On Tuesday, September 2, the National Park Service and Congressman Timothy Bishop celebrated the recent restoration of Fire Island National Seashore’s wilderness boardwalk trail. The ¼-mile boardwalk replaces one destroyed during Hurricane Sandy and provides access to New York State’s only federally designated wilderness.
“The restoration of the wilderness boardwalk on Fire Island is an important step forward in our efforts as a community to fully recover from Superstorm Sandy,” said Congressman Tim Bishop. “In its 50 year history, the Fire Island National Seashore has provided a place for families to spend quality time together while exploring one of Long Island’s most beautiful areas. The restoration of this boardwalk will help to ensure that legacy continues.”
“The federal funds secured by Congressman Bishop made it possible to restore one of Fire Island’s most popular boardwalk in time for the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act and for Fire Island National Seashore’s own 50th anniversary,” said Seashore Superintendent Chris Soller.
The $273,000 project was completed in April with federal storm recovery funds and visitation has increased since it was completed.
“People come to Fire Island’s wilderness for a unique and peaceful experience and this boardwalk enhances that experience,” said Soller.
“The new wilderness boardwalk was designed to be more sustainable,” said Seashore Facility Manager James Dunphy. Although Hurricane Sandy destroyed 2,500 feet of boardwalk in the wilderness area, Dunphy said “the storm gave the National Park Service the opportunity to reconsider its location.” The new boardwalk was built with composite lumber made from recycled materials and relocated inland to the site of a former boardwalk to allow for greater protection from future storms.
The Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness is accessible year-round, with parking available at the adjacent Smith Point County Park.
The Seashore will host “Wilderness Weekend” on September 6 and 7 with special programs to highlight Fire Island’s wilderness and the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act.
Wilderness Weekend events include: “Walk in Wilderness,” “Junior Ranger Wilderness Explorer,” and a “Leave No Trace Workshop.”
“Songs of Wilderness,” an exhibit featuring artwork inspired by Fire Island’s wilderness by mixed-media artist David Adams will be on display at the Wilderness Visitor Center through October 13.
The Seashore will continue to host special programming at the Fire Island Wilderness throughout its year-long 50th anniversary celebration starting mid-September.
Fire Island National Seashore encompasses 26 miles of ocean and bay shoreline, lush backdunes, maritime forests and residential communities on Fire Island, a barrier island situated south of Long Island, New York. Fire Island’s dynamic coastal landscape is home to a diversity of plants and wildlife and offers a retreat from nearby metropolitan New York. For more information visit www.nps.gov/fiis.
Bravocar, an online portal for local and international ridesharing trips currently based in Norway but hoping to expand internationally aims to make the “thumbs up” hitchhiking symbol passe.
The venture started around the idea that Norway’s major cities are plagued with traffic congestion, despite various collective transportation solutions.
Faced with this problem, three friends traveling in Norway decided to create a local carpooling platform. Within a matter of weeks of looking at their design and brand, that they understood that this could actually bring the venture to an international level.
“People need to have alternative solutions, but they need good solutions that not only will help them to cut down costs of transportation on daily basis, but also something that addresses climate issues like Co2 emissions, traffic congestion and lack of social interactions.”
Bravocar offers also “special categories” such as “Ladies only rides” reserved for women to book their trips, “Shopping rides” for the shopping enthusiasts, “Airport rides” and “Event rides”.
Their solution uses geo-localisation technology, allowing rides “that matters” to the users to be highly visible on the portal.
Security is a key priority, “To be able to post a ride on our site you need to have genuine identity, therefore we have phone number verification, email verification and pictures verification, we have a strict policy when it comes to security and want to provide trust to our users”
Here’s how it works: After you have been through the registration process you will be able to “post a ride”, they have developed a price calculator with color codes as a guideline for a “driver” a green color means the price is under their guidelines and therefore a good deal, a black color price follows their guidelines when a orange color is overpriced, by doing so they believe that people might compete against each-other in the beginning but this will stabilize by the time passing.
Each booking is paid online, the company holds the funds until the trip has been completed, only then the driver will receive its “Due” minus an 8% fee for the site.
“Driving a site like this costs money, however we want to provide a solution which is not directed to profit-only therefore we take a small fee, cheaper than any other carpooling sites on the web, so users can get the most out of it, in addition to this we intend to use a great deal of our profit in environmental solutions by investing in projects that matters.”
The platform launched in March 2014, and with the interest shown in Norway and Germany, they are looking for investors but also created a “crowd-funding” campaign at Indiegogo.
Bravocar was registered in March 2013 after being supported by “The Open Project”.
The company is owned by: Rodolphe Delloye, CEO; Frederick Richard, Project Manager; and
Frederic Patry, Key Account Manager.
HomeExchange.com, one of the largest home exchange communities in the world, continues to broaden its North American member base—and in turn, its collection of homes available for swap—with the acquisition of Only in America Home Exchange (OIA), a home trading travel site based out of San Francisco.
Adding 3,000 new properties to its ever-growing network of more than 55,000 listings, this acquisition gives HomeExchange.com an opportunity to expand on the geographical reach of its home listings available across the US, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean, the primary regions of OIA members.
As part of a concerted global strategy by the HomeExchange.com team as they look to capitalize on opportunities for their members to exchange homes in more cities, the move will immediately incorporate the new property listings onto HomeExchange.com and include more houses in key US exchange markets such as California, New York, and Florida.
“Only in America was founded with a distinct regional focus, but when our members developed an interest in home swapping opportunities overseas, it became clear we needed to look beyond North America,” says Helen Salem, who established OIA in 2002 after experiencing a home swap with her family. “With its dynamic business growth plan, unparalleled customer service, and an efficient platform that helps facilitate home exchanges in over 150 countries, HomeExchange.com ultimately offered the best home for our members – a place where I know they’ll receive the best treatment.”
The transition between platforms is seamless, allowing OIA members to retain their home swapping profile and photos as they’re automatically transferred over to HomeExchange.com. HomeExchange.com will honor active OIA memberships at their current rate, and all other OIA members will have an opportunity to join the site free of charge for one year.
Following the January 2014 acquisition of the online home exchange marketplace Aha! Go, this second purchase has helped set the foundation for HomeExchange.com’s aggressive expansion plan: to grow their active user community and offer a wider variety of property listings to their members by acquiring 2-4 home exchange websites each year.
“One of our greatest assets at HomeExchange.com is our dedication to our members. We want to be the go-to community for smaller home exchange networks looking to offer a larger selection of house swapping options around the world with a company that places members first in every decision we make,” says Chief Operating Officer Jim Pickell. “For owners of smaller companies seeking a welcoming home where their members will receive the best treatment, we’re the most obvious solution.”
Founded in 1992 by Ed Kushins, HomeExchange.com was a pioneer, early adopter, and promoter of the “collaborative consumption” movement. Building upon a foundation of trust and enthusiasm, HomeExchange.com has evolved into the largest and fastest growing online home exchange travel community in the world. This year, their 55,000+ members will make over 130,000 home swaps across more than 150 countries, eluding the cost of traditional accommodations and saving over 50% on each vacation. HomeExchange.com makes it easy to plan and enjoy a home exchange vacation in almost any country, city, or area of interest, and offers travelers a memorable, authentic ‘live like a local’ experience. The site is now available in 15 different languages. HomeExchange.com was named one of the fastest growing private companies in America in 2013 on the Inc. 500 / 5000 list for the third consecutive year.
In a time when the challenges of air travel only seem to become more complex and automobile travel more frustrating, the allure of train travel grows. Trains are easy on/off, allow continual WiFi use, have excellent on-time performance, and are affordable.
And now, you can reach one of the most sensational getaway destinations on the planet via passenger rail: Amtrak to Rhode Island.
Amtrak services Rhode Island via two routes: The high-speed Acela travels daily between Boston, New Haven, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington DC. The Northeast Regional includes those cities as well as smaller stations such as Kingston, RI, in the southern half of the state, close to the beaches and Newport.
Once in Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority’s system of trolleys and buses makes navigating the entire state a breeze, especially the cities of Providence and Newport (see bus directions below to each destination) – not to mention superb biking (one of our favorite bike trails is the East Bay, which goes from Providence 14.5 miles, hugging the shores of Narragansett Bay to Bristol).
And Rhode Island’s great fall festivals and foliage excursions make visiting at this time of year all the more memorable. The great food scene here, from high-end, nationally-award-winning restaurants to waterside seafood shacks, is allure all by itself, and will only make your stay more enjoyable, no matter what your taste.
Making Connections
Getting around Providence is a snap, not just because it’s an eminently walkable city, but because RIPTA’s system of tourist-friendly public transportation is fantastic. RIPTA’s hub is located in Kennedy Plaza in the center of downtown Providence, a 5 minute walk from the train station. Check out the dozens of routes at www.ripta.com.
Getting to Newport is even easier. Regular bus service runs between Providence, Kennedy Plaza and Newport’s Gateway Center. Buses leave every 30 minutes.
Once in Newport getting around via public transportation is easy too! Newport’s public transportation hub is the Visitors Information Center at 23 America’s Cup Avenue in downtown Newport. RIPTA provides trolley and bus service to attractions throughout Newport, including the mansions, Cliff Walk, Beaches, Fort Adams, Downtown Newport, the Gateway Center, and more. Van/car service is available from the Kingston station to Newport. Call (401) 295-1100 for information and reservations (required).
Riders can buy a day pass or pay as they go directly from the bus driver. RIPTA riders pay just $2 for all-day parking at the Visitors Information Center and receive discounts to many area attractions, including mansion and harbor tours. For more information call: 401-781-9400 or log on to RIPTA.com or see specific schedules here:
Rhode Island Chinese Dragon Boat Races and Taiwan Day Festival (Sept. 6): The Blackstone Valley is one of the few places outside of China where you can experience these authentic and beautiful wooden dragon boats, made and shipped from Hong Kong, race. Boat crews consist of a drummer and 20 paddlers. The top team wins $10,000. The day also includes other festivities celebrating Asian culture. School Street Pier, Pawtucket, 401-724-2200. www.dragonboatri.com
To get there from Providence: Board Bus 11 in Kennedy Plaza towards R-Line North. The 11 departs every 20 minutes. In about 24 minutes, you’ll arrive at the Pawtucket Transit Center. Transfer to Bus 78. Travel three stops to School and Beechwood streets. Take a right and walk five minutes to the Pawtucket Boat Launch. Total travel time 40 minutes.
