Sixth International Conference on Tourism & Leisure Studies

Abstract

Synagogues as tangible objects have long been the focus of my academic research, as they are for this paper. They are celebrated, per the writings of the ancient Roman architect/historian Marcus ‘Vitruvius’ Pollio, for their firmitas (firmness/structure), utilitas (commodity/function) and venustas (delight/beauty). Extending well beyond its shear brick and mortar and for-shelter purposes, architecture is what we inhabit and interact with regularly. Through architecture, a sense of place, identity, and community is established. Buildings might not literally speak for themselves, yet when people – and travelers – keenly and sensitively pay attention, they communicate considerable information and insight. Synagogues as physical expressions hold special places well beyond the congregations they service. They are also dynamic tourism destinations for who seek to discover and engage in the history of a place they are visiting, and to make a more meaningful/memorable connection to it. This is not only true of those of the Jewish faith but of a cross-cultural and multi-religious audience. That tourists, who may never set foot in a synagogue or other religious building at home, elect to visit a synagogue during their vacation when time is precious and valuable is revealing. Why this is so is the focus of my study. The featured synagogues have made contributions to Jewish and architectural history as well as ethnography. And for tourists, they serve as places to connect to their destinations and to expand their understanding of the world in which we live.