The Florida-based travel consultant opening up Mallorcan culture and heritage to North America
The Jewish Travel Agency provides a bespoke experience for discerning travellers
Sophia Kulich, CTC, is a Ukrainian-born travel consultant who lives in Palm Harbor, Florida and organises cultural and heritage tours of Jewish Mallorca. | Majorca Daily Bulletin reporter
Sophia Kulich, CTC, is a Ukrainian-born travel consultant who lives in Palm Harbor, Florida, and owns and operates a niche, one-of-a-kind travel agency specialising in Jewish Heritage Tours. While Sophia is a well-seasoned veteran of all-things-travel, her true passion is customising tours for individuals, families, and groups wishing to personally experience their Jewish ancestors’ cultural and physical landscapes. Working with a network of expert in-country guides and local tour operators, Sophia is able to conduct family-specific research, providing an unparalleled experience for this type of travel. Sophia’s Jewish Heritage Tours include countries throughout Western, Central and Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, Morocco, Turkey, the former Soviet Union and Mallorca.
In addition, she provides kosher private tours and trips to countries with notable Jewish immigrant populations such as Peru, Argentina, South Africa, and China. Each tour has its own itinerary with room for customisation. Sophia told the Bulletin that she first came to Mallorca is 2019. “Like many travellers and visitors - my clients - from North America, Canada and beyond, we had extensively explored the local and in particular Jewish heritage and culture of mainland Spain and Portugal and branched out, moved on to Mallorca.
“I had never been to the island before, but with the help of the Palma-based tour operator Jewish Majorca run by filmmaker Dani Rotstein, who has made a documentary called “Xueta Island” which explores inquisition history, Jewish revival and identity in Mallorca, I was given a fascinating tour of the Jewish quarters of Palma and an insight into the deep history. It all really caught my eye and decided to add ‘Discover Jewish Palma de Mallorca, Home of the Hidden Communities’ to my selection of voyages and it has become increasingly popular,” she said.
Regarding the tour, she states: “Mallorca, the Sephardic island, was for hundreds of years home to a sizable Jewish population that can be traced back to the 5th century. It was an important center for cartography where Jews played a pivotal role. The famed map-maker Jafuda Cresques, who according to legend drew the maps used by Christopher Columbus, was recently honored with a statue in the Jewish quarter of Palma.
“You can also visit the park where the old Jewish cemetery used to be and walk the streets where the descendants of Mallorcan Jewry live to this very day. The Museum of Jewish Memory (Museu de Memoria Jueva) has a permanent exhibition about the history of the Sephardic Jews in general and the Crypto-Jews of Mallorca in particular. Here you can also learn about today’s Jewish community, re-established in 1971. Let us make your stay in Palma an unexpected experience. Come taste the flavor of the famous crespells, a Mallorcan Jewish pastry, and encounter dimensions of Mallorcan life you never before considered!”
She said that there is so much to explore in Palma and Mallorca in general while stressing that the tour, as with all of her trips, is not only for people of Jewish heritage. “The tours are open for everyone because the base focus is not so much on leisure but on the heritage and culture of the destinations we visit.
“For example, we’re not heading to Mallorca to lie on the beaches and clog up what is becoming a very busy island at times and the popularity of the island is growing because it has so much to offer the North American market and inquisitive travellers who have never been to the island before, although they may know the mainland.
“I began operating in 1993, mainly out of my own curiosity to explore and investigate Jewish culture and heritage aground the world, discover the synagogues, Jewish quarters and immerse myself in the deep and rich history. I wanted to promote and share the passion and over the years, my focus has been very well received by the North American market and continues to grow, as does the popularity of the Mallorca tours.
“Obviously having direct summer flights from Newark (New York) helps, but it would be great to see more from locations like Miami flying to the island,” she added. “I have a very strong client base and I know the appeal of Mallorca and the interest in the island’s Jewish culture is increasing but it would be nice to see it happening a bit quicker,” she said. “And we do have clients going on the local tours from the cruise ships when they call in Palma, so that too is encouraging for the future,” she added.
Sophia’s travel agency was last year nominated by Condé Nast as a Top Travel Specialist and has won numerous other prestigious awards. To find out more info or to reserve your tour contact info@jewishtravelagency.com or in Mallorca, jewishmajorca.com. Dani’s film can be watched at xuetaislandthemovie.com
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