Wednesday 6 – Sunday 11 May 2026

“Venice is not only a city of fantasy and freedom. It is also a city of joy and pleasure” – Peggy Guggenheim

Join JR in Spring 2026 to explore the rich Jewish history of Venice and its surrounding regions. From Shakespeare to TS Eliot, Brodsky to Proust, Venice has occupied an important place in both the semitic and antisemitic literary imagination: the first ‘modern’ city, home of canals and romance, of mercantile trade, blood feuds and the ghetto. Led by JR’s executive director Dr Aviva Dautch, we’ll trace the landscape of both the real and imagined city, walking in the footsteps of Jewish writers and artists who came to Venice to find themselves.

We’ll learn about the real Venetian musicians who may have influenced the writing of The Merchant of Venice and take a trip to Ferrara, location of the seminal Italian Jewish film, The Garden of the Finzi-Continis, and home to The Museum of Italian Judaism and the Shoah. Plus, we’ll travel to the islands of Murano and Burano by boat to learn about Jewish artisan crafts and spend Shabbat in the Venetian Ghetto with members of the local Jewish community. Since we’ll be there for the opening weekend of the Venice Biennale, we’ll focus particularly on visual culture, thinking about the complex political and artistic history of the Israel Pavilion, which is currently more controversial than ever.

The Peggy Guggenheim Collection is the most important museum of 20th century European and American art in Italy and, in May 2026, will host a landmark exhibition about Peggy Guggenheim’s time in London. Our trip will include a curator-led private tour plus a chance to meet with Karol Vail, the museum director and Guggenheim’s granddaughter.

This tour is arranged in association with Bespoke Kosher Travel and is for Jewish Renaissance subscribers only. Not currently a subscriber? Click here to subscribe.

Tour info

Destination: Venice
Dates*: Wednesday 6 – Sunday 11 May 2026
Cost**: £1,795pp (sharing double/twin room), £2,075pp (inc. single supplement)
Deposit required: £725pp due by 26 September 2025 (final payment by 20 November 2025)
Booking: To reserve your place, please click the button below and complete the form

*The trip will begin at 3.30pm on Wednesday 6 May. It will conclude at 5.30pm on Sunday 11 May.

**Price includes:

• Comfortable, well-equipped and well-located four-star accommodation;

• All transport within Venice and surrounding areas (including a day trip to Ferrara) throughout the trip. Please note that your return travel to and from Venice is not included and is your own responsibility;

• All entrance tickets to museums, including the Peggy Guggenheim Collection and Museo Nazionale dell'Ebraismo Italiano e della Shoah;

• Guided walking tour around the Cannaregio region of Venice;

• Boat trip to Murano and Burano islands, learning about the Jewish origins of glassmaking;

• Additional expert lectures contextualising our explorations;

• All applicable taxes and tips;

• All breakfasts, plus two dinners and two lunches (not inclusive of alcohol), including Friday night dinner and Shabbat lunch. All food provided will be vegetarian or pescatarian (no seafood/non-kosher fish).

• All single travellers will be given sole occupancy of a double room.

Please note that although Jewish Renaissance is arranging this trip, the travel company you are contracting with is Bespoke Kosher Travel, who are making all the bookings within the above package and providing your package protection (IATA and PTS registered and bonded) – this covers all elements of the tour as described above, but does not include issues caused by your flights or individual circumstances. It is highly important that you also arrange your own individual travel insurance.

This is a high-end tour, in both comfort and quality, however Jewish Renaissance has partially subsidised the single supplement to help lower the cost and overall has set the price as low as possible, so that cost isn’t a barrier. If you would like to support this tour or JR’s work with a voluntary contribution, please donate here.

Please note, this tour involves a substantial amount of walking. If you have mobility or accessibility issues, please contact us via tours@jewishrenaissance.org.uk before booking.

ARE YOU A SUBSCRIBER?

JR Tours are open to subscribers only. Subscriptions start at £28/a and can be purchased at subscribe.jewishrenaissance.org.uk.

RESERVE YOUR PLACE

Please complete the form below to reserve a place on this tour. If you require assistance completing the form, please contact the JR office on +44 (0) 7340 137 450 (calls, texts or WhatsApp welcome) or tours@jewishrenaissance.org.uk. Once your form is received and your JR subscription confirmed, you will be contacted regarding payment for your deposit.