As a writer, I’m rarely lost for words. I pride myself on being able to take in an experience and distill it out onto paper (screen) easily, efficiently, and relatively well. And yet standing here inside the “forest” of columns inside the unique Basilica of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, I can only come up…
Editor’s note: As we explore writer Sam Spector’s trip to India together over the coming weeks, you’ll hear me say this a lot: I am so grateful for Sam’s visit and writing since I am taking my own first trip to India in November. So you can bet that I’m eagerly writing down his recommendations!…
Toulouse, France isn’t exactly the first city that comes to mind when it comes to places in the world with interesting churches. Rome? Sure. (Click here to read about the churches of Rome.) But Toulouse? Not really. And yet, France’s pink city has some of the more fascinating - and huge - churches I’ve seen…
It is hard to be in this place and not have an emotional reaction. The colors on canvas are so vibrant, the themes so recognizable, the small details so impactful, that for anyone - art lover, scholar, or even casual observer - there is something to find that can easily create an intense experience. But…
It seems that every dynasty has that one monarch somewhere down the line who gets to define the house. Sometimes it is due to greatness - and indeed the number of monarchs with that epithet probably all qualify - and sometimes it is for another quality. Sometimes it is for a specific deed, guiding the…
Editor’s note: back in 2021, as the world was just beginning to open up from COVID, Curacao was my first destination. I spent three weeks on the island, and fell absolutely in love with the place and its people. It is really great to see that Sam felt similarly, even in a much shorter span…
Editor’s note: I truly love when our amazing writer Sam Spector does a series on a country I haven’t visited yet, and really don’t know much about. I hadn’t even known Lublin existed before reading this piece, and now it is on my future Poland itinerary. For more of Sam’s writing, click here to visit…
Editor’s note: I have never been to Poland. But as a Jew, I feel a connection to a place where so many of my people lived - and died. As an aside, if after reading this powerful piece by Sam Spector you want to immerse even more in the events of the Warsaw Ghetto, Mila…
Editor’s note: I have been to Slovakia, spending about a week in Bratislava as part of a large trip based mainly in Germany. However, I will admit that the rest of the country is a blank for me. It is really nice to learn more via our wonderful traveling rabbi, Sam Spector. For more of…
Editor’s note: Prague is a city unique. It has a well preserved medieval core, incredible food, and the best preserved Jewish quarter in all of Europe. For my personal takes on the city, you can find my guide here. But this is Sam’s version, and describes a whirlwind tour through some truly amazing locales. For…