Mediterranean Kosher Cruise
Relive and Experience the Foundations of our Mesorah.
Celebrity: Equinox
August 6-16, 2010
10 Nights

The very essence of luxury, this is Celebrity Equinox. Shimmering in sophistication from bow to stern, she will exceed your expectations as soon as you step aboard. Delight in your choice of ten exceptional dining venues; relax in spacious and well appointed accommodations; or let the grass between your toes take you out to sea at the unprecedented Lawn Club. With every imaginable comfort, along with Celebrity's unrivaled guest services, you are bound for greatness no matter your destination.

 

Occupancy: 2,850
Tonnage:  122,000
Length: 1,033 ft
Beam: 121 ft
Draught: 27 ft
Cruise Speed: 24 kts
Inaugural Date: Aug 08, 2009

Stephen Savitsky
Long Island, NY.

Stephen J. Savitsky of Hewlett, Long Island, NY, was installed as the Orthodox Union’s President at its Biennial National Convention in Jerusalem in November, 2004. Mr. Savitsky had been Chairman of the Board since the previous OU Convention in December, 2002. He began his second term at the Convention in Jerusalem in 2006 and began his third and constitutionally-mandated final term in November 2008 at the Convention held once again in Jerusalem.

As President, Mr. Savitsky travels widely both in North America, Israel and to Jewish communities in other countries, such as Argentina, bringing the OU message with him.

Actively involved with the OU for over 20 years, in addition to being President and Chairman of the Board, Mr. Savitsky has served as Dinner Chairman, Chairman of several missions to Israel, and Chairman of the Community and Synagogue Services Commission. He also headed the Human Resources Commission and has been a member of the OU Executive team for over a decade.

Mr. Savitsky has held many additional leadership positions in the Jewish community, including President of the Vaad Hakashrus of the Five Towns and Far Rockaway; founder and President of the Kew Gardens Hills Eruv; President of Congregation Ansche Chesed in Hewlett, Long Island, NY; and Chairman of the Board of Mesivta Ohr Torah, in Forest Hills, NY. He is a member of the International Board of Governors of the Mesorah Heritage Foundation. Mr. Savitsky has also represented the OU as a Scholar-in-residence at numerous synagogues across the United States.

Stephen J. Savitsky is the President and Chairman of the Board of ATC Health Care Services, a nationwide provider of temporary medical staffing. He also founded and served as CEO and Chairman of the Board of Tender Loving Care – Staff Builders, one of the nation’s largest providers of home health care services. Mr. Savitsky graduated from Yeshiva University with a degree in Economics and received an MBA from The Bernard Baruch Graduate School of Business of the City University of New York, with a specialization in finance and marketing.

Mr. Savitsky is married to Genie (nee Tennenbaum) Savitsky. They have four children: Julie (married to Shabsi Schreier), Avi (married to Cheryl Stein), Penina (married to Zvi Weiner), and Estie (married to Yehuda Berman). Both Penina and Estie are graduates of Stern College. The Savitsky’s have 13 grandchildren who – much to the Savitsky’s delight – live within walking distance of their grandparents.

Rabbi Steven Weil
President and Exec VP of The Orthodox Union

Rabbi Steven Weil is the newly-installed Executive Vice President of the Orthodox Union, effective July 1, 2009. Rabbi Weil comes to the OU from his position as Senior Rabbi of Beth Jacob Congregation of Beverly Hills, which is the largest Orthodox congregation outside the metropolitan New York area.

The Orthodox Union is the umbrella organization for hundreds of Orthodox synagogues in the United States and Canada. It is a world leader in community and synagogue services, outreach, youth work through NCSY, adult education, political action, and advocacy for persons with disabilities. Its kosher certification label is the world's most recognized kosher symbol.

Rabbi Weil’s personal and professional journey, and his journey to the OU, has been filled with interesting and enriching experiences. Raised on a cattle farm in upstate New York, Rabbi Weil’s was the only Jewish home within a 40-mile radius.