The 9th Annual Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival (September 19-21): Held in one of the most spectacular settings in America, Rosecliff and Marble House mansions, this remarkable weekend experience features hundreds of wines from around the world, fabulous food, cooking demonstrations by nationally-renowned chefs, live and silent auctions and a gala celebration. www.newportmansions.org
To get there from Providence: Board Bus 60 in Kennedy Plaza towards Newport. This bus departs every 20 minutes. In about an hour and 13 minutes, get off at Marlborough and Duke streets in Newport. Walk about a minute straight ahead to the next bus stop at Marlborough and Thames streets. Board Bus 67 and ride 9 stops to the corner of Bellevue and Narragansett avenues. Exit the bus and walk 5 minutes to Marble House. Total travel time is 1 hour 37 minutes.
WaterFire Providence (Sept. 27, Oct. 11, 25): A unique and beautiful artistic installation by Barnaby Evans, WaterFire, in its 20th year, is celebrated the world over. Featuring braziers placed along the middle of the Providence River and set aflame, WaterFire features music, artistic performers, food and drink and brings both locals and visitors out to celebrate the city. www.waterfire.org. (see slideshow).
To get there: Exit the Providence Train Station and make a left onto Gaspee St. Walk one minute and take a left on Francis St. Walk three minutes to the Providence River and the first viewing point for WaterFire, which starts at sunset.
International Polo Series (Through September): This royal sport has taken Rhode Island by storm. Polo matches take place every Saturday June through September. Spectators may rent tents or bring chairs and reserve space on the grounds for picnics. Teams competing come from throughout the world. Glen Farm in Portsmouth. www.nptpolo.com
To get there from Providence: Board Bus 60 in Kennedy Plaza towards Newport. This bus departs every 20 minutes. In about 55 minutes, exit the bus on East Main Rd opposite the corner of Glen Rd. Cross the street and walk about 10 minutes to Glen Farm Rd. and make a right. The polo fields will be 5 minutes down on your left. Total travel time is 1 hour 13 minutes.
The Jack O Lantern Spectacular at Roger Williams Park Zoo (Oct. 2-Nov. 2): This annual festival features 5,000 artistically and intricately-carved pumpkins in all shapes, sizes and themes. Set along the pathways that lead throughout the Zoo, the lit-from-within pumpkins draw as many as 100,000 visitors for a part-beautiful, part-spooky celebration of the season. 1000 Elmwood Ave., Providence, 401-785-9450. www.rwpzoo.org
To get there from Providence: In Kennedy Plaza, board Bus 22 towards Providence. It will turn into Bus 20. Ride for 18 minutes to the corner of Elmwood Ave. and Carlisle St. Exit the bus here and the entrance to Roger Williams Park is directly across the street. Enter the park and walk 6 minutes to the Zoo. Total travel time is 26 minutes.
Newport’s International Octoberfest (Oct. 11-12): This bona fide Bavarian weekend bubbles over with juicy bratwursts, yodeling and folk dance performances, a rousing entertainment lineup and more. This year, there will be three Biergartens and expanded outdoor courtyard space for endless amounts of festivities. A kid-friendly Kindergarten area rounds out fall’s choice festival as a place for the whole family to sample Oktoberfest’s multitude of flavors. All held along the beautiful Newport waterfront at the Newport Yachting Center. www.newportwaterfrontevents.com/event/international-oktoberfest/
To get there from Providence: Board Bus 60 in Kennedy Plaza towards Newport. This bus departs every 20 minutes. In about an hour and 13 minutes, get off at Marlborough and Duke streets in Newport. Exit the bus and walk straight ahead two minutes to Thames St. Take a left and walk 7 minutes to the Newport Yachting Center on the right side of Thames St. Total travel time is 1 hour 24 minutes.
Bowen’s Wharf Seafood Festival (Oct. 18-19): Honoring the “harvest of the sea,” the Bowen’s Wharf Seafood Festival offers copious amounts of seafood, continuous live music, and family fun, all beneath the wharf’s colorful tents. Neighboring restaurants and fisherman’s associations serve up their most celebrated seafood dishes (lobster dinners, clam chowder, stuffed quahogs, clam cakes, shrimp, scallops, raw oysters and clams, as well as a few dishes for landlubbers and kids). Under the music tent, live music – folk, Celtic, sea shanties and blues – are just a taste of what you’ll hear. Bring your dancing shoes, because these bands promise to get your feet moving! www.bowenswharf.com/events
To get there from Providence: Board Bus 60 in Kennedy Plaza towards Newport. This bus departs every 20 minutes. In about an hour and 13 minutes, get off at Marlborough and Duke streets in Newport. Exit the bus and walk straight ahead two minutes to Thames St. Take a left and walk 5 minutes to Bowen’s Wharf, on the right side of Thames St. Total travel time is 1 hour 22 minutes.
Blackstone Valley Fall Foliage Tour (Oct. 22): One of the most unique ways to see Rhode Island’s gorgeous fall foliage. Hop aboard the Blackstone Valley’s Fall Foliage Train. On Oct. 22 at 9 am the train departs Woonsocket for a day-long excursion to Putnam CT, where you can shop for antiques and dine. One Depot Sq, Woonsocket. www.tourblackstone.com
To get there from Providence: Board Bus 54 in Kennedy Plaza towards Lincoln. After 51 minutes, exit the bus at 113 Clinton St. near the corner of High St. Cross the street and make a right and walk one minute to Depot Square. Total travel time is 56 minutes.
