| Rating |
Date Attended [v] |
Reviewer |
Gender |
Age |
Where From? |
Group Type? |
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Truly Unique & Valuable to Every Walk of Life
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| Fri, Jan 15 10:00 AM |
Yamma1 |
Male |
30-39 |
International Tourist(s) |
Family With Children |
| This will remain a very special memory for my family and I. There is something very universal about this tour, even though it is intrinsically something very unique. You cannot go on this tour and wonder if you should have spent the time elsewhere. It is truly a mind opener. If you intend on experienceing NYC, then challenge yourself to experience something that you will never find anywhere else. There is something there for everyone. |
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An unforgettable experience
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| Tue, Jan 5 10:00 AM |
doornik |
Female |
40-49 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Family With Children |
| Ever seen the movie, "Yentl"? This tour is like time travel back to Eastern Europe, 1910. It was one of the highlights of my trip to New York. The rabbi who led the tour was very enthusiastic and willing to answer any questions we had. If you have ever wanted to see Brooklyn, ever read any books by Chaim Potok, ever had even a slight interest in Hassidic Judaism, I recommend signing up for this tour. It's a very easy subway trip from Manhattan.
"There are moments you remember all your life. There are moments you think of and dream of all your life. This is one of those moments." Barbra Streisand |
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Outstanding tour
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| Fri, Jan 1 10:00 AM |
revtheflin |
Male |
40-49 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Individual |
| I was pleasantly surprised to be part of a group of 3 and I cannot say enough good things about the welcome and hospitality from the rabbis. They truly welcomed any and all questions, were very personable and humorous, and were equally curious of our jobs and religious life. This should be on the list of things to do in New York. |
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Highly informative tour of Chassidic life
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| Wed, Dec 30, 09 10:00 AM |
jstringf |
Male |
50-59 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Family Without Children |
| Rabbi Epstein was a friendly guide who helped us develop a better understanding of this Chassidic community in Crown Heights. Without this tour we would not have had access to the matzoh factory, the work of scribes, the production of tellefin, and the life of this community. Lunch was good and served with great conversation. |
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Wonderful tour
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| Mon, Dec 28, 09 10:00 AM |
mattrees2 |
Male |
40-49 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Individual |
| Anyone with an interest in Judaism (whether Jewish or not) should take this tour. The guide is extremely well informed, and very willing to answer questions. And you go places that few people (Jew or non-Jew) would normally see: a matzoh bakery, a mikvah, a Torah repair shop, and more. Can't say enough good things about it! |
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It started out very good.........
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| Sun, Dec 27, 09 10:00 AM |
MARouse |
Female |
40-49 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Individual |
| The tour started out very good. The gentleman who started our tour wanted to know about our backgrounds and what our interests were. He then talked about the culture and was happy to answer our questions.
I enjoyed watching the individual who was repairing the torah's (the Hebrew name escapes me). Also, the tour of the main headquarters/synogogue was quite interesting. I feel that this was a rare opportunity to see a part of this fascinating branch of Judaism.
Next, we went to the Mikvah and spent a lot of time learing about the Mikvah. This is where I feel the tour went down hill. Our new tour guide seemed somewhat impatient by our questions. He didn't ask about our interests and we were at the Mikvah a long time. I know that the ritual surrounding the Mikvah is important but there is so many other aspects to Hasidic Judaism that I would have liked to explore.
