Immerse yourself in Jewish culture on England’s south coast on our three-day trip to Sussex this summer. The tour starts in Chichester, where we’ll visit the cathedral that bears a window by Marc Chagall and was the venue for which Leonard Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms was commissioned. Learn about Bernstein’s time here and how the composition – an extraordinary fusion of Jewish musical tradition, Hebrew liturgy and English choral music – came to be. The cathedral also contains two paintings by German Jewish émigré artist Hans Feibusch, which we’ll view before exploring the Feibusch archives at nearby Pallant House Gallery. After a night in Chichester, we’ll journey along the coast to Lewes to visit Charleston Farmhouse, home of Vanessa Bell, painter and sister of Virginia Woolf. There we’ll tour the house and gardens, and discover the many Jewish artists and writers involved with the Bloomsbury Group. Following a nearby overnight stay, we’ll spend our final morning on a private tour at Farleys House & Gallery, the former home to fashion and war photographer Lee Miller and her husband, the painter and ICA co-founder Roland Penrose. Miller and photographer Dorothy Bohm (mother to our very own art critic Monica Bohm-Duchen) were close friends and you can see Dorothy’s work in Farleys’ summer exhibition. After lunch, our coach will drop us at Lewes train station in time to catch the train back to London.
Tour highlights include:
Chichester Cathedral, where we’ll learn about Leonard Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms;
Visiting and discussing work by Jewish artists in Pallant House Gallery, plus a private viewing of the Feibusch archives;
Private tour of Charleston Farmhouse and gardens, with a special lecture on Jewish Bloomsbury;
Private tour of Farleys House & Gallery, former home of Lee Miller, taking in their Dorothy Bohm exhibition, plus an exclusive in conversation between Monica Bohm-Duchem and a member of Miller’s family;
Coach travel from Chichester to Charleston to Farleys to Lewes. (Please note that this tour starts in Chichester, so if you live elsewhere we recommend travelling to Chichester train station. The tour ends at Lewes train station. (RE: tickets – buying an open return from London to Chichester might be cheaper than two singles and will cover your trip home from Lewes);
Four-star overnight stays in Chichester and Lewes, with breakfast included;
Two three-course dinners and two light lunches (vegetarian/pescatarian) at local restaurants.
The tour is led by JR’s executive director Dr Aviva Dautch and art historian Monica Bohm-Duchen. Prices include all coach transfers*; entry and tours of all museums and attractions; four-star B&B accommodation; two dinners (14 & 15 July) and two lunches (15 & 16 July).
*Train tickets to and from Sussex are not included.
Meeting point: Harbour Hotel, Chichester, PO19 1NH (five minutes’ walk from Chichester train station), 2pm.
Places are extremely limited, so book now to avoid disappointment.
NOTE: £695 is the cost per person sharing a double or twin room – please adjust the quantity on the booking page for the correct price; £755 is for one traveller only and includes the single room supplement.
Prices include all coach transfers*; entry and tours of all museums and attractions; four-star B&B accommodation; two dinners (14 & 15 July) and two lunches (15 & 16 July).
*Train tickets to and from Sussex are not included.
Please note that due to the multiple bookings involved in organising a JR short break, we are unable to offer refunds, except in the event that the tour does not go ahead. We recommend that you arrange your own travel insurance to cover any individual circumstances. There is a possibility, but no guarantee, that we might be able to refund you if there is a waiting list to go on the trip. If for any reason you can no longer attend, please email tours@jewishrenaissance.org.uk.