In search of a more intense Jewish environment, Rabbi Weil came to New York City at age 14 to pursue a high-school education in a yeshiva. He flourished there, and spent a year of post-high school studies at the esteemed yeshiva in Israel, Kerem B’Yavneh. Rabbi Weil then returned to New York to attend Yeshiva University, where he earned a degree in health sciences. He continued his studies in YU at the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, where he earned his rabbinical ordination while simultaneously studying for and obtaining an MBA in Finance from New York University’s Stern School of Business.

Rabbi Weil then worked as an educator in the New York/New Jersey area. After delivering an impressive d’var Torah (lecture on the Torah) at the Young Israel of Oak Park in suburban Detroit, the Orthodox Union-member synagogue invited him to apply for the available pulpit position there. Within a year, he had doubled the size of the congregation and introduced many new social and educational programs, including an active youth department, a young couple’s club, and a scholar-in-residence series. In Michigan, Rabbi Weil was an active participant in the Federation and greater Jewish community.

In August of 2000, Rabbi Weil assumed the role of spiritual leader at Beth Jacob Congregation in Beverly Hills. Over the next eight years, the synagogue grew by more than 300 families. A gifted fundraiser, he provided a master plan for Beth Jacob’s growth and emphasized serious Torah learning on all levels, including two kollels (institutes for post-rabbinical students) of very different religious outlooks. He also developed significant programming at Beth Jacob.

Rabbi Weil became involved in building relationships with community leaders and was devoted to many communal activities in Los Angeles. He was invited by then President Bush and Vice President Cheney to deliver the invocation for the President’s 2004 National Campaign Dinner.

Rabbi Weil and his wife, Yael, have three sons and four daughters.

Taken from the ou.org



Virtually everything, with the exception of certain items of a personal nature, for which there is a fair and reasonable change. Your cruise fare includes shipboard accommodations, ocean transportation, standard meals, services and onboard entertainment.

Items that are of a personal nature, for which there is a fair and reasonable charge. Not included in the cruise fare are items that are of a personal nature including gratuities, shore excursions, airfare, telephone calls, faxes, spa treatments, salon services, photographs, laundry and valet service as well as wine, liquor and other beverages. .

You are responsible for obtaining all necessary travel documents and for complying with Customs and Immigration requirements. Guests with out proper travel documents will not be allowed to board the vessel. If for some reason you must leave the ship mid-cruise, you will be denied re-entry into the U.S. unless you possess a valid U.S. passport and no refund of cruise fare will be given to any guest failing to bring such documentation. Costa Cruise Lines encourages all guests to obtain passports as soon as possible to avoid backlogs. For more information, please visit the U.S State department website at www.travel.state.gov.



Passports will be required for any air travel from the Caribbean as of January 23, 2007. ALL persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling by air between the United States and Canada, Mexico and South America, the Caribbean and Bermuda will be required to present a valid passport.

As early as January 1st, 2008, subject to U.S. Government amendment, ALL persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Bermuda may be required to present a valid passport or other documents as determined by the Department of Homeland Security.

United States and Canadian citizens must have valid passports and necessary Visas. The expiration date of your passport must not occur within 6 months of the scheduled return date of travel. Naturalized U.S. citizens are advised to carry their naturalization papers. Aliens who are residents of the U.S. must carry their Alien Registration Card and passport. All others must have valid passports and necessary visas.

Please check current visa requirements with the appropriate embassies or consulates.

Most of the time, you'll feel comfortable in casual resort wear including light cotton clothing. Sweaters, lightweight jackets, raincoats and hats are also appropriate for Northern Europe. Tennis shoes or low-heeled walking shoes are recommended for exploring the ports of call. While most shore excursions do not have dress codes, some tours specifically prohibit shorts and sleeveless shirts, and require ladies to wear knee-length skirts or slacks.
There is usually two formal galas to which ladies will wish to wear long gowns or cocktail-length dresses; gentlemen may choose either tuxedos or dark suits. Number of formal nights may vary depending on cruise length and itinerary. On other evenings, resort attire is the norm.