New and exciting places to stay
The Urban Beach House at The Attwater, Newport
The Attwater is a design-driven boutique hotel with a chic and modern edge not often seen in historic Newport. Urban Beach House rooms feature “outdoor style” showers and a “sand lounge” gathering spot in the front yard of the hotel. Top-notch amenities and stylish comfort are the order of the day. 22 Liberty St., 401-846-7444, www.theattwater.com
The Dean, Providence
A brothel-turned boutique hotel, the 52-room Dean is an urban oasis for Downcity travelers. With a decidedly cool Brooklyn vibe (it was designed by Brooklyn-based ASH NYC), the hotel merges cool (there are bunk beds) with a homegrown aesthetic (many of the furnishings and accessories are crafted by RI artists). 122 Fountain Street, Providence, 401-455-DEAN, 401-732-3100. www.thedeanhotel.com.
For further information:
Newport Convention and Visitors Bureau, 23 America’s Cup Avenue, Newport, RI 02840, 401-845-9151, 800-326-6030, www.gonewport.com.
Summer is winding down but there’s still time to celebrate summer’s final days in the outdoors with park picnics, road trips, camping, water sports, hiking and much more. Americans logged 1.6 billion visits to national and state park lands last year. The Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers encourage people to get outside and enjoy America’s parks, forests, lakes and oceans responsibly during the last few weeks of summer.
The Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers are teams educators that travel throughout the United States in their Subaru hybrids and reach millions of people each year. They conduct hands-on educational trainings and outreach, teaching the public about Leave No Trace principles while promoting stewardship of the outdoors, protection and preservation of our public lands and support of outdoor recreational activities.
“The best way to celebrate the end of summer is to get outside,” according to Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainer, Dani Rowland. “With the growing number of visitors on our public lands, it’s easy for these natural areas to be negatively impacted. The teams travel the country teaching straight-forward skills to help people protect the outdoor places they cherish. Learning and practicing Leave No Trace goes hand-in-hand with your end of summer celebration.”
These five, new tips from the Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers to help you Leave No Trace on your next picnic, camp outing or park visit are easy to implement and will help protect our nation’s favorite natural lands for years to come:
1. Keep Wildlife Wild
Human food is unhealthy for all wildlife and feeding them can have unfortunate consequences such as drawing them to people and roads and making them sick.
2. Get Muddy
A giant mud puddle in the middle of your trail? Get muddy and walk right though it to avoid trampling and the loss of important plants and small trees living along our trails.
3. Be Careful With Fire
Burn all wood to ash and be sure the fire is completely out and cold before you leave to avoid starting a wildfire.
4. Trash: A Burning Issue
Burning trash and leftover food in your campfire attracts animals and releasing harmful chemicals into the air. Put all leftover food and trash in a trashcan.
5. Water Wisdom
Keep soap, food and human and pet waste out of lakes and streams to keep them clean. We all depend on clean water.
To learn more tips on Leave No Trace and when the Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers will be in your area visit www.LNT.org.
Subaru has a long history of supporting active lifestyle enthusiasts and the organizations that are important to them. In 1999, Subaru of America and the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics joined forces to promote responsible recreation across the United States. The Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainer program consists of four teams of two educators that travel across the country in their Subaru hybrids teaching people how to protect and enjoy the outdoors responsibly. The Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers work with the general public, volunteers, nonprofit organizations, friends groups and governmental agencies to reduce the impact of recreational activities in selected endangered areas. In 2014, alone, the Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers will reach 15 million Americans.
Leave No Trace is a national, nonprofit organization that is dedicated to protecting the outdoors by teaching people how to enjoy it responsibly. Since 1994, Leave No Trace has been the most widely accepted outdoors program used on public lands in the United States. Through targeted education, research, outreach, volunteerism and partnerships, Leave No Trace ensures the long-term health of our natural world. Their Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers are mobile teams educators that visit 48 states every year delivering Leave No Trace programs. Leave No Trace has mobilized more than 30,000 volunteers to provide outreach and training impacting more than 22 million people annually in the U.S. For more information visit www.lnt.org.
The documentary “Transit to Freedom,” produced by the Japan National Tourist Office sparked a Jewish heritage tour of Japan of sights related to destinations associated with Japanese Vice-Consul Chiune Sugihara in Lithuania, known as Japan’s Oskar Schindler, who issued the transit visas for 6,000 European Jews, saving them from Nazi extermination.
A portrait of an unknown Jewish woman featured in a short documentary film of the history of Japan tourism has been identified by her own children. The film was originally intended to trace the modern history of Japan tourism, but the photo led to discovery about the oldest Japanese travel agency’s little known role in helping Jewish refugees escape from Europe to the United States and is being used to cultivate more Jewish travel to Japan.
As Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) was researching the past 100 years of Japan tourism, there was an unexpected finding from World War II that showed Japanese involvement in helping Jewish refugees escaping Nazi Europe.
The finding led to a documentary, as well as a Jewish Heritage tour of Japan. And the documentary led to the identification of a Jewish woman by her children.
The documentary “Transit to Freedom” was a collaboration of the New York Film Academy and JNTO, and was premiered at Japan Week, the tourism promotional event at Grand Central Terminal in New York City in March 2014. The screening as well as the coverage in the New York Times, ignited public attention to the documentary, and the documentary was made available online to reach a wider audience.
The film was based on a true story in a book by Akira Kitade, a former executive at JNTO, that his former boss went through during the wartime.
Kitade’s former boss was assigned to escort European Jews when Japan Tourist Bureau (the predecessor of the Japanese travel agency, JTB Corp.) was contracted to transport them through the rough water of Sea of Japan between Vladivostok of the Soviet Union and a Japanese port city of Tsuruga.
