The Jerusalem Post Podcast - Travel Edition, Episode 72.
This episode was recorded prior to the events of October 7, 2023.

Mark and David travel to the Baltic Sea and Latvia's port city Liepaja to meet members of the Jewish community before heading to a glorious beach town and majestic stately home.

This time:

• Go West, young men
• The Jews of pre-War Liepaja
• Personal accounts of Holocaust salvation
• Reconstruction of a community
• The finery of Rundale Palace
• Tragic tales are never far away - the story of Rumbula
• The beaches of Jurmala
• Taking stock of Latvia of then and today

Mark and David were guests of the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia, Radisson Blu Ridzene and Air Baltic.

The Jerusalem Post Podcast - Travel Edition, Episode 71

Following October 7 and its aftermath, Israelis are slowly returning to travel, to breathe, to relax. In this episode our travel duo Mark and David head to stunning Krakow in Poland to sample 21st-Century Jewish life in a city that has a Jewish history dating back a thousand years. They visit the tourist sights but also take you behind the scenes to learn about the community's contribution to the city and find out what it's like to be a Jew today in this former Polish capital, particularly given the new reality back in Israel.

This time:

• A remarkable Jewish festival
• Visiting the city's Jewish sights
• A practical guide ahead of your visit
• Inside the Jewish Community Center
• What to do with an abandoned synagogue?

Mark and David were guests of the Polish Tourism Organization and Małopolska Tourism Organization.

The Jerusalem Post Podcast - Travel Edition, Episode 70

In this second special wartime episode, Mark Gordon and David Zev Harris speak to experts about the tourism situation in the aftermath of the Gaza war. When will foreign airlines return to Ben Gurion? Will there be cruises out of Haifa port in the next 12 months? Which destinations will Israelis shun and to which will they flock in 2024?

The Jerusalem Post Podcast - Travel Edition, Episode 69

A month after the Hamas invasion, we look at the war's impact on every aspect of tourism to, from and within Israel. Mark and David speak with experts from the government, hotel and travel agency sectors to find out how bad the situation is and how long it might take to recover.

They also hear about Bar Tomer from the Elkonin Hotel in Tel Aviv, whose life was tragically cut short on October 7th at the Supernova Music Festival. This episode is dedicated to her.

The Jerusalem Post Podcast - Travel Edition, Episode 68.

With direct seasonal flights from Tel Aviv, the Trnava region is proving to be hugely popular with Israeli visitors. A famous spa, historic city, old synagogues and much more are putting this delightful region on the map. This time:

• Getting our bearings in Piešťany, a beautiful spa town
• Remembering in the former labor and concentration camp and Holocaust museum in Sered
• Piešťany, the jazz mecca
• Time to bathe - in mud
• Can Mark and David rock?
• Inside the Vrbove synagogue
• Trnava's House of Bones
• Synagoga - beautifully restored in Trnava city
• From bees comes honey, honey wine and honey beer
• It's tasting time

Mark and David were guests of Experience Trnava Region and Visit Piestany. Flights provided with support from World Jewish Travel.

The Jerusalem Post Podcast - Travel Edition, Episode 67

You have to feel for Mark and David as they force themselves to try the high-quality gins, vodka and bourbon at Thinkers Distillery - it's a tough old life. Meanwhile, Mark gets jealous, as David samples the delights of Venice.

The Jerusalem Post Podcast - Travel Edition, Episode 66

Bratislava lies on the majestic Danube. It's a compact capital city with something to please everyone: two castles, great food and lots of fascinating Jewish history - and not just the story of the Hatam Sofer (Rabbi Moses Schreiber).

This time:

• Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's a choo-choo train - sort of
• Historic Bratislava Castle
• Meeting the city's Jewish community
• The gallery literally in the middle of the Danube
• Devin: Where castles, rivers and daring escapes all meet
• A real UFO. Honestly
• The restaurant with the best view in town
• The remarkable story of the tomb of the Hatam Sofer
• Bratislava synagogue and the amazing testimony of a Holocaust survivor
• Jewish wrestlers, swimmers and the creator of krav maga

Mark and David were guests of the Bratislava Tourist Board. Flights provided with support from World Jewish Travel.

The Jerusalem Post Podcast - Travel Edition, Episode 65

Kosher travel has come a long way since the heyday of the Catskills, a couple of Jewish hotels in Europe or a trip to or in Israel. The world is now the Jewish traveler's (kosher) oyster! Mark and David speak to three experts in the field who tell the story of the development of kosher vacations and offer hot tips on what's available today - from Latin America, via Africa, to Asia, alongside some old favorites - and don't forget cruises on the high seas.

The Jerusalem Post Podcast - Travel Edition, Episode 64.

Mark and David travel to Riga, the compact, beautiful capital of Latvia on the Baltic Sea. Hear the city's story, including that of its Jewish populations through times good and bad. This time:

• An introduction to the city
• The tragic story of the Riga Ghetto and uplifting moments in the Holocaust museum
• UNESCO-protected art nouveau at its finest
• The gorgeous old town
• An appointment with city hall
• Inside the wonderful downtown Peitav Shul - Riga Synagogue
• The story of righteous gentile Janis Likpe
• Chabad is everywhere

Mark and David were guests of the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia, Radisson Blu Ridzene and Air Baltic.

The Jerusalem Post Podcast - Travel Edition, Episode 63.

Hong Kong tourism is back in full swing after the three-year hiatus. So, we ask Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific airways what makes the destination so special. Then we're off for a one-of-a-kind visit to the home of reggae and one of the world's unique synagogues - tropical Jamaica.