Excursão original do patrimônio judaico de Istambul.

Davut's personal stories of his connection to Neve Shalom Synagogue are precious; he should elaborate on those. For example, go back to find out the parsha of the Bar Mitzvah, etc. Davut can expect clients to ask about that. The personal story of Davut's brother and the 1986 terrorist attack gives us a "hook" to read the plaque; add to that by telling us about the impact on the whole Jewish community, such as how security measures were enhanced at all (5?) synagogues at that time. Tell us about the establishment of the Jewish Museum. And how it is now run in the face of increased anti-Israeli, if not antisemitic, sentiment. Tell us some of the content--such as historical timelines of the Romaniot and Sephardic migrations; and local Jewish publications--BEFORE we arrive at the museum. Know the content in a deep way (don't read it to us as though it is all new to YOU, Davut), and give us more contexts. Telling us about the Jewish basketball team is a good example of showing us your pride, Davut, in your Jewish identity. At the end of the day, we felt like we missed seeing one or two synagogues, but felt lucky to be able to access Ahrida Synagogue because of Davut's contacts and persistence. (Please be more attentive to your clients than to your phone.) The tour business partner, Harkun (sp?), was very kind to lead us from place to place when Davit was too busy. Harkun took us to non-Jewish sites, and explained general Turkish history, art, architecture, and geography. We appreciate all that we learned!

We had a wonderful time with our guide Ipek. Due to the Passover holiday, some of the sites were closed, however Ipek substituted other sites that were just as interesting. We enjoyed her narratives of the places we visited, the descriptions of the life in the Jewish areas, and the differences between the Europe and Asia sides of the city. The experience was as it she was sharing the city and people with friends. We would take the tour again with Ipek.

My husband and I visited Istanbul for the first time and were lucky to have Davut Ishaki as our guide for the Istanbul Jewish Heritage Tour. Davut (David) was warm and personable and we felt taken care of from the moment he picked us up at our hotel. Not only is David Jewish, but he knows everyone in town. We visited the Jewish Museum and Neve Shalom synagogue in the Karaköy quarter. Through David’s connections, we were also able to visit the Sephardic (Ahrida) synagogue that was otherwise closed to the public that day. David was extremely knowledgeable of Turkish history, Jewish and otherwise, and we freely discussed historical cultural and political issues. We also visited the Basilica Cistern (where we bypassed long lines), Beyoglu, Pera, Istiklal Avenue, and the Galata quarter, formerly a Jewish neighborhood. David brought us to a homey restaurant for satisfying lunch and made helpful recommendations (including overpriced museums to avoid). With David as our guide, we felt our limited time was used wisely, and that we left behind a friend in Turkey. He even arranged for our transfer to the airport at the end of our stay.