The Jews on this ship were on so-called Sugihara visa, which was the transit visa signed by a Japanese Vice-Consul Chiune Sugihara in Lithuania, known as Japan’s Oskar Schindler, who issued the transit visas for around 6,000 European Jews, even if it was against the order from the Japanese government under the Tripartite Pact between Japan, Germany and Italy.
I became familiar with Chiune Sugihara, during an exhibit, “Diplomats of Mercy,” organized by the Harriet and Kenneth Kupferberg Holocaust Resource Center and Archives at Queensborough Community College at the Village of Great Neck Plaza. “‘In a conspiracy of goodness,’ Sugihara persuaded Soviet officials to let Jews with Curacao visas pass through Japan. The Japanese government refused, but he did it anyway, signing 2,000 visas by hand before the consulate was closed by Soviets. After the war, he was dismissed from the foreign service as retribution.”
While escorting Jewish refugees across the Sea of Japan, the Japanese travel agent received seven portraits from the refugees as a token of gratitude.
Inspired by this first-hand story, Kitade submitted copies of these photos to the Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Authority, Yad Vashem in Jerusalem. One of the portraits posted on the Yad Vashem’s website caught the attention of a Montreal resident Judith Lermer Crawley, a daughter of Sugihara Visa’s recipients. She perceived an undeniable resemblance to her late aunt, Sonia Reed (maiden name Zosia Gertler) in the young girl, and was convinced when she read the New York Times article on Transit to Freedom in March.
She contacted her three cousins who are Sonia’s surviving children in the United States and Aya Takahashi, a Vancouver-based journalist, who sent the web link of the documentary to them.
When they saw the 73-year old photo in the film, they immediately recognized the girl on the screen was their late mother. “My first reaction was one of surprise and amazement, chills and goose bumps. I know my sister and brother had the same reaction… I was struck by how young, beautiful, sad and vulnerable she looks in the photo, and was greatly moved by it,” says Deborah Reed, one of Sonia’s daughters. “I was greatly moved by what she wrote on the back (of the photo). [She wrote in Polish, “Remember me – to the nice Japanese person.”] To me, this speaks to the kindness of the Japanese people who were helping her and to her own feelings of uncertainty about her fate. It brings home both the tragic and difficult circumstances she found herself in, and her great good fortune in being helped, actually saved, by the Japanese people.” After finding a safe haven in Japan, many refugees were able to travel on to the United States and Sonia was one of them.
Deborah knew that her mother had escaped from Poland through Russia and Siberia to Japan, but she knew few of the details as Sonia almost never spoke to her children about her experience before and during the war years, though she remembers her saying how kind the Japanese people were to her. “The photo and the documentary gives me a window into her experience, makes it more “real” and profound to me than it had been. My own reaction (to this film) was, and is, a richer understanding of my mother’s experience, and very deep gratitude to Mr. Sugihara and the many other Japanese people who helped my mother and other Jewish refugees escape from Europe, survive and go on to create meaningful lives for themselves and their families.”
According to Sonia’s son David, his parents owned a small factory on Long Island, NY and they had a business trip to Japan in 1979. “They were extremely enthusiastic about their visit. They very much appreciated the Japanese culture. They were impressed by the (Japanese) industriousness and serious dedication to customer satisfaction…While my father evaluated the equipment, my mother supported his decision to purchase from a Japanese company. They were both very dedicated to America and frankly reluctant to purchase from a non-American source…It shows how appreciative she was of Japan that she endorsed this –for them a very major – transaction.”
With little funding available, the New York Film Academy volunteered to produce the documentary.
In addition to Kitade, Rabbi Marvin Tokayer, an expert on Jewish history in Asia and the author of “The Fugu Plan” (co-authored with Mary Swartz) as well as Dr. Sylvia Smoller who experienced the hardship firsthand and has written a book based on the lives of her parents,are interviewed.
You can view the documentary film “Transit to Freedom: How Ordinary Japanese Citizens Helped Jewish Refugees in WWII” here.
“With this film, we hoped to help shine a light on a little known story of Japanese helping Jewish refugees during World War II,” said documentary director Michael Young. We were captivated by compassion and bravery shown by Vice-Consul Chiune Sugihara and by the members of the Japan Tourist Bureau. Despite their government’s close alliance with Hitler, individual Japanese opened their doors and their hearts to these homeless and persecuted Jews.” The New York Film Academy wishes to celebrate this story, and welcomes Japanese students and students from all over the world to shine their lights on other stories and make films to share with the world.
JNTO hopes to identify the rest of the survivors in photos by encouraging people to view the film. “We never had much opportunity to introduce our country to the Jewish community before, so we would be delighted if they feel intrigued by the film to know more about Japan,” says Yuki Tanaka, the executive director of JNTO New York Office. “Not many people know this but if you look back at the history, Japan has a surprisingly long relationship with Jewish people, so please come visit my country to discover an amazing link between us.”
Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) is a nonprofit tourism board committed to the promotion of inbound tourism to Japan. For information on travel to Japan, visit www.japantravelinfo.com.
Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic in Antarctica
Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic has announced the guest speakers in their Global Perspectives Program aboard the National Geographic Explorer for the 2015/2016 season. Drawn from the top tiers of journalism, science, and world affairs to add relevant insights, the Global Perspectives Speakers have been chosen to share the expedition experience as active participants and fellow travelers, which allows guests to hear them in the context of their lounge talks, and to spend time with them throughout the voyage while cruising in a Zodiac, on a hike, or during dinner.
