Bridgetown Historic Jewish Walking Tour: Explore Barbados' Rich Jewish History
4.3
6 Ratings
Bridgetown
Uncover the captivating Jewish history of Barbados on the Bridgetown Historic Jewish Walking Tour. Explore the oldest Nidge Synagogue in the Americas, discover the ancient Mikveh, and delve into the rich Sephardic Jewish heritage.
Duration:
2 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Independence Square - Our accredited guide will meet you in Independence Square in the City of Bridgetown, in front of the Honourable Errol Barrow Statue, where you will be looking over the best Cityscape in the Caribbean, looking across the river, you see historic buildings mingling with the modern buildings, the Parliament buildings, the Independence Arch, pleasure crafts around the flowing river, heroes square, cenotaph, dolphin fountain and the chamberlain bridge and the stories of course of the settlement!
- SALES BARBADOS - Stroll onto the boardwalk, and unto the the Street that was once known as Jew Street. Running Commentary.
- The Nidhe Israel Synagogue and Museum - Stoll unto Synagogue Lane, and discover the entry that was used to get to the synagogue, cemetery, and school.
- The Nidhe Israel Synagogue and Museum - Stroll into the compound of the oldest Synagogue, Jewish Cemetery, and the Museum, which was a school. Running Commentary.
What's Included
- Admission to the museum included
What's Not Included
- Lunch
Additional Information
Let’s delve into the captivating Jewish history where Jewish settlers moved to Barbados, and their efforts led to the island becoming one of the wealthiest in the Americas. They were also behind the establishment of the Nidge Synagogue, the oldest in the Americas, and one of the seven wonders of Barbados. In a remarkable discovery, archaeologists found what could be the oldest Mikveh in the Americas in Barbados in 2008, dating back to 1660 and fed by a natural spring. You’ll also learn about the Holocaust survivors who arrived in Barbados in the 1900s.
Take a walk through what used to be a Jewish neighborhood, where you’ll see where the Jewish people lived and worked, and then head to the Jewish Historic District. Here, you can explore the Nidge Synagogue, Mikveh, and cemetery. Visit the museum, previously a schoolhouse, and immerse yourself in fascinating history through an interactive video. At the end of this journey, you’ll be awestruck by what you’ve learned about the connection between Barbados and the Sephardic Jews from Spain.
Location
Independence Square
Go to Independence Square and meet the Guide in front of the Honorable Errol Barrow Statue, wearing a grey cap, and a white polo shirt with the logo.
If you are Driving across the street from Independence Square is the Carlisle car.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.3
(6 Ratings)
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David_b
Jan 7, 2024
Surprising Experience - Our tour guide, Karen, gave us an depth history of the island and the Jewish Community and gave a knowledgeable tour of the historic synagogue property.
Review provided by Viator
Kaili_m
Dec 30, 2023
Amazing! - Karen was absolutely amazing. Her positive and upbeat energy is contagious. She was incredibly knowledgeable, personable, and authentically awesome. We couldn't have asked for a better person to be our guide. We started as strangers and ended as friends.
Review provided by Viator
Jeremy_f
Nov 9, 2023
One of the best tours I have taken - This is a walking tour in every sense of the word. No bus. No fighting for window space to take pictures. Our guide, Karen, came to meet us at the cruise terminal instead of the normal place when it looked like the ship was going to be late letting people off. Communication between us and the tour company was beyond fantastic. They started out the day before letting us know exactly what we were to do, where we were to meet and even gave us a very good description of what Karen would be wearing so we could find her. They were very quick to respond when we were keeping them informed of the possible delays. We started out walking all over Barbados, because I love UNESCO sites and most of the town is registered. She is very learned on everything we saw. She loves the island and it shows. We finished up with a very detailed tour of the synagogue and surrounding cemetery, went down into the Mikvah, and then into the museum. She showed us where "Jew town" used to be and what it is now. This was just so much more than I expected. And, like I said, we walked the entire time. Because of where we started, our 2 hour tour became closer to 3 hours and I didn't even notice the time, I was so enthralled. On the way back, we were chatting about us going to the Panama Canal next year and she took us to a plaque that was dedicated to all the Barbadans that went to Panama to help build it. This kind of detail was present the entire tour. You will not be disappointed.
Review provided by Viator
Harold_s
Oct 3, 2023
Passion for History - Karen was passionate about our tour’s focus and just incredibly engaging with us. Took time to explain the intricacies of the history of Jews in Barbados. We learned a lot. Really terrific.
Review provided by Viator
Edward_m
Dec 5, 2023
Excursion to Barbados Temple - The Temple was wonderful. The story of finding the Mikvah was wonderful. Our guide was very good and the others two women helped move my husband in the wheelchair.
Review provided by Viator
Devin_t
Mar 12, 2024
Poorly managed tour makes a horrible experience - They moved the tour time without telling us. There were supposed to be two different tour guides, one for the Jewish segment and one for the history segment, the Jewish segment tour guide didn’t show up at all so the history guide “winged” the second part of the tour without knowing anything about the religion. It wasn’t his fault but we literally knew more than him.
Review provided by Viator
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