Explore Jewish Life, Literature and Learning  in Northern Italy (April 27 – May 6, 2026)
Guides: Jeffrey Saks & Yoel Rappel

“A man who has not been in Italy, is always conscious of an inferiority, from his not having seen what it is expected a man should see.” —Samuel Johnson

THIS TOUR IS NOW SOLD OUT – CONTACT US AT [email protected] TO BE ADDED TO THE WAITING LIST.

Jews have lived in Italy since the days of the Second Temple. The Medieval Era saw the flourishing of Northern Italian Jewry, centered on the cities of Milan, Florence, and Venice, with the 12-14th century arrival of Jews from France and Germany, followed by an influx of those who were expelled from Spain and Portugal in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. Our journey with Agnon House will focus on the triangle of those three cities. Along the way we will learn of Jewish life and literature during those centuries and at the same time experience Italy’s glorious world of art and architecture, painting and sculpture, manuscripts and music that so characterize the Renaissance. Our days will be spent within these three main cities, important destinations along the way, and in the heart of the natural beauty of the Lombardy, Veneto, and Tuscany regions, encountering the rich history of northern Italian Jewry in the setting where it unfolded. Walk in the footsteps of great Jewish leaders, writers, thinkers and rabbis, from the medieval period and on, and study their texts and ideas with our outstanding scholars and guides. All tours and lectures in English.

COST
Including round-trip flights from/to Tel Aviv: US $7,950.00 person/double room.
Without group flights: $7,400.00 person/double room.
(Additional $1,950.00 for individual in private room.)
See cancellation policies and important travel insurance info (and read the “fine print” below).

For general inquiries or more information contact Jeffrey Saks at tel. or WhatsApp +972-52-321-4884 / [email protected]

Full-board kosher catering and Shabbat-appropriate itinerary / Luxury hotels in best locations / Expert scholars and guides / Space limited!

GROUP FLIGHTS
ELAL #381: Depart Ben-Gurion (TLV) on Monday, April 27 at 7:45am – Arrive at Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP) at 10:55am.
ELAL #388: Depart Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP) on Wednesday, May 6 at 10:55pm – Arrive Ben-Gurion (TLV) on Thursday, May 7 at 3:40am.
(Those traveling independently should book flights that best coordinate with the Tel Aviv group flights and arriving/departing airport in Milan.)

HOTELS
Milan (3 nights): Milano Verticale UNA Esperienze
Venice (3 nights): Eurostars Residenza Cannaregio
Florence (3 nights): Hotel Rivoli Boutique

ITINERARY (Subject to change) – View the route on our interactive map

Monday, April 27 (10 Iyar) | Milan
Morning arrival in Milan and time to settle in at our hotel, rest a drop, before heading out to explore Milan, capital of the Lombardy region and a major commercial center. The city is home to about 7,000 Jews, making it the second largest Jewish community in Italy (after Rome). We’ll visit the bustling city center and the large square between the Gothic cathedral, the largest in all of Italy and the second largest in the world, and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, Italy’s oldest active shopping arcade—along the way we’ll see La Scala, the most famous opera hall in the world (see Wednesday schedule).

Tuesday, April 28 (11 Iyar) | Milan, Casella Monferrato, Certosa di Pavia
This morning we return to the Milan city square turning onto its side streets for a visit to see Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” (was it a Pesach Seder? We’ll discuss…) and begin our discussion of the Renaissance. Then, we leave the city to the town of Casala Monferrato, where a Jewish community existed for centuries, and visit its historic Rococo-style synagogue—one of the most beautiful and unique in the entire world, located in the area which was once the Jewish Ghetto built in 1595. Adjacent to the synagogue, a Jewish museum has been established where students from the district learn about our culture. Continue to the Certosa di Pavia, with its 15th century monastery-museum known for its grandeur, art, and architecture. Return to Milan for dinner and an evening lecture.

Wednesday, April 29 (12 Iyar) | Milan, Lake Maggiore & Stresa
In the morning we will meet with the Chief Rabbi of Milan to learn about the second largest community in the country. Then we head north to beautiful Lake Maggiore (which spies the Alps) and its Barromena Islands, and spend time in the charming city of Stresa. Return to Milan for an optional “Night at the Opera”: Puccini’s “Turandot” at the historic La Scala Opera House (details and ticket-purchase info TBA).