Depending on the expedition, guests can explore with a National Geographic Explorer-In-Residence; a scientist doing research in the region they are voyaging, an author, a foreign dignitary, or even a former head of state. A partial listing of the special guests include:
Jared Diamond: A professor of geography at the University of California, Los Angeles, Jared is the author of Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed and the widely acclaimed Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies, which won him a Pulitzer Prize as well as Britain’s 1998 Rhone-Poulenc Science Book Prize. Antarctica, February 14, 2015
Barry Lopez: Best known as the author of Arctic Dreams, for which he received the National Book Award, he has authored 14 books of fiction and nonfiction. Among his other books are About This Life and Of Wolves and Men, a finalist for the National Book Award. Arctic Svalbard, June 8, 2015
Alasdair McGregor: Writer and historian, he wrote the definitive biography of the renowned expedition photographer/adventurer on Ernest Shackleton’s Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, Frank Hurley: A Photographer’s Life. Antarctica, South Georgia & the Falklands,November 7, 2015; Antarctica, November 27, 2015.
César Gaviria: Former President of Columbia, César Gaviria is known throughout Latin America as an advocate of democracy, staunch supporter of regional integration, and defender of human rights. An engaging and insightful speaker, President Gaviria will return to the National Geographic Explorer to welcome guests to his country and introduce them to the economic and political climate of Latin America. Coastal Treasures from the Panama Canal to Peru, September 27, 2015.
Captain Alfred S. McLaren: Capt. McLaren has explored beneath the Arctic ice on numerous expeditions, the last as commander of his own sub. After retiring from the Navy in 1981, he earned a Ph.D. in polar studies and focused his research on the Arctic’s role in climate change. President of the American Polar Society and Honorary Director and President Emeritus of the Explorers Club, in 2012 he received The Explorers Club’s highest honor, The Explorers Club Medal. Norway’s Fjords & Arctic Svalbard, May 19, 2015.
Edward J. Larson: Pepperdine University professor and Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Edward Larson’s latest book, An Empire of Ice: Scott, Shackleton, and the Heroic Age of Antarctic Science, places the famed voyages of Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, his British rivals Robert Scott and Ernest Shackleton, and others in a larger scientific, social, and geopolitical context, much enlivened by his own Antarctic travels. Antarctica, January 7 & 17, 2015.
Gil Grosvenor: Grosvenor serves as Chairman Emeritus of the National Geographic Society’s board of trustees and its Education Foundation, as well as an Honorary Director of the Explorers Club. He retired in 1996, as President of the Society—the fifth generation of his family to serve in that position. Canadian Maritimes, September 11, 2015.
Dr. Joe MacInnis: Dr. Joe MacInnis is the first person to explore the ocean beneath the North Pole. He led ten research expeditions under the Arctic Ocean to develop the systems and techniques to make scientific surveys beneath the polar ice cap. His teams built the first undersea polar station and discovered the world’s northernmost known shipwreck. Antarctica, January 6, 2016.
Peter Hillary: Peter is the son of Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man to summit Mount Everest along with Tenzing Norgay. Peter has climbed the highest mountain on every continent, including Mount Everest, and established a new overland route to the South Pole. Antarctica, February 6, 2015; Antarctica, South Georgia & the Falklands, February 16, 2015.
Fen Montaigne: Journalist and author of Fraser’s Penguins: A Journey to the Future in Antarctica, Fen has long studied the impact of rapid warming. His work has appeared in National Geographic, The New Yorker and others. Svalbard, Iceland, Greenland, June 22, 2015.
David Doubilet: Acclaimed leading underwater photographer David Doubilet has produced more than 70 stories for National Geographic magazine. In 2010 he was part of the Elysium Project, a team of explorers who followed in the footsteps of Sir Ernest Shackleton from the Weddell Sea to South Georgia, documenting the current state of this last pristine wilderness. Antarctica, South Georgia & the Falklands, February 15, 2016.
Coming upon a pastel pink synagogue with hot pink trim is only one of the surprises travelers will uncover on Burkat Global’s 3,000 Years of Jewish India tour. In Southern India you’ll walk in the footsteps of the Jews who arrived as spice traders 3,000 years ago and those who settled there.2,000 years ago after the destruction of the second temple.
The journey begins in Mumbai (aka Bombay), India’s most sophisticated city, where you’ll shop in ancient bazaars and visit colonial relics. You’ll also tour breathtaking synagogues and historic sites, take a private boat across Mumbai harbor to visit age-old synagogues and oil pressers on the Konkan Coast, and take another private boat to Elephanta Island to explore early Hindu caves.
A short flight takes the group to Cochin (aka Kochi) and the backwaters of Kerala, “the Venice of the East,” for Ayurveda massage, yoga, or just relaxing. You’ll enjoy a Kathakali performance and traditional Kerala home-style meals. There’s also a lazy afternoon on board a luxury houseboat, dining and taking pictures of villagers fishing, palm-fringed paddy fields and brightly-painted houses and churches.
In the city of Cochin you’ll have a cooking lesson and visit a “secret” synagogue; tour ancient Jew Town’s spice markets, antiques shops, Jewish cemetery and India’s oldest synagogue; view contemporary art on a special tour of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale; and see the Dutch Palace, Vasco da Gama’s church and more. In Muziris, where Jewish traders settled even before Cochin, you can work with archaeologists digging up the past, and swim in the Arabian Sea. You’ll see recently-restored synagogues and an ancient Jewish cemetery in a town where Jews, Hindus, Muslims and Christians have lived peacefully for millennia.
