26 November to 12 December 2008 (15 days + 2 nights)
This journey will introduce you to the fascinating story of Jewish agricultural colonisation led by baron Maurice von Hirsch. You will also discover the Jewish contribution to the political, economic and cultural life of this vast country. You will meet and will be able to exchange ideas with the Jewish communities in Buenos Aires, in Montevideo (Uruguay) and in the Argentine countryside. You will listen to local politicians, writers and artists of Jewish background. This beautiful journey during summer in the Southern hemisphere also includes visits of general interest:
•Buenos Aires and Montevideo – capitals of tango;
•The Iguaçu waterfalls (Argentinean and Brazilian sides)
The fee of £2,520 per person (double base) includes all expenses: direct return flights to Buenos Aires from London Heathrow with British Airways (please note that, as advised by BA, a flight tax price increase is very likely due to current rise in fuel prices), bus transfers, accommodation, full board (drinks and service tips included), interpreters, guides, entrance tickets to national parks and to concerts, museums and exhibitions, administration costs, accompaniment and our full assistance.
This 15 day-trip (plus two nights) to two countries – Argentina and Uruguay (with a touch of Brazil) – is organised by Valiske (France) in partnership with the Spiro Ark (UK).
Valiske, a cultural and secular Jewish association based in Alsace, France, is a member of the National Union of Tourist Associations in France (UNAT). Since 2002, Valiske organises journeys to places of Jewish interest.
ITINERARY
ARGENTINA 2008
Study journey prepared and guided by Valiske Association in partnership with the Spiro Ark, London
Programme
1Wed 26 Nov - London Departure from London Heathrow
2Thu 27 Nov - Buenos Aires
•Arrival to the Ezeiza airport; transfer to Buenos Aires.
•Registration in the hotel
•Presentation of the detailed programme
•Lunch
•Installation in our rooms.
•5–8pm: walking tour of the Mayo (May) avenue: Palacio Barolo, Avenida theatre, Tortoni Café, Plaza de Mayo (May Square), Casa Rosada (Pink House, the government’s headquarters), etc.
•8pm: dinner at Los 36 Billares, founded in 1894, av. de Mayo 1265.
3Fri 28 NovBuenos Aires
•8.30am: breakfast
•9am: guided tour of Jewish (Ashkenazi) Buenos Aires – Balvanera (Once) and San Nicolás (first Jewish neighbourhood) quarters. The first Jewish cafés and theatres. The Enrique Santos Discépolo street (Jewish bordellos). The 1919 pogrom, the tragic week. The IWO (Yiddish archives): meeting with Abraham Lichtenbaum (director) and Silvia Hansman (archivist). AMIA and monument to the victims of AMIA.
•1pm: lunch at kosher restaurant Al Galope, Tucumán 2580.
•2:30–5pm: continuation of our visit – Hebraica Club. Shoah Museum where we are received by its director. Temple of the Libertad street (main Synagogue in Buenos Aires), where we are received by the Rabbi; Kibrick Museum. Return to our hotel.
•7:30pm: Departure from our hotel to the Tzavta Cultural Centre; Shabbat evening. Debates with Moshe Rozen.
4Sat 29 Nov - Buenos Aires
•Free morning.
•1pm lunch
•Meeting with Argentinean Secular Jews and the YOK organisation.
•Conference on the Yiddish tango by Lloica Czackis
•Evening concert.
5Sun 30 Nov - Montevideo
•Departure to Uruguay by ferry. Transfer to Montevideo. Meeting with Teresa Porzecansky (writer, sociologist, anthropology professor) and with Alejandrina Morelli (director of the Jewish Film Festival of Uruguay). Visit of the Jewish Cultural Association “Dr. Jaime Zhitlovsky”.
6Mon 1st Dec - Montevideo
•Visit to the Nueva Congregación and meetings with representatives of the Hungarian and Reformed Jewish communities. Visit of the workshop of Jaime Kleist (artist). Visit to the Kehilá. Tango lesson and dinner at a tanguería.
7Tue 2 Dec - Montevideo or Colonia
•Bus transfer to Colonia. Guided tour of the city (Unesco World Heritage site) and its Jewish presence: Portuguese marranos on the 17th Century (mikve, synagogue, and other remains). Return to Buenos Aires by ferry.
8Wed 3 Dec - Colonia or Buenos Aires
•Jewish education in Argentina
9Thu 4 Dec - Buenos Aires - Agricultural Jewish colonies in Entre Ríos
•6am: departure to the Entre Ríos province. In the bus: film Legado (‘Heritage’), directed by Marcelo Trotta and Vivien Imar, produced by Baruch Tenenbaum (director of the Raoul Wallenberg Foundation).
