Gems of Northern Italy with Kosher River Cruises 2025

From October 27 to November 3, 2025, we will uncover the hidden breathtaking beauty of Venice and Northern Italy as we explore the region and its off-the-beaten-paths. Experience exclusive access to sites & people of Italy & Jewish Italy that Only KRC Can Bring you!

 

The ultimate Venetian vacation is made perfect by one unique quality: your stay onboard our floating boutique luxury hotel. Not only will you benefit from an enviable location in Venice, but you’ll also find that your floating hotel transports you to hidden gems in towns nearby. Explore the waterfront shops, colorful facades and peaceful canals unique to Burano, Mazzorbo and Torcello. Further south, discover Chioggia, a charming southern port loved by fishermen, and the picturesque ancient city of Padua with its wonderfully preserved Jewish sites and still active Jewish community.

 

With Kosher River Cruises, you will savor spectacular interactive travel experiences, insightful Jewish history, and heritage programming as well as delicious Glatt kosher cuisine and first-class service every step of the way.

 

Featuring

Onboard Historian: Dr. Henry M. Abramson - Dean, Touro College

Culinary Experiences with Naomi Nachman 

THE JOURNEY

Encounter unforgettable sights on this odyssey through Northern Italy that begins and ends in legendary Venice, the “Queen of the Adriatic.” Our exploration of Northern Italy rewards the curious traveler with amazing experiences rich in Jewish history & heritage. Unlike any other tour vacation, you will be treated to exclusive tours and in-depth interaction with local Jewish communities. Our enchanting locales are yours to discover; each is filled with over 2000 years of Jewish history and heritage brought to life on the Kosher River Cruises,  “Gems of Northern Italy.”

 

Even if you have been to Venice before, you will experience exclusive access to sites, the people of Italy & Jewish Italy that only Kosher River Cruises can bring you!

 

Jewish Italy

 

The presence of Jews on the Italian peninsula can be traced back as far as 200 BCE, during the late Roman Republican period. Italian Jewry is especially diverse, comprising a mix of Italian, Sephardic, Ashkenazic, Persian and Libyan Jews.

 

Ashkenazi Jews have lived in northern Italy since at least the late Middle Ages. In Venice, they formed the oldest Jewish community, predating both the Sephardic and the Italian congregations. Following the invention of printing, Venice became a major publishing center for Hebrew and Yiddish books for Jews across Europe.

 

The Spanish Synagogue of Venice was originally regarded as the “mother synagogue” of the Spanish and Portuguese Jewish community world-wide. It was among the earliest to be built, and the first prayer book was published there. Later communities, such as Amsterdam, followed its lead on questions of ritual. With the decline in importance of Venice in the 18th century, the leading role passed to the Jewish community of Leghorn (Livorno), which acted as a link between the Spanish and the Portuguese.

 

Italian Jews began to be discriminated against in the 16th century. In 1516, the Jews of Venice were forced to live in an enclosed area known as the “ghetto,” which was locked at night. In 1555, Pope Paul IV, who had overseen the burning of the Talmud two years before, issued a similar decree requiring the Jews of the Papal States, including Rome, to live in ghettos, in isolation from their Christian neighbors. Pope Paul IV also decreed that Jews had to wear distinguishing signs, which meant yellow hats for men and veils or shawls for women. Such Jewish ghettos existed for over three centuries thereafter, until Pope Pius IV decided to ban Jews from all his dominions and expel them from all the Papal states, other than Rome and the port city of Ancona.

 

In the 18th and 19th centuries, many Italian Jews maintained a trading and residential presence in both Italy and the territories of the Ottoman Empire, and even those Italian Jews who settled permanently in the Ottoman Empire kept their Tuscan or Italian nationality. In the late 19th century, with the establishment of the new unified Italian state, Italy’s Jews obtained full equality. Today, over 30,000 Jews live in Italy, forming thriving community, which are concentrated in the major cities.

 

Join Kosher River Cruises as we explore over 2000 years of Northern Italy’s rich Jewish history and heritage aboard our floating all-kosher, all-inclusive floating luxury boutique hotel!

 

SCHEDULE

 

Cruise Tour

 

YOUR SHIP – THE SS LA VENEZIA

 

The 130-passenger SS La Venezia is filled with light and color and like all Kosher River Cruise expeditions is chartered just for our group! Muted shades of turquoise complemented by soothing cream, taupe, and white accents create a luxurious and sophisticated environment for your up-close, unsurpassed, and unforgettable Italian adventure.

 

This meticulously designed ships feature lavishly appointed river view staterooms and suites, enticing public areas and luxurious amenities, including a lounge with full-service bar, well-equipped fitness center, restaurant, Serenity River Spa, and a Sun Deck where you can relax and take in the ever-changing views.

 

All-Inclusive Luxury – Kosher River Cruises includes it all:  Unlike many large cruise programs with numerous add-on costs for excursions, amenities, activities, drinks and Internet, we include everything on a Kosher River Cruise. From the minute you arrive to the minute you depart the ship; we will take care of you. All our cruises include our own specially developed shore excursions, exploring both Jewish and secular sites, open bar and mini bar, Internet, educational programming and lectures, special guests and entertainment.  Every all-kosher ship is a luxury 5-star vessel complete with high-end amenities and accommodations, as well as exceptional service from your Kosher River Cruise management team.

 

Ciao, bella!