Jewish tour with Julie Schwartz this Sunday
Jewish New Orleans tour guide Julie Schwartz will lead the second of two tours sponsored by JNola and the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans on Sunday, September 3 with check-in beginning at 9:30 a.m.
With Touro Synagogue visible through the bus windows, Jewish history tour guide Julie Schwartz talks about the historic congregation. (Photo by Alan Smason)
The air-conditioned bus tour that runs from 10 a.m -1:00 p.m. is intended to help Jewish residents learn more about the influence of the Jewish community that existed in the city since the days of Le Code Noir, the so-called “Black Code” that forbade Jews from living here. The bus only has fewer than 30 seats available for the tour, so interested parties are urged to register right away.
Sponsored by JNola, the Federation’s organization to engage young adults, the tours have since been opened to the public.
Schwartz, an attorney and writer, has researched the history of Jewish New Orleans extensively and fills in information about regular New Orleans sites such as the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) to delve into their Jewish connections. In the case of NOMA, she points to the bas relief of the museum building that is emblazoned with the name of Jewish philanthropist Issac Delgado.
The tour begins at The Fly, located at the back of Audubon Park just past the Audubon Zoological Institute on the river. A breakfast of bagels with smears and mimosas are included with the price of $10 plus a handling fee.
The bus tour will take in City Park and the Sidney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden and run along historic Esplanade Avenue and Rampart Street. Rampart Street was noted for its tailor shops and pawn shops including the Karnofsky family business which employed a very young Louis Armstrong before he took up the cornet and became a worldwide jazz sensation.
The tour will also explore the importance of Touro Synagogue and Temple Sinai, the two oldest Reform temples in the city.