Thursday, April 30 (13 Iyar) | Verona, Padua, Venice
We bid farewell to Milan and head to Romeo and Juliet’s town of Verona to stand under her balcony. Visit the city’s Roman era amphitheater, among the largest in the world. Continue to Padua, a very important Jewish center, home to the famous Jewish thinkers and rabbis R. Moshe Chaim Luzzatto (Ramchal, 18th century poet, kabbalist, and author of the ethical tract Mesillat Yesharim), and R. Shmuel David Luzzatto (Shadal, 19th century Bible commentator). The city once boasted an important rabbinical seminary in the still-active synagogue. Stop in the city market and the university founded in 1222. Onward to Venice…

Friday, May 1 (14 Iyar) | Venice, Murano & Burano
We begin our visit to Venice with at Piazza San Marco, the city’s famous square framed by St. Mark’s Basilica. Visit the Doge’s Palace, dating back to 810, and then set sail on the Venetian lagoon for the islands of Murano, known for its world-famous glassblowers. On to Burano, the island of lacemakers, where we’ll see the brightly colored buildings, making it easier for the local fisherman to find their way home. Return to Venice with a stop at the Rialto Bridge crossing the Grand Canal and back to the hotel for Shabbat preparation.

Shabbat, May 2 (Emor) | Venice
Shabbat services and luncheon, followed by a walking tour of the Venice Ghetto, the first established in the world, to learn of the Jews who lived there at the time that Shakespeare wrote “The Merchant of Venice.” Return to hotel for rest and relaxation. Toward end of Shabbat: Seuda Shlishit, some “processing time” and a Shiur. Return to hotel for end of Shabbat and Havdala.

Sunday, May 3 (16 Iyar) | Venice, Ferrara, Florence
Begin our week at the Jewish Museum of Venice before we depart from the “Floating City.” On our way we will stop in the city of Ferrara, which was an important Jewish center, today hosting a Jewish Museum and a Holocaust Museum in a building that once contained four synagogues. The exhibition features important documents from the early days of the Jewish community in the 13th century. In Ferrara, R. Isaac Lampronti wrote his book Pachad Yitzchak, which is immortalized in the name of a central street in the city. Jewish-Italian author Giorgio Bassani’s semi-autobiographical The Garden of the Finzi-Continis (1962), and the Oscar-winning adapted film, depicts the life of a Ferraran Jewish family during the rise of Mussolini and the Holocaust. Arrive in Florence for our final city, dinner and evening lecture.

Monday, May 4 (17 Iyar) | Florence, Siena, San Gimignano
In the morning, a first tour of “La Bella” Florence—the cradle of the Renaissance—beginning in the city’s main square, Piazza della Signoria, then to Palazzo Vecchio and its clock tower. Walk on the Ponte Vecchio bridge and go up to the gardens with a stunning view of the city. In the afternoon, we will visit a kosher winery and the city of Siena in the heart of Tuscany. On our way back, we will pass through the walled city of San Gimignano, the “city of five towers,” with its well-preserved Romanesque and Gothic architecture. Return to Florence for dinner and evening lecture.

Tuesday, May 5 (Lag B’Omer) | Florence, Pisa, Lucca
In the morning we will visit two of Europe’s most important art museums, the Uffizi Galleries (housing works by Leonardo, Raphael, Boticelli, and more), followed by the Galleria dell’Accademia to see Michelangelo’s sculpture of David. In the afternoon we depart Florence for Pisa’s famous Leaning Tower (which was also home to a small Jewish community in the Middle Ages, and still has a Jewish cemetery near its famous tower). From Pisa we continue to Lucca, which is of great importance in the history of Central European Jewry. The city had a yeshiva in the early Middle Ages and was the birthplace of the fabled Kalonymos family, which had a great influence on the Jewish world and Torah study. Return to Florence for dinner and a free evening on the town.

Wednesday, May 6 (19 Iyar) | Florence, Parma
Our final day will be dedicated to completing our touring of Florence, including a visit to the synagogue, and from there we travel to the city of Parma, world-renowned for its Parmesan cheese—but for our purposes we are drawn to the city’s De Rossi Collection of spectacular and rare Jewish manuscripts. Before leaving Parma we’ll visit the Teatro Farnese, a large wooden theatre built in 1618, one of the rare Renaissance theatres still in use. Return to Milan for a farewell dinner and late night flight (TLV group flight arrives early morning of Thursday, May 7).

GUIDES & STAFF

Rabbi Jeffrey Saks is the Director of Research at the Agnon House and founding director of ATID and WebYeshiva.org; Series Editor, S.Y. Agnon Library at the Toby Press; and Editor of the journal Tradition. He is a veteran educator, having taught at many institutions in America and Israel, and has published widely on Jewish culture and learning (sample here), and has been leading traveling seminars for years in Israel and locations across Europe.
Dr. Yoel Rappel, a historian and Senior Researcher at Bar-Ilan University, is the author of 34 books on Jewish history, tradition, and prayer. He holds a doctorate from Boston University, is known for his decades of teaching at venues both academic and popular, and for his broadcasting on Kol Yisrael (Israel National Radio. Yoel served as the founder and director of the Elie Wiesel Archive at Boston University, and has been leading Jewish history and heritage tours and seminars throughout Europe for many years.

