Travel: Berlin beckons
If keeping kosher has kept you from visiting the German city, it won’t any more
Louisa Walters is Features Editor at the Jewish News and specialises in food and travel writing
Summer in Berlin. Not an obvious choice for the time of year, but the history and architecture of the German city demands to be seen. This year, those who keep kosher can do so in five-star luxury with Kosher by Shula at The Intercontinental.
The initiative is a first by mother-and-daughter team Shula and Dana who have worked closely with the hotel to create a package for kosher families this August, which is when Berlin truly flourishes. From 11 August to 1 September, Kosher by Shula will occupy 100 bedrooms, an exclusive dining hall and a VIP lobby in the luxurious hotel, which sits next to the Tiergarten Park and walking distance of Brandenburg Gate.
There will be Shabbat services, a large Friday night dinner, a Kiddush, evening entertainment and a series of talks by illuminating speakers.
Milky breakfast and meaty dinner will be laid on in the hotel with a packed lunch for when guests go out.
It goes without saying that there is a lot of Jewish history in Berlin as well as the cultural legacy provided by writers, artists and musicians.The Jewish presence is everywhere from the cobblestones chequered with Stolpersteine (golden plaques engraved with the names of Holocaust victims) and the impressive Jewish Museum, which opened in 2001, to the Neue Synagogue
and the Holocaust Memorial. There are many options for Jewish heritage tours, all of which Dana knows and can recommend.
Shula was born in Russia and emigrated to Israel in the 1970s where Dana, now 32, was born, before the family moved to Germany. They still have friends, family, business interest and a home in Israel, but they play an active role in the 20,000-strong Jewish community in Berlin.
“I grew up in a traditional modern Orthodox home,” says Dana, who lives in a smart suburb with her husband Eddy, and four-year-old son, Noah.
“However, a few years ago, my mother started to do some studying and has now become Charedi. She is extremely creative and full of great ideas.
“The Intercontinental is where many Jewish functions and events take place, so it seemed the natural fit for this three-week kosher takeover.”
Dana’s father passed away last October, but had been extremely supportive of his wife and daughter’s plans and gave the project his blessing.
With only two kosher supermarkets and two kosher restaurants, keeping the laws of kashrut in Berlin is a challenge, but one that Dana embraces. She does, however, love coming to London to eat out. “There is so much choice!” she says. Thanks to Dana and her mother, Berlin will have
a wider selection, too.
READ MORE – TRAVEL SUPPLEMENT:
- Super duper Aruba! 365-days of sun on One Happy Island
- For the love of Lisbon
- Why Portugal’s the most wanted destination post-Brexit
- Wonderful Copenhagen!
- Exploring unexpected Croatia!
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