There are about 5,000 Jews left in India, Howard Burkat tells me. “Because no one really knows the exact number, sometimes the number is thought to be as many as 7,500. There were substantially fewer than 100,000 before Israel became a state. Again, an exact and reliable number is very hard to come by. The vast majority of Indian Jews left the country to settle in Israel in the years immediately after that country’s gaining independence in 1948.
The synagogues that remain are in many cases still used as places of worship. They were built in the 17th-19th centuries and most have been used by the community ever since. However, some are in excellent condition. Some need sprucing up. And some are in terrible shape waiting to be restored.
Recently the government of the southern state of Kerala, where the synagogues around Cochin are located, has restored a number of synagogues beautifully, he says. “In fact Dr. Shalva Weil of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, who is the scholar in residence on our tour and travels with us, was heavily involved in a number of these restorations.”
In Mumbai on the holidays a few hundred people might attend services; out on the Konkan coast in the country outside Mumbai, fewer than a dozen people might worship. In still other synagogues, no one attends – they are museums maintained by government entities.
There is an old, beautiful synagogue, nearly 300 years old, hidden deep in the marketplace in Cochin. It is not visible from the street. You must be led to it through a large pet store and garden center whose Jewish owner will take you through his stores and into the synagogue to tell you its history.
“There are no regular services now, the last rabbi returned to Israel more than two years ago, but on our tour, Sabbath worship will be arranged,” Burkat says., “Travelers sit under chandeliers ordered from Europe in the 1700s, and walk on tile floors from China, each one different from the next, that have been in place for hundreds of years.”
Dr. Shalva Weil of The Hebrew University, considered the world’s leading expert on Jewish India, will be the scholar in residence, traveling with and teaching the group.
Along the way there are delicious meals of Indian food—not hot unless you like it hot—and special Jewish Indian Shabbat dinners. (Note that tour meals are not kosher, but are vegetarian and fish.) Hotels, all green award winners, include the legendary 5-star Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai, Kerala’s lakeside Coconut Lagoon Resort, which Condé Nast Traveler has called one of the world’s best getaways, and the Brunton Boatyard, which combines 19th-century atmosphere with 21st-century luxury on an historic stretch of Cochin’s celebrated harbor.
There are also opportunities to meet local people. “In Mumbai and Cochin we arrange dinners with local Jewish community leaders. Our ground operator and guides are members of the Bene Israel community in Mumbai – they are leading our group into their own community.”
“3000 Years of Jewish India” makes three stops. In Mumbai and Cochin the group travels to numerous Jewish and non-Jewish sites. “Doctor Shalva Weil explains and lectures on the Jewish sites each day when we are visiting them. We also spend four days at the Coconut Lagoon resort, one of the most luxurious in India. This is a wonderful indulgence stop. There is a chance to learn about the literary heritage of Kerala and also see its famous Kathakali dances. There may be a lecture by Dr, Weill, but there is not Jewish heritage component here as there is in Cochin and Mumbai.
The tour is geared organized by the Burkat family and designed for families.
The small-group, land-only tour costs $7,995 per person, double occupancy, and includes almost everything: accommodation in luxury hotels, all intra-India transportation and transfers, daily breakfast, 21 lunches and dinners, bottled water, sightseeing with entrance fees, the services of expert Indian Jewish guides, taxes and gratuities. There is one departure: January 26, 2015; the tour is limited to 20 people. International air fare is not included.
For more information about the “3,000 Years of Jewish India” tour, visit www.burkatglobal.com. For reservations, call 914-231-9023.
Food is a natural bridge-builder and point of connection between cultures, says Jim Kane, founder of Culture Xplorers, a travel company whose signature is delving as deeply as possible into other cultures.
Food is a natural bridge-builder and point of connection between cultures, says Jim Kane, founder of Culture Xplorers, a travel company whose signature is delving as deeply as possible into other cultures.
“There is an exciting movement afoot that is opening up new frontiers of food travel” Kane explained. “Around the world, visionary farmers, producers and chefs are changing the way we think about our relationship with food and with each other.”
“In a similar vein, there is a revolution taking place in the way food travel is being interpreted and experienced. The new frontier of food travel is physically active, intellectually engaged, emotionally connected and truly transformative. It leverages the power of food to affect positive social changes and fosters genuine bonds that endure long after the trip ends,” said Kane.
Kane recently accepted a two-year appointment to serve on the board of directors of the World Food Travel Association (WFTA).
“I am looking forward to the privilege of helping to solidify the Association’s position as the world’s leading authority on culinary tourism,” said Kane.
Founded in 2003 by Association Executive Director Erik Wolf, the WFTA’s mission is to grow and professionalize the food and drink tourism industry as the central hub that supports the creation of successful, profitable businesses and the protection and promotion of local culinary cultures world-wide.
“We’re excited to have Jim join our Board of Directors,” said Wolf. “Jim has a wide range of experience with other industry trade associations and an interesting view that he can bring to bear in his service with the World Food Travel Association.”
Kane happily shares what he sees as three developing trends in the future of food travel:
#1 Adventure Foraging: “Autumn is a great season for foraging in Cataluña, Spain, where you can easily travel from the Pyrenees to the coast in the same day. One of my favorite adventures here is to accompany a seasoned botanist — alongside plenty of local ‘boletaires’ (mushroom hunters) — on a quest for highly prized, seasonal wild mushrooms in the forested foothills of the Pyrenees. Then switch gears and kayak along the Catalan coast in search of edible seaweed and aromatic herbs.”