Catering & Logistics: Elyakim & Tzippi Italie. Travel arrangements by Yehuda Chen and Shai Bar-Ilan Tours.

For inquiries or more information contact Jeffrey Saks: tel. or WhatsApp +972-52-321-4884 or [email protected]

Praise from participants on Agnon House Tours (Ukraine 2018; Lithuania 2019; Central Europe 2022; Portugal 2023; Germany 2023, Poland 2024; Provence 2025):
“We were thrilled with the tour leaders because of their knowledge and teaching skills, the way they cared for each person in the group, and their good humor and amiable personalities. Mixing with such an eclectic and friendly group of fellow travelers made for a wonderful journey.”
“Transformative! Above and beyond other trips we’ve taken — like two university semesters in 9 days!” “Eye-opening and educational.”
“A good balance between general history, Jewish history, and related literature. It was very evident that the trip was well thought out in advance and it was executed beautifully.”
“I loved the variety of historical, literary, secular and religious sites and sources. It reflected the diversity and vitality of Jewry at that time and place.”
“ ‘Very Good’ is not good enough to describe the guides. Each of them exhibited vast knowledge and exceptional speaking and teaching ability. [Their] enthusiasm, warmth, helpfulness, and expertise was delightful.”
“We were delighted by the exceptional camaraderie of all our fellow participants—such an interesting, intelligent, kind, and friendly group of people from diverse backgrounds coming together in such a special way really enhanced the trip. We’ve made great new friends and will remain in close touch.”
“The meals and accommodations were far above our expectations.”
“The resources and materials you shared offer a treasure trove for as much further study as one has the time and appetite for. It made for an exceptional integration of learning and experiencing.”

Fine Print:
Are you “up” to it? Traveling can be exhausting. While we design an itinerary mindful of the typical demographic attracted to join our tour, and try to pace the group accordingly, the days are full and you are the best judge of whether or not you are up to traveling with us. While we won’t be hiking the Alps or running marathons, there is a good deal of walking. Ask yourself if you can walk 1.5 km (about a mile) over gently inclined or mostly flat ground (but with occasional patches of cobblestones) in about 25-30 minutes? Are you able to go at least 2 hours or so on a bus without a bathroom break? In the larger cities tour busses are often unable to enter the city center. This means there is sometimes a bit of a walk from where the bus will drop us off or where we will rendezvous with it before/after any given site. Venice poses special challenges for anyone with mobility issues: Cars and tour buses are not allowed into Venice, and perambulating around the city requires walking up an down its famous bridges and staircases, and across its cobblestones.
Is this trip for you? Our group typically numbers around 30 or so travelers plus our staff, forming a collegial, open-minded, accepting and respectful assembly of people interested in touring and learning together. While we attract friendly folks from all corners of the Jewish world and everyone is welcome to join us irrespective of his or her level of Jewish observance, the group activities enable traditional halakhic standards, including accommodating full Shabbat observance and Kashrut. Typically there are minyanim 3 times a day for those who wish to join.
Security: Your health, safety, and security are our first concern. We are mindful that this trip is taking place at a time of heightened anxiety for Jewish travelers worldwide, and we appreciate the trust you have placed in us. We are all tasked with keeping ourselves safe and keeping our eyes open. The tour leaders take this very seriously. If you feel unsafe or suspicious of anything please bring it to our attention immediately. As a safety measure we expect all travelers to have an active WhatsApp account (which we use constantly to communicate information while abroad) and a data package for your cell phones so you can make contact/be contacted by the group leaders while we are out and about or at need.
Insurance: It is strongly recommended to purchase comprehensive insurance to cover medical, personal, baggage, and cancellation and to do so at the time you make your first payment or deposit to the tour provider or airline (you may not be fully covered if you delay).

Dates: The tour ends in Milan late in the evening of Wednesday, May 6—group flight touches down in Tel Aviv early in the morning of Thursday, May 7.
Travel Visas: Please check that your passport is valid for 6 months from the date of departure! Israeli, USA, Canada, UK and EU passport holders do not require travel visas for our destinations. Citizens of other countries should check visa requirements. The new ETIAS permit may be required for non-EU passport holders before the date of our trip and we will inform you if you need to acquire one online (see details at: https://etias.com/etias-requirements).

Note that all hotels, flights, and itinerary arrangements are subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances. The itinerary may be impacted by unexpected flight-schedule changes by the airline. If necessary, all efforts will be made to substitute accommodations with equivalent quality.
See important cancellation, refund, and insurance information here.

Feel free to be in touch with us to discuss any of these issues if you have concerns.