Episodes

  • Soak, sip, savor: The ultimate Budapest experience

    Soak, sip, savor: The ultimate Budapest experience
    May 13 2026
    Budapest is a city where history, indulgence, and rejuvenation flow together—quite literally. Built atop a network of natural thermal springs, Hungary’s capital has long been a sanctuary for those seeking relaxation and inspiration. From grand bathhouses steeped in centuries-old tradition to vibrant culinary hotspots and stories of Holocaust resilience that echo through generations, Budapest offers a rich tapestry of experiences that captivate every traveler. In this episode of The Jerusalem Post Podcast – Travel Edition, Mark and David dive into the very essence of this unforgettable city—where healing waters, heritage, and modern flair meet.

    In this episode:
    • Ensana Hotels, Margaret Island – A peaceful Danube island retreat blending spa luxury with Budapest’s famed thermal waters.
    • Unicum & the Zwack Family – A unique tasting paired with a powerful story of resilience and survival.
    • Time Out Market Budapest – The city’s top chefs and flavors, all under one vibrant roof.
    • Széchenyi Thermal Bath – Iconic outdoor pools and grand architecture at Budapest’s most famous bath.
    Mark and David were guests of Visit Hungary and Ensana.
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    46 mins
  • Shanghai: Exploring the living history of a city’s Jewish legacy

    Shanghai: Exploring the living history of a city’s Jewish legacy
    Apr 28 2026
    This episode continues our journey through Jewish China alongside the descendants of Jews who found a home here nearly a century ago. Shanghai was not just a stop on the map; it was a lifeline. As we explore the city’s cultural highlights, our focus remains firmly on the human story that still echoes through its streets. From refuge to renewal, memory to modern community, this Shanghai chapter reminds us that Jewish history here is not only something to be remembered, but something still being lived.
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Vienna: A Jewish story of resilience and rupture

    Vienna: A Jewish story of resilience and rupture
    Apr 14 2026
    In this episode, Mark and David explore Vienna’s Jewish story, one marked by resilience, rupture, and remarkable renewal. From a vibrant medieval community centered around Judenplatz, through centuries of flourishing intellectual and cultural life, to the devastation of darker periods that nearly erased it, Jewish Vienna has continually rebuilt itself. Today, the city reflects a quiet but powerful resurgence, where history is preserved, memory is honored, and a new generation is once again shaping Jewish life in Austria’s capital.
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    1 hr and 9 mins
  • Budapest: Spa hotel, Jewish heritage, and Danube nights

    Budapest: Spa hotel, Jewish heritage, and Danube nights
    Mar 31 2026
    In this episode, Mark and David explore the beauty and grandeur of Budapest, where the Danube divides the historic hills of Buda and the lively boulevards of Pest. From castle views to riverside promenades, the Hungarian capital blends elegance, history, and culture at every turn. The journey also takes them to leafy Margaret Island, home to the famous Ensana spa hotels, where Budapest’s legendary thermal waters promise deep relaxation in the heart of the city. Along the way they explore Jewish heritage, taste Hungarian flavors, and uncover some unexpected surprises.
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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • Why Slovakia? Castles, culture and a surprise for Israeli travelers

    Why Slovakia? Castles, culture and a surprise for Israeli travelers
    Mar 18 2026


    Exciting news for travelers departing from Tel Aviv! Slovakia is becoming easier and more appealing than ever to visit, opening the door to one of Central Europe’s most enchanting destinations. In this episode of The Jerusalem Post Podcast – Travel Edition, we journey to a gorgeous region filled with dramatic castles, deep Jewish heritage, and vibrant culture — including a city shining on the European stage as a European Capital of Culture in 2026. From medieval fortresses perched above the Váh River to stories of Jewish life that once flourished in the region, Slovakia reveals itself as a destination of beauty, history, and unexpected discoveries.
    Mark and David were guests of Slovokia Travel.
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    52 mins
  • The Jews of China: Harbin (part three)

    The Jews of China: Harbin (part three)
    Feb 25 2026
    If Beijing was the beginning of the journey, Harbin is where memory takes hold.

    In the third episode of our China series, we arrive in Harbin—the unlikely northern city that became home to one of the most vibrant Jewish communities of the 20th Century. In the 1920s and 1930s, more than 30,000 Jews lived here, creating a full and flourishing Jewish world far from Europe: synagogues and bakeries, hospitals and soup kitchens, schools, businesses, and cultural life.

    But the story of Harbin’s Jews is not only about survival or community—it is also about transformation. These Russian- and Eastern European-born Jews were among the driving forces that helped turn Harbin from a remote outpost into an industrial and commercial powerhouse, shaping the city’s modern identity.

    In this episode, we walk in their footsteps. We visit the physical remnants of Jewish Harbin: a former synagogue, the old commercial center, a historic hotel, and the Jewish cemetery. Each site is layered with absence and presence, silence and echoes.

    The journey becomes deeply personal as seven Israelis—children of Harbin Jews—return to the city their parents once called home. For some, it is a first visit. For all, it is an emotional reckoning. There are tears. There is laughter. And there is the powerful realization that Harbin is not just a chapter in Jewish history—it is a hometown.

    This is a story of belonging in unexpected places.
    Of loss, legacy, and return.
    Of where our parents walked—and where their footsteps still linger.

    David was the guest of the the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation and the Chinese Enterprises Association in Israel.



    Our podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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    36 mins
  • Medieval magic & farmyard feasts: discovering rural Bavaria

    Medieval magic & farmyard feasts: discovering rural Bavaria
    Feb 9 2026
    Bavaria is more than just Oktoberfest. In this episode, we leave the big cities behind and head deep into rural Bavaria, where alpine beer huts perch on mountain slopes and medieval towns hide centuries of stories behind their cobblestone streets. It’s a land where tradition meets hospitality, and every corner seems to hold a surprise.Along the way, we roll up our sleeves on an organic farm, meeting the pigs, sheep, and chickens that call it home. We learn the old-fashioned art of making butter, twist our own brezels, and, of course, sample Bavaria’s world-famous brews. Join us for a journey that blends history, flavor, and a touch of Alpine magic.

    This time:
    * From breakdown to breathtaking: hiking the Alps
    * Tongue-twisters and tasty wheels
    * The beer capital you’ve never heard of
    * Landsberg am Lech: where history hugs the river
    * Behind bars, Hitler picked up his pen
    * How to get there, what's kosher and FAQs galore
    * Meet the pigs living the good life
    * Baaad move: the great sheep escape
    * From cream to gold: churning our own butter
    * Learning the twisty art of brezels (and maybe a challah)

    Mark and David were guests of the German National Tourist Board.
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    42 mins
  • Jews of China special: Tianjin (part two)

    Jews of China special: Tianjin (part two)
    Jan 27 2026
    In this episode we head to Tianjin in search of the traces left behind by the city’s once-thriving Jewish community in the first half of the 20th Century.

    From forgotten addresses to unexpected discoveries, we explore what remains—and what has vanished—of a remarkable chapter of Jewish life in eastern China.

    We visit the former synagogue, taking in its blend of traditional and non-traditional Jewish architectural elements, and reflect on what the building reveals about a community shaped by both heritage and place.

    Along the way, we speak with Israel’s cultural attaché in China, go mezuzah hunting in a quiet residential neighborhood, and hop on the high-speed train from Beijing to Tianjin.

    As always, we bring you practical travel insights, including transport tips, climate, accommodation options, and local food to look out for—plus much more from a city that continues to surprise.

    David was the guest of the the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation and the Chinese Enterprises Association in Israel.
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    38 mins