•11:30am: arrival to Villa Clara, meeting with the local guide Martha Muchinik (descendant of the first colonisers) at the Ben Jacob synagogue. Visit by foot of the Jewish school (ex handicraft makers’ synagogue), the Cooperative Communal Fund and the Historical Museum at the train station.
•Lunch at the Jewish school with members of the Colonia Clara’s Jewish community.
•Continuation of our visit: cemetery of Colonia Clara (weather permitting!).
•Villa Domínguez, passing by Ingeniero Sajaroff (view of the school and the synagogue from the bus).
•Colonia Carmel (vue de l’école, la maison des maîtres et la synagogue bus).
•16.30 h : arrivée à Villa Domínguez ; rencontre avec le guide local Osvaldo Quiroga. Visite du Fond Communal, Hangar des immigrants, Musée et Archive des colonies, Hôpital Noe Yarcho. École ORT et synagogue.
•18.30 h : arrivée à Villaguay. Enregistrement aux hôtels Arandu (San Martín 1716 ; Tél. 03455-424480) et Gran Solaz (Herrera et Colon ; Tél. 03455-420307).
20 h : diner au restaurant Manolo’s, Balcarce et B Mitre.
10Fri 5 DecAgricultural Jewish colonies in Entre Ríos
•Visits to the Agricultural Jewish colonies.
•Shabestish (Shabbat evening with the local community).
11Sat 6 Dec - Agricultural Jewish colonies in Entre Ríos
•Visits to Agricultural Jewish colonies.
•Return to Buenos Aires
12Sun 7 Dec- Buenos Aires
•8:30am: breakfast
•9am: City tour of Jewish (Sephardic) and general Buenos Aires with Hélène Gutkowsky (writer, secretary of the Sephardic Centre CIDICSEF): synagogues of the Paso street (the first Sephardic synagogue) and Brandsen street; La Boca neighbourhood and the Caminito street (one of tango’s cradles), Puerto Madero and the docks. Immigrants’ Hotel; Museum of immigration. The site of the Israeli Embassy subject to a terrorist attack.
•1:30pm: lunch at La Chacrita, Junín 1721 (Recoleta).
•Free time at the Recoleta quarter: Recoleta Centro Cultural, cemetery (Evita and other’s mausoleums and tombs), and Plaza Francia handicraft market. Nearby museums: Museum of Fine Arts, Malba (contempory art), Colonial.
•6:30pm: meeting in front of La Chacrita restaurant; transfer to our restaurant.
•7pm: dinner.
13Mon 8 Dec- Iguazú (Argentina)
•5.30am: transfer to the Jorge Newbery airport (Palermo)
•6am: registration in the flight of Aerolíneas Argentinas (departure at 7:15am)
•9am: arrival to the Iguazú airport. Transfer to the Esturión hotel.
•Free morning
•12am: lunch at Sevilla restaurant
•Free afternoon – optional visits: viewpoint of Iguazú River’s triple border (Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay), town of Puerto Iguazú, indigenous reserve, safari in the jungle (private tour).
•8pm: dinner at tour hotel
14Tue 9 Dec- Iguazú (Argentina and Brazil)
•7:30am: breakfast.
•8:30am: departure to the Iguazú National Park (UNESCO Natural Heritage Site), Argentinean side. Interpretation centre (detailed explanation of the biodiversity of the forest); Upper Circuit and The Devil’s Throat.
•1pm: lunch at La Selva restaurant.
•2:30pm: lower circuit and San Martín Island (BEWARE: MANY STAIRS!)
•6pm: return to our hotel
•8pm: dinner at tour hotel
15Wed 10 Dec - Iguazú Buenos Aires
•7am: breakfast
•8am: check out and departure to the Iguazú National Park (UNESCO Natural Heritage Site), Brazilian side.
•9:30am: visit of the Park and view of the waterfalls on the Argentinean and Brazilian side.
•11am: optional visits – Bird’s Park (tropical birds and other fauna); helicopter flight over the waterfalls.
•12:30am: departure; return to the Argentinian side.
•2pm: lunch at Sevilla restaurant
•3:30pm: transfer to the Ezeiza airport
•4pm: registration in the flight of Aerolíneas Argentinas (departure at 5pm)
•6.50pm: arrival to the Jorge Newbery airport. Transfer to the restaurant.
•20 h : dîner au Club de Pescadores (‘Club des Pêcheurs’, Monument Historique National, fondé en 1908), Av. Rafael Obligado s/Nº y Av. Sarmiento Costanera Norte, au bord du Río de La Plata.
16Thu 11 Dec - Buenos Aires
International Day of Tango.
Return to London
17Fri 12 Dec- Arrival to London Heathrow
