The Charlotte Jewish News -November 2005 - Page 13 The Jewish Traveler By Maxine Silverstein Dublin, Ireland Ireland has always been a coun try I have wanted to visit, but I had never had the right opportunity. This past July, Gary and I were invited to the American Express Representative Awards in Kenmare, Ireland. Our travel agency, Mann Travel and Cruises, was being presented with an award from American Express. We both felt that this was the perfect oppor tunity to travel to this beautiful country. Our fabulous trip lasted for two weeks. We started in Shannon and stayed in Drombland Castle, and continued on to Kenmare for our meeting. From there, we went to Northern Ireland, staying in Derry and Belfast, and ended with a stay in Dublin. It was an incredible trip filled with wonderful sightseeing, delightful people and deli cious gourmet meals (not just Irish stew and potatoes). This amazing country is definitely one of my top travel destinations. We thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this trip. It’s nearly impossible for first time visitors to appreciate just how far Dublin has come in a very short time. Natives to the city who left years ago and have returned great way to see the sights. While Ireland is not an obvious destination for those interested in Jewish culture, the island does Maxine. Gary and friends at a pub. Maxine at Irish Jewish Museum cannot believe their eyes. Their beloved, if slightly down-at-the- heels, hometown has changed into a place filled with trendy coffee shops and juice bars, fusion cui sine restaurants, minimalist interi ors, designer boutiques and expensive car dealerships. In the late 1990s, Ireland had the fastest growing economy in the European Union and continues to thrive eco nomically. Dublin, as the Republic of Ireland’s capital, is the epicen ter of the boom. Compared to other European capitals, Dublin is a relatively small metropolis, so it is very easy to get around. Public transportation is good and getting better; taxis are plentiful and rea sonably priced. Central Dublin is quite walkable. In fact, with its current traffic and parking prob lems, we found walking to be a Irish Jewish Museum offer a few surprises. Ireland’s Jewish population has never been higher than 8000, which was in the late 1940s. Today, it is down to under 2000, of which 1500 are in the Republic of Ireland. Between the end of the Napoleonic Wars and the start of the twentieth cen tury, pogroms drove Jews to Ireland from Central Europe, especially from Lithuania. Some of those who did not continue on to the Americas settled in Irish towns, built synagogues, opened kosher butcher shops, and created, close-knit communities. The most important of them was located around Dublin’s South Circular Road. Jews became prominent in public life. A famous name in Dublin is the Herzog family. After occupying the highest religious positions in Ireland, Rabbi Isaac Herzog became the first chief rabbi of the fledgling state of Israel. His son Chaim, who was bom in Belfast and raised in Dublin, became the sixth presi dent of the Jewish state. Today, the Dublin rabbinate’s offices are still at Herzog House, on Zion Road. We were able to visit the Irish Jewish Museum located in an old synagogue on Walworth Road. This place of worship was the cen ter of Jewish life in the capital until the movement out to the sub urbs. A gradual shrinking of the population led to the synagogue’s closure in the 1970s. It houses archives and objects and depicts the distinctive characteristics of the community. On the first floor, visitors can admire a kitchen ready for a typical Shabbat at the turn of the twentieth century. On the second floor, one can admire the well-preserved synagogue. Three active synagogues remain in the Dublin area. We loved exploring Dublin and found Temple Bar to be our favorite place. This area is called Dublin’s Left Bank and is filled with charming pubs, art galleries, music shops, vintage clothing stores, great restaurants and lots of interesting sights. It is very easy to get around and lots of fun to explore. We found some incredible restaurants located here. Eden was one of our favorites; it is one of Temple Bar’s hippest eateries. Eden is a cool minimalist dining room with an open kitchen area. The food was international and tast ed great. Jacob’s Ladder was our other favorite restaurant. It is known for modem Irish cui sine, great value and terrific service. The seafood was fresh and delicious. The shopping in Dublin was wonderful, but expen sive. Ireland is known the world over for its handmade products and fine craftsmanship. Dublin is a one-stop source for the country’s best wares. The hub of shopping is Grafton Street crowned by the city’s most fashionable depart ment store. Brown Thomas. You must visit some pubs while in Ireland. The pub continues to be the mainstay of Irish social life. With more than 10,000 specimens throughout the country, there are pubs in every city, town and ham let. Everyone has a favorite. We’re so glad that we got to visit this fabulous country, but by far the very best part of our trip was all the wonderful Irish people that we met. Now we can’t wait to go back again. 4* Charlotte’s International Realtor BUYING? • Relocation Expert • First Time Home Buyer Specialist I speak my client’s language Rgoldstein555@hotmail.com SELLING? Results Fast Espanol, Frangais, Portugues Prudential Carolinas Realty Office; Raphael Goldstein Cell: (704) 227-2535 Experience & Professionalism (704) 502-5501 Featuring Blue Diamond Exclusively Malak Jewelers At the Arboretum We extend to you the very finest Jewelry and Serviee... 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