Passover 2020

Passover in South America

If you like to spend Passover abroad but you're on the lookout for something different, why not think about spending Pesach 2020 in South America? For a mix of tradition and adventure, it's hard to beat, and you just might be surprised at how popular it's becoming...

We offer tailor-made Passover programmes across South America, and as well as the usual flights, hotels and tours, we can help arrange for kosher food, tours exploring the area's Jewish culture and history, and for the festivities themselves, communal Seders with the local community.

Argentina

People aren't always aware that Buenos Aires has the largest Jewish community outside of Israel and the US, and with a range of fantastic hotels and cultural experiences on your doorstep, the city is a really exciting place to celebrate Passover.

You can explore the city's rich Jewish history and cultural life, take in a traditional tango show, or venture out of the city to see amazing sights like the colossal Iguazu Falls. Buenos Aires has a huge range of kosher restaurants and shops - including the only kosher McDonalds outside Israel! - but during Passover we also can arrange for you to attend communal Seders with the local community in one of several locations across the city - a great way to celebrate together with the community here in Buenos Aires.

Peru

The Peruvian capital, Lima, has one of South America' oldest Jewish communities, and one that has seen a resurgence in recent years. However, although for most of the year the city is at the heart of Jewish life in Peru, at Passover things change slightly as many people head up into the Andes to the city of Cusco to enjoy the festivities.

Cusco is well known on the backpacker circuit as the base for visiting Machu Picchu, and the Chabad here caters to many of the backpackers who keep kosher on their trip around South America, particularly the large numbers of young Israelis who visit the city before trekking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.

The Chabad's kosher restaurant is open all year, but visitors are always amazed during Passover to find that well over 1,000 people regularly attend the communal Seder here, making it one of the largest Passover Seders in the world. Again, we can arrange for you enjoy either this communal Seder in Cusco or to celebrate with the community in Lima instead.

Brazil

Rio de Janeiro is another city with a long and proud Jewish history, and for anyone who'd like a more adventurous Pesach programme but doesn't want to lose the traditional beach time, it's pretty much tailor-made.

With great city beaches such as Copacabana and Ipanema, and fantastic beach resort hotels just a couple of hours' drive from the city, you can soak up all the tropical sun you like, as well as enjoying visits to iconic Rio sights like Corcovado and Mount Sugarloaf, as well as tours of the city's Jewish heritage.

We often find that Rio works particularly well in combination with Buenos Aires, so you could visit Argentina first, and then head on up to Rio with a stop at the Iguazu Falls along the way...