Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Rembrandt: From the Jewish Quarter to the Grand Palace

The Jewish Hermitage museum is housed in one of the finest architectural sites in Russia: the grand palace. Walking through the opulent halls and decadent rooms of the palace is a magical and humbling experience. And that is before you notice the world-class art hanging on the walls.

The palace collection was started by Peter the Great an enthusiastic but unfocused collector. The true champion was Catherine the Great (Catherine II). She commissioned the construction of the palace and began buying art on a large scale. She acquired the Gotzkowsky Collection in 1763 and followed that with the addition of more than 2000 works of art; many of which came from the greatest artists to ever hold a brush--Rembrandt among them.

The Rembrandt collection consists of forty-three paintings. That number, however, is up for scholarly debate. There are some who believe that certain examples, although beyond capable, are the work of his dutiful students. Whatever the true number, Rembrandt's gift as a master storyteller is evident. And it is clear from his body of work that he drew inspiration from Jewish people and Jewish traditions.

Rembrandt was known to select his models from the Jewish population of Amsterdam. One such model can be seen in the painting above. An immortal work called "The Jewish Bride." And you can see scenes depicting the Old Testament in "The Sacrifice of Abraham", "The Blinding of Samson," and "David and Uriah" amongst many others.

On an interesting biographical note, Rembrandt and his wife chose to rent a spacious home in what was then Amsterdam's up and coming Jewish Quarter. He brilliantly incorporated real life observations into his biblical subject matter. He used what he saw in the movements and gestures of Amsterdam's Jewish population to bring a spark of life to his depictions of sacred stories.

Seeing his genius in person is indescribable. He opens a window into our past. He allows us to see our ancestors and to feel their love, struggle, will and hope.

We visit the Grand Palace and the Jewish Hermitage every time we schedule a kosher cruise through The Baltics. We hope that next time, you'll join us!

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Dreaming of Europe. Dreaming of the High Seas.

There is nothing better than positive customer feedback. A comment on Facebook, a quick email, photos from your kosher cruise; no matter what the format we love to hear about your experiences. Every so often we get an email or a letter that just makes our day, week, month. Like this recent gem:

"I had always dreamed of sailing off to Europe. With limited time a cruise that visited multiple countries seemed like the perfect choice; luxury combined with shore excursions to the canals of Venice, the ruins of Rome, the grand museums of Spain, Portugal and France; not to mention the warm Mediterranean sun! 

But, admittedly I am not an easy traveler. I was particularly concerned about finding good Kosher fare. I am very cautious about my diet and being a modern orthodox, I stick to Glatt Kosher only. I've taken too many flights that served inedible Kosher meals and I couldn't stomach the idea of being stuck at sea with that kind of food.

And then an answer came in the mail. The pamphlet was from a company called Kosherica and it showed people laughing and smiling and enjoying generous portions of exquisite food. I was thrilled to discover that the food was Glatt kosher, even 'Chalav Yisrael' and supervised by Rabbis!  

That was all the information I needed to sign-up. A life-long dream come true.

The cruise was all I could have hoped for. I felt like a queen! The meals were amazing and often had a Mediterranean flavor. The wide variety of kosher food was paired with excellent kosher wine from Isreal, which as I learned on board, is starting to compete with best vintages coming out of France and Napa Valley.

Off ship we visited ancient synagogues and historic Jewish cemeteries. I felt a new connection to our past and the history of our people. On the days we stayed on the ship we were treated to a choice of religious studies with well-known and clearly brilliant Rabbis.

Being a bit of a picky eater I was especially excited about the Jewish cooking lessons. And of course I spent plenty of time lounging by the pool and luxuriating in the spa.

I made countless new friends and enjoyed every minute of the entertainment. I can honestly say this was the best travel experience I've ever had.

Thanks Kosherica!!"