinerary for Israel. It includes Tel- Aviv to Jerusalem - through the Southern route of the desert, including ancient ruins, birdwatching, nature, various exotic cultures, spa and of course, cuisines! However, in Israel we have to allow the first day in the country to stay in a hotel to make sure we test negative for Covid. I am interested in hearing from those that want to travel whether this trip is for you this spring!!!!
find the itinerary here: click to open itinerary
and watch this page for updates
For more information, email me at
