Before I studied abroad, I was a pretty close-minded person. I was used to traveling around the States and wasn’t especially open to having to learn a brand new language and going through a whole culture shock. Also, being Jewish and studying in a major Christian country, I was worried about feeling even more like a fish out of water. However, this was surprisingly not the case. There are many ways to feel connected with the Jewish religion while in Europe, more specifically, in Florence, Italy. Companies such as JDC Entwine Kahal, Florence-Tuscany Chabad, and the Florence Synagogue and Jewish Museum have all made me feel way more comfortable with my religion in a foreign country. I was introduced to the Florence-Tuscany Chabad through my home university’s advisor who connected me with a contact to input me into a group chat with abroad students from all over Europe. One big Jewish Abroad WhatsApp group! In that Jewish WhatsApp group, there were multiple cities and Chabads that you could be a part of, whether you happened to be studying in that city, or even passing through on a trip. Particularly in Florence, the local Rabbi was more than welcoming to all sects of Jews into his house for weekly dinners. Even during holidays like Passover, the Rabbi and his family hosted at their own house for kosher breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. They were extremely accommodating with all types of diets! I made so many friends and tried so many foods through these dinners and I looked forward to every Tuesday and Friday evening. The Rabbi would tell stories or Torah portions of the week. This experience made me feel so much more rooted in my religion and so much safer overall being in such a comfortable atmosphere.

As you wander throughout Italy and Europe, you’ll find plenty of churches as well as Jesus Christ and Christian symbols all around, which can feel a bit overwhelming, but also quite fascinating! While still feeling connected to my religion, I was able to learn so much more about the Christian faith than I had known before! Seeing these kinds of sights made me so much more curious about faiths and what they mean to certain cultures and countries. It made me wonder about traditions and foods and how things were hundreds of years ago. It was interesting to see so much passion and devotion to a certain religion there could be all over Europe, especially in Italy. In almost every single museum I had gone to, there were symbols, art, characters, and names all having to do with Christianity. But as you go closer to Jewish quarters in that country, and there most likely will be Jewish quarters or villages, you start to see less and less of these symbols and more Hebrew language, cemeteries, statues of rabbis or Jewish influencers, synagogues, and kosher friendly restaurants.

While there were protests and suggestive graffiti, I still felt safe – especially when traveling in a group. I learned that as long as I ignored these demonstrations, as distracting as they were, I still felt present and focused on where I was and what my purpose in that area was – not so much about a protest. Traveling through Berlin with 26 other Jewish study abroad students and 3 Jewish “counselors” with JDC: Kahal Entwine was one of my more memorable trips during my semester. Although our group was technically the first Jewish abroad excursion from this company, I would say that it was a major success. While in Berlin, our group attended Friday night services at a local synagogue, tried authentic German food, of course, toured the Berlin Jewish Museum and found so much meaning through each exhibit. Even the architecture of the building had influence and symbolism. The guides made each and every student feel welcome and comfortable to the best of their ability. I would definitely recommend this company to Jewish students who plan to study abroad in Europe!

The Florence Synagogue and Jewish Museum is arguably one of the most beautiful buildings in Florence. I volunteered there during Purim, where I took photographs of the partygoers, and I also attended services and made sure everything went smoothly. While the synagogue felt welcoming, it was hard to adjust to at first. It felt as if 90% of the people there spoke Italian and barely any English. Feeling a little awkward, I told this to my kind supervisor, Brett, and she made me feel more comfortable by introducing me to her friends and family who did speak a little bit of English. I also happened to meet some study abroad students there who spoke English during my first time there. There are military members in front of the synagogue as precaution and protection. Across and right next to the synagogue are two kosher restaurants: Ruth’s, a vegetarian restaurant, and Ba’Ghetto, a Jewish cuisine establishment. While I personally have not yet been, I have heard amazing reviews about the food as well as the atmosphere and service.

So, if you are planning on studying abroad in Florence, Italy, or quite literally anywhere in Europe, you will most likely have many emotions including anxiety, excitement, homesickness, eagerness, hunger, etc. and this is perfectly normal. But you should not have to feel unwelcome because of your religion or culture. Europe is generally welcoming towards people.

Written by: Olivia, Florence Spring 2024, from York College of Pennsylvania