#2 Trekking & Terroir: “This form of connecting with the land and local producers is already in full bloom in many places around the world. One of my favorite recent experiences is shadowing a Basque shepherd on an engaging variation of his morning rounds. First we try our hand at milking one of the indigenous Latxa breed of sheep which produce the region’s famed Idiazabal cheese. We make and chill ‘cuajada’ (fresh cheese curd) and taste some of the farmhouse cheese washed down with a bottle of refreshing, txakoli (sparkling) wine. A 90-minute walk through rolling hills and pine-covered trails works back our appetite just in time for lunch! “
#3 Food for Social Change: “This is a budding movement which is particularly strong in Latin America. One of my favorite regional projects is the Pachacútec Culinary Institute (ICP) just north of Lima. Peruvian super chef Gastón Acurio partnered with the Fundación Pachacútec to create a top notch culinary school along the coastal desert in Pachacútec. It recruits students from some of Lima’s poorest communities and costs a tenth the tuition of a private institute, offering life-changing opportunities to its graduates. As part of Culture Xplorers’ unique partnership with the ICP, we bring travelers for a cooking lesson side-by-side with the students, who then share this meal with the visitors.”
Culture Xplorers (http://www.culturexplorers.com/), a leader in sustainable travel, offers handcrafted journeys that deepen understanding and foster connection between travelers and local communities around the world.
Culture Xplorers trips are created from the ground up, built on three founding pillars: people, traditions and impact. Their travelers meet the people of the places they visit, engaging in the living traditions that make each destination unique, and in doing so, create a lasting, positive impact through tourism. Genuine connections with people and place are formed farm-to-fork and around the table, via participation in local celebrations and through authentic exchange with community leaders and members.
Countries where cultural exchanges are fostered are Peru, Guatemala, Argentina, Mexico, Spain, Portugal and Cuba. The Culture Xplorers Foundation was founded in 2007 to help foster the sustainability of local culture in at risk communities worldwide. Its positive impact partnerships focus on sustaining endangered traditions, strengthening education, fostering community-based travel and breaking the cycle of poverty through the support of comprehensive micro-loan and education programs. See: http://www.cxfoundation.org/
For 2014-2015 season information, tours, availability and reservations contact Culture Xplorers at 215-870-3585 or email: [email protected].
The Edgewater in Madison, Wisconsin has joined Historic Hotels of America®, a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
The Edgewater is one of more than 250 hotels and resorts throughout the country that is recognized by Historic Hotels of America for preserving and maintaining its historic integrity, architecture and ambiance. The Edgewater is the only Madison-based property to be included in the portfolio.
“We are delighted to induct The Edgewater, a storied lakefront hotel in the Midwest, to Historic Hotels of America prior to the hotel’s grand reopening after a $100-million renovation this September 2014.” said Lawrence Horwitz, Executive Director of Historic Hotels of America and Historic Hotels Worldwide. “We welcome The Edgewater’s Owner Robert Dunn and leadership team into Historic Hotels of America.”
To be selected for membership in Historic Hotels of America, a hotel must be at least 50 years old; has been designated by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior as a National Historic Landmark; listed in or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places or recognized locally as having historic significance.
“We are extremely honored to be a member of the Historic Hotels of America,” says Ronald E. Morin, general manager and senior vice president of The Edgewater. “The people of Madison have pride in the hotel as a civic asset, a gathering place and a destination that defines the best of the city. Therefore, we are committed to honoring The Edgewater’s legacy as we enter the next chapter of the hotel’s history.”
The Edgewater is rich in history and architectural integrity. The hotel opened in Madison, Wisconsin 65 years ago and quickly became one of the city’s main attractions. Almost overnight, the hotel became the signature location for local residents and visiting guests to enjoy all things that define Madison. With an extraordinary location right on the shore of Lake Mendota, the new Edgewater, just as the previous structure, will service as a gathering place for significant family events from casual waterfront relaxation to fine dining.
Visiting celebrities stayed at the hotel from Elvis Presley to Sammy Davis Jr. and Elton John to Bob Marley, as well as many visiting notables. Local developer Robert Dunn, with a passion to recreate the unique destination, acquired The Edgewater with an ambitious plan to develop the property and return it to its cultural significance in the city.
After a multimillion-dollar expansion and renovation, The Edgewater will reopen in September 2014 at 1001 Wisconsin Place in Madison, Wisconsin, as a portal to Madison’s waterfront in the heart of Wisconsin’s capital city. A project of Madison developer Robert Dunn, the revitalization of the historic hotel property includes the construction of a new hotel tower as well as the preservation of the two original buildings erected in the 1940s and 1970s. The Edgewater will feature more than 200 guest rooms, new food and beverage concepts, a state-of-the art fitness and wellness center, a multitude of indoor and outdoor event spaces (including two rooftop spaces), an outdoor public plaza and even an outdoor skating rink in winter.
Historic Hotels of America® is the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation® for recognizing and celebrating the finest Historic Hotels. Founded in 1989 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation with 32 charter members, today, Historic Hotels of America has more than 250 historic hotels. These historic hotels have all faithfully maintained their authenticity, sense of place, and architectural integrity in the United States of America, including 46 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Historic Hotels of America is comprised of mostly independently owned and operated properties. More than 30 of the world’s finest hospitality brands, chains, and collections are represented in Historic Hotels of America. To be nominated and selected for membership into this prestigious program, a hotel must be at least 50 years old; has been designated by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior as a National Historic Landmark or listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places; and recognized as having historic significance. For more information, visit HistoricHotels.org.