Temperatures in Northern Europe and the Mediterranean (April through October) average 14 - 31 degrees Celsius; 57 - 88 degrees Fahrenheit. Of course, they may vary.
Temperatures in Caribbean: (November - April) average 72-85 degrees. Of course, they may vary.
Temperatures in South America: (December - March) average 71-84 degrees. Of course, they may vary.

Ship-to-shore telephone service is available 24 hours a day while the ship is at sea or in port from your stateroom. You'll find a telephone and dialing instructions in your stateroom.
If you need to be reached by people at home, have them call or fax the ship directly; or they can contact you via email through your own Internet Service Provider which you can then access via the Internet Cafe.


You can send and receive emails through your own service provider in the Internet Café for a nominal change.

Naturally, you are free to explore many of the ports of call on your own, however, Costa has arranged a variety of shore excursion for you convenience. Each excursion is carefully researched by our Shore Excursion Staff to ensure your experience ashore is as enriching and enjoyable as your stay aboard. You may pre-book your excursions online by visiting www.costacruises.com and selecting . Personalize Your Cruise. . You will need to enter your booking number and your name as it appears on your reservation. The excursion selected will be debited to you onboard account . Or, if you prefer, you may purchase the shore excursion onboard at the Shore Excursion Desk. Shore Excursions are subject to availability and not available on all ships and sail dates.

Complete valet services including laundry, pressing and dry cleaning, can be arranged through your stateroom steward/stewardess and billed to your shipboard account.



You are responsible for obtaining all travel documents as well as compliance with Customs and Immigration requirements. You will be required to comply with all government imposed security measures, which may change without notice.


Please check current VISA requirements with the appropriate embassies or consulates prior to departing on your cruise vacation.

For guests on itineraries visiting Russia and Ukraine, who wish to tour independently in these countries (not on a Celebrity shore excursion) will need to obtain a VISA from the respective embassy/consulate prior to travel.

All United States citizens traveling to Brazil must obtain a valid VISA from the Brazilian consulate or embassy prior to boarding the cruise.

Please note that additional restrictions and requirements may exist for entrance into other countries. You are advised to check with local embassies and consulates for their requirements.

For additional information regarding Canadian Visa click here (http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/visas.html)




Barcelona is the capital and most populous province of Catalonia, as well as the second largest city in Spain. In 2006, its estimated population was 1,605,602. It is located on the Mediterranean coast between the mouths of the rivers Llobregat and Besòs.


According to archeological evidence there existed a sizeable Jewish community in the province of Catalonia, where Barcelona is located, from as early as the beginning of the Common Era. For centuries thereafter, the Jews of Barcelona managed their own local affairs and lived relatively well while confined to the Juderia (Jewish quarter). In 1263, King James I of Aragon convened a religious disputation in Barcelona with the aim of convincing the Jews to convert to Christianity. Nachmanides, the great Jewish sage and bible scholar, was called upon to represent the Jews of Spain. The disputation lasted four days, during which time Nachmanides argued passionately for the validity of Judaism, and the Jewish community of Barcelona waited nervously for the King’s reaction. At the end of the disputation King James I awarded Nachmanides a large some of money for his eloquence and famously stated that he had never heard someone argue so well for such an unjust cause. Yet, despite the King’s kind words, Nachmanides was later forced to leave Spain and eventually went on to settle in the Land of Israel. By the fourteenth century the situation of the Jews of Barcelona and all of Spain had worsened significantly. Numerous anti-Semitic decrees were enacted by the monarchy and Catholic Church, and many Jews converted to Christianity while secretly adhering to Judaism to escape persecution. While the Jewish expulsion from Spain did not occur until the reign of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella in 1492, all the Jews of Barcelona either fled or converted years earlier following the riots of 1391.