I had to leave 1/2 hour early to catch my flight and the group was still at the Mikvah. It would have been nice to go to the bookstore and walk around the neighborhood. I missed lunch as well. |
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Zeitreise ins alte Europa
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| Mon, Nov 30, 09 10:00 AM |
IngePogge |
Female |
40-49 |
Unspecified |
Unspecified |
| Fast wie eine Zeitreise ins alte Europa mutet diese Tour an, in ein Europa, das die Nazis zerstörten. Die chassidischen Juden sind weder repräsentativ für die Mehrheit der Juden im alten Europa, noch für die Juden im heutigen New York. Sie waren und sind eine ganz eigene Gruppe, mit eigenen Glaubenssätzen, eigenem Lebensstil und eigenen Geschichten. Vor allem die wunderbaren Geschichten, die sie erzählen, haben sie berühmt gemacht. Sie erhalten sich ihre Tradition mitten im modernen New York lebendig und diese Tour bietet einen sehr anschaulichen Einblick in sie. Auch wer schon einmal anderswo eine Synagoge besucht hat, wird von dem quirligen Leben hier überrascht sein. In der Werkstatt werden jüdische Kultgegenstände für die ganze Welt hergestellt - man darf den religiösen Handwerkern dabei über die Schulter schauen. Die Mitarbeiter der Bäckerei folgen bei der Herstellung des Matzen strengen religiösen Gesetzen, Maschinen sind nicht im Einsatz, man fühlt sich ins 19. Jahrhundert versetzt. Die ganze Tour begleitet sehr freundlich ein kundiges Mitglied der Gemeinde, das viel über den Glauben und den Alltag der Gemeinde zu erzählen weiß und für alle Fragen offen ist. |
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Amazing and Fabulous
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| Tue, Nov 24, 09 10:00 AM |
RoseEdithMor |
Female |
Unspecified |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Family Without Children |
| I want to thank Rabbi Beryl for the time, care and knowledge he shared with my husband, and myself in our small and personalized group of 4. Rabbi Beryl made the tour. He was candid, and so very open about the Chabad-Lubavitch community, allowing us to learn, see and become a part of the community. I told my husband that I intended to write a review upon our arrival back to South Florida. It is my pleasure to say that honestly, the tour was the second best thing about our trip to NY (the first was being together with my sons!). Rabbi Beryl was so very committed to sharing his community, that he welcomed all questions, and challenging ones at that. As a member of the Jewish community of South Florida, I never had the opportunity to get into the Chabad- Lubavitch world. I do not want to say much more, as it will take away from the tour. I highly encourage everyone, Jewish and non-Jewish, to experience Rabbi Beryl, his warmth, his love of his community, and the knowledge he will share. I must add, Rabbi Beryl did not look at his watch. The tour took longer than advertised, and Rabbi Beryl was happy to sit and discuss thoughts and attitudes over lunch. It was a fabulous experience in every aspect. Todah Rabah ( Thank you) to the Rabbi for an unforgettable day. |
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one comment
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| Fri, Nov 20, 09 10:00 AM |
cabsha |
Female |
60-69 |
Local |
Individual |
| I chose the date of my tour so that I would be able to see a matzo factory but was told that it was closed on Fridays and I went on a Friday. Although I knew from the site I ordered from that the matzoh factory touring would be included from mid November through the winter, it was not stated that it would not be on Fridays. The brochure that I found at the tour site mentioned the matzo factory was included in December not mid November, a descrepancy.
For this reason alone I gave the tour a generous 4 stars where it would have been 5 stars. The rabbi said he would show me the matzo factory on a separate trip and I am now considering it.
I thoroughly enjoyed learning about what I saw. |
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very informative, but wanted female viewpoint too
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| Sun, Nov 15, 09 10:00 AM |
georgia94605 |
Female |
50-59 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Family Without Children |
| The rabbi who led our tour was very welcoming and informative. The places we visited were interesting and we spent about the right amount of time in each.
We would have liked to meet a woman from the community as well, perhaps as our guide during the portion of the tour when we were separated by gender. We would have liked more information about the lives of women and whether women have opportunities to pursue academic and professional interests.
We had lunch at a place near the library because another group in our party needed to leave early. This was disappointing for us because we had wanted vegetarian food- the place where we ate had a falafel plate, but used chicken fat for cooking. Perhaps your reservation system could include a place to indicate dietary needs.
We will definitely visit your community again next time we're in New York and will recommend it to others. |
