The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Europe

My Travels Started In The Chappaqua Library

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PHOTO COURTESY OF BEN G. FRANK

“I travel the world.”

It’s now the summer of 2018, and I hold the copy of my fourth edition of A Travel Guide to Jewish Europe (Pelican Publishing), 752 pages, with photos, maps, a bibliography and index and say to myself:

“And to think it all began in the Chappaqua Library.”

I picture driving down Quaker Road on Saturday mornings to the library. That’s the day many fellow residents did their chores, such as ferry their kids to soccer, basketball, and other sport games; while others play tennis, golf, enjoy the pool clubs or sleigh riding in Gedney Park, depending on the season.

I spent my Saturdays in the library: First, doing research to prepare myself for forthcoming trips to exotic lands such as Tahiti, India, Morocco, Cuba, Monaco, and Peru. And then, once I landed in Europe, for instance, I people-watched on the Champs-Elysees and the Via Veneto; I stared at stately statues in London; I danced at a bar mitzvah party in Marseille; I prayed in the oldest functioning synagogue in the world, the Atlneuschul in Prague; and I spent hours at the Shoah Memorial and Holocaust Center in Paris.

In Tudela, Spain, I wrote in the new edition of my travel guide: “There are no Jews in Tudela. But I went anyway. You see, Tudela is the birthplace of my namesake, Rabbi Benjamin of Tudela. In the 12th century, he became the first Jewish travel writer, pioneering an entire branch of writing.

Like that travel writer: I chronicle the Jewish world of Europe; I record the Jewish population and describe the people; relate their history; comment on their rulers and define the Jewish Community.”

I also made sure that my travel book would be a practical, anecdotal, and adventurous journey through Jewish Europe, including in the text: kosher restaurants, cafes, synagogues, and museums, plus cultural and heritage sites.

Years after the first edition of A Travel Guide to Jewish Europe came out in 1992, a Florida woman reminded me of a phrase I used in my first travel guide. Like most authors, I felt good when a reader of one’s work, recalls a specific quote. The saying in question dates back to early 1930s-Poland, a decade later the site of the Nazi death camps. Then, Alfred Doblin, writer and novelist, wrote: “I realized I didn’t know any Jews, So, I asked myself and I asked others: ‘Where do Jews exist?’ I was told: ‘Poland.’ And so I went to Poland.”

This writer also went to Poland. Only my comment after the Holocaust was: ‘Someplace along the Polish road, you will shed a tear.’ It’s true, said the woman who remembered my quote.

After sojourning to those far off lands–24 countries in Europe alone, I would return to Chappaqua and, yes, spend Saturdays in the library, checking observations against fact. And so it went for the better part of the wonderful 37 years that my wife, Riva, resided in the hamlet including the years our two sons, Marty and Monte, were at home, until they left the nest.

What, therefore, is the essence of  A Travel Guide to Jewish Europe? My publisher put it succinctly: “This newly updated handbook from travel historian, Ben G. Frank, guides travelers through Jewish customs, neighborhoods, and historical sites in Europe. From kosher dining in France to memorials in Scandinavia, Frank combines practical information, intriguing stories, and an enlightening investigation into the Jewish contributions to European history.”

Not only did I include travel information for the tourist, I always wanted to update the political and social conditions, as well as historical information on Jewish life in Europe. Country by country, I discussed the rise of anti-Semitism, hate speech and hate crimes, especially in East Europe, as well as the rising nationalism in nations such as, Hungary, Poland and Austria.

I uncovered an interesting phenomenon:  European Jews are not only immigrating to Israel but many are relocating within Europe. In fact, Jews are moving from France to the UK, from the UK to Germany, and from Turkey to Spain and Portugal.

Thinking about my new work, I believe this new edition of A Travel Guide to Jewish Europe will help the reader understand the past history of Jews in Europe, as well as the present and the future.

So, let’s travel. As the Chinese say: “the journey of a 1,000 miles begins with the first step.”

A Young American Visits Paris, Oxford, and Tuscany

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By Lindsay Hand

Yes, there is a world beyond Chappaqua.

While many of us here in town, including myself, have had the opportunity to travel with family to vacation spots, this summer I explored and studied in Europe with my peers. The exposure to other cultures, other people, and their history has had a profound impact on me, as well as on my view of the world.

I recognize how fortunate I was to have the unbelievable opportunity to travel to Europe for a month. I finally saw the world beyond New York, without my family, for the first time.  While I had spent summers in sleep away camp, I had never been so far away from home without my parents to guide me; I experienced “self discovery” along with world discovery in a way I never thought possible. I explored cities on my own with friends, falling in love with those cities in the process. One month in England, France and Italy brought to life the incredible artistic, political and cultural history of those countries. I felt the sheer massiveness of the world, and started to comprehend how much there is out there to discover.

Studying for countless AP European History tests last year, I often found myself wondering why we really needed to memorize all of the events leading up to the French Revolution and the reason why the Duomo is considered such an amazing architectural feat. Why I had to know all about the importance of Shakespeare during the Elizabethan Age and the ways Mussolini changed Rome. But when I celebrated Bastille Day in Paris (they don’t actually eat cake, by the way), the centuries-old excitement and spirit of the people was palpable.  Climbing the Duomo afforded me a close-up look at the impeccably and intricately detailed dome ceiling, forcing me to acknowledge the astounding technical and artistic accomplishments of the Renaissance. The past came alive; I began to truly appreciate the depth of history in Europe. The people of these countries take pride in their past and antiquities, and want the rest of the world to value them as well.

My other travels to Israel, Alaska, the Canadian Rockies and the canyonlands of the American West have similarly opened doors to the wonders of nature and history. The way my view of the world expanded defies explanation. I appreciate the diversity of the world, both physically and culturally, and how even our own little piece here in suburban New York is an integral part.

Mark Twain once said, “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Twain’s words come close to expressing what I feel in my heart. I discovered my true interests, and found a group of people who shared them.

These new friends in turn opened my world to new things to enjoy, from movies and television to music and literature.We all helped each other grow, expanding our horizons together. I forgot about being shy, I forgot that I was an entire ocean away from home; I threw off the restraints I had subconsciously put on myself over the years, assumed new responsibilities and respect, and discovered my true self.

From the spires of Oxford, to the boulevards of Paris, to the hills of Tuscany, every second I spent abroad was magical. I expected to learn, sightsee, and have and incredible time, but did not anticipate that I would encounter people who would become what I know will be lifelong friends. That I would become more responsible and independent. One of the most rewarding things about traveling the world is beyond the obvious experience of seeing the sights and meeting new people; it is discovering yourself in the process.

Lindsay Hand is a junior at Horace Greeley High School, and has written numerous articles and served as last September’s “Guest Editor” for Inside Chappaqua.