Barcelona remained devoid of any Jewish presence for more than five hundred years until several Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews came from North Africa and Eastern Europe at the beginning of the twentieth century. Today, an estimated 3,500 Jews reside in Barcelona, making it the largest concentration of Jews in Spain. In addition to its two functioning synagogues (one Ashkenazi and the other Sephardic), the Barcelona Jewish community also has a Jewish day school, old age home, Chabad house, and an annual Jewish film festival.


What remains in Barcelona today is but a remnant of the rich Jewish culture that existed during the Golden Age of Spain. One of the main attractions that is still in existence is the ancient Call (Juderia, or ghetto) and the Sinagoga Mayor of Barcelona. Originally built during the fifth century, a new synagogue was later built on top of it in the fourteenth century and additional floors were added to the building in subsequent centuries. Despite perhaps being the oldest synagogue in Europe, the Sinagoga Mayor was forgotten and abandoned until the twentieth century until which point it was used for many purposes including a storage house and dry cleaner. Lying just outside Barcelona proper are two other ancient Jewish sites. The first is the ancient Jewish cemetery of Montjuic (lit. Jewish mountain) located on the western edge of the city. The ancient cemetery houses the last remains of some of the most notable members of the pre-expulsion Spanish community and is officially a city park. The second site of interest is the old city of Gerona, which is located approximately 60 miles northeast of Barcelona. While there are few, if any, Jews currently residing in Gerona, this small city was once the home of the great Jewish sage Nachmanides who defended the Jews of Spain in the thirteenth century at the Disputation of Barcelona.

Source: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vjw/barcelona.html


Chabad Lubavitch de Barcelona
Rabbi Dovid M. M. Libersohn
Calle Joan Gamper 27
Barcelona, 08014 Spain
Ph: 34-934-100-685
Fax: 34-934-199-151


1. To order prepared food call:
Tel: 34-934-399-934

2. Isamar Kosher.
Avenir 29
(between Aribau y Muntaner) 08021, Barcelona. Map Email
Tels/Fax:
34-932-003-375
34-932-406-047


Barcelona is a great place to just stroll around. However, if you would like an organized tour we recommed contacting Dominique Tomasov Blinder at the Urban Cultours project. She can be reached by email at info@urbancultours.com or dtomasov@coac.net. Some of the recommended things to see in Barcelona are:

• El Call, Jewish quarter: visit a remnant of the city's Jewish past, with comments on the area's history from its origins until the present
• City History Museum: Wonder through the ruins of Roman Barcelona, under the present city, where some Hebrew inscriptions can be seen on the walls
• The oldest Synagogue in Barcelona reopened in 2002 after a long restoration process led by the Associació Call de Barcelona
• Visit the Holocaust Memorial, dedicated on the 50th anniversary of the Shoah by the Jews of Barcelona
• Visit Anne Frank Square, dedicated in 1998 by the City of Barcelona to the young writer
• Visit the newly established Chabad Lubavitch Center for Jewish Studies
• Participate in shabbat services
• Attend recitals of Ladino and Klezmer music

Name	Address	Tel	Cost (Euros)
NHNumancia	Numancia 74	34.933. 224.451	83
NHLesCorts	Travessera de les Corts 292	34.933.220.811	83
NHForum	Ecuador 20	34.934.193.636	83
NHConstanza	Deu i Mata 66-69	34.932.811.500	150
Hilton	Diagonal 589-591	34.934.957.777	268
ReyJuanCarlosI	Diagonal 661-671	34.933.644.040	160
Princesa Sofia	Plaza Pio xii	34.935.081.000	160
Meliá	Av de Sarria 50	34.934.106.060	150
AparthotelAtenea	Joan Guell 207-211	34.934.906.640	85
ApartmentsSants	Berlin 4 Bis	34.933.238.790	65
Husa l'Illa	Diagonal 555	34.934.103.300	82
Derby	Loreto 21	34.933.223.215	75
Abba Sants	Numancia 32	34.936.003.100	107
HLG Citypark	Nicaragua 47	34.933.637.474	90
Hostel pere tarres	Numancia 149-151	34.934.102.309	20

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