Mexico City: Jewish Presence in Mexico © Conquistadors to WWII

16 Ratings

Centro

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Discover the fascinating history of the Jewish community in Mexico, from their arrival with the conquistadors to their contributions to the textile and jewelry industries and the modern financial system.

Duration: 3 hours, 30 minutes

Cancellation: 1 day learn more

Highlights

Museo del Templo Mayor - We will start with an introductory talk from a terrace overlooking the ruins of the Aztec Great Temple and other significant buildings. Then, we’ll walk on the bridge that crosses the ruins of the House of the Eagles and the Great Temple, introducing the modern peaceful coexistence of religions in Mexico after centuries of Jewish persecution by the Spanish Inquisition. The influence of the neighboring Palace of the Marquis of the Royal Duty and other buildings will also be explained.
Catedral Metropolitana de la Ciudad de Mexico - We will walk past the Metropolitan Cathedral to see the Chapel of the Souls, where teachings against heresy (other religions) are displayed. From a vantage point, we can appreciate the colonial architecture designed to deter people from abandoning Christianity for Judaism.
Plaza de Santo Domingo - We will visit the main trading marketplace from the 16th to the 19th centuries, where Jews-in-Hiding had to trade their merchandise while being watched from the Palace of the Inquisition. At the palace, we will decipher its anti-Semitic hidden messages as well as those on the Santo Domingo church, the starting point of El Camino Real, a safe haven for Jewish traveling traders of the time.
Palacio De La Medicina - We will visit the Administration building of the Inquisition as well as their living quarters. The tour includes the torture chambers, cells, dungeons, cages, and drowning pools. Closed on Mondays and during UNAM vacations.
Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso - We will see from the outside the place where Diego Rivera met Frida Kahlo, the daughter of Wilhelm Entemann Kahlo of Jewish-Ashkenazim heritage. We will learn how the Mexican anti-Fascist movement began with their support, canceling the first and only ever anti-Semitic national convention with the help of then-President Lázaro Cárdenas.
Mercado Mixcalco - We will proceed to see the boroughs of Mixcalco and La Merced, Mexico City’s Garment District on the East Side, where Jewish families established themselves and progressed while living in tenements at the turn of the 20th century.
Iglesia de Santa Teresa La Nueva - Next to Santa Teresa, we will see and pass by the first purposely-built synagogue, Sephardic Mount Sinai, in Mexico, and the neighboring one, the first Ashkenazim synagogue in Mexico, Nidjei Israel, where the experience comes to an end.
Sinagoga Historica Justo Sierrra - We will visit the first Ashkenazim synagogue in Mexico.

What's Included

Entrance fees to select public and private venues included or waived.

Additional Information

From the arrival of the community in Mexico along the conquistadors, five hundred years ago, and the fateful ending of some at the stake, to the neighborhood where the second wave of migration established themselves at the turn of the 20th century, amazing history will unravel as we share the advancement of the newcomers from tailors and seamstresses to the developed textile and jewelry industries which led to the establishing of Mexico’s modern financial system. We end by learning of the abandonment of temples and the moving to better areas of town.

Location

República de Argentina 15

República de Argentina

We meet curbside at the door marked #15, outside the main entrance of Porrúa bookstore.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings

4.9

(16 Ratings)

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Samantha_k

Aug 3, 2024

Incredible day! Run, don’t walk to take this tour! - Carlos was such an incredible guide! So so knowledgeable and took extra time with us as our group was small that day. Thank you Carlos, for imparting your insights into us. We are richer for having taken the tour! Samantha

Review provided by Viator

Laura_s

Mar 27, 2024

Carlos was a wonderful... - Carlos was a wonderful guide! His fun and complete explanations of everything he showed us was very insightful. Would highly recommend.

Review provided by Viator

Paul_l

Mar 12, 2024

Great context. - A wonderfully intricate and unhurried context in which to appreciate the Jewish experience in Mexico City.

Review provided by Viator

Marci_s

Mar 9, 2024

A treasure in the Jewish community - The synagogue is a treasure. What a surprise. Our guide Carlos was so passionate and informed. Although not born into the Jewish faith he feels connected to the Jewish community and had many Jewish friends

Review provided by Viator

M8153objeanb

Mar 8, 2024

Lively and Engaging - This tour was very interesting, and Carlos, our guide, gave a lively and engaging history of the Jews in Mexico. We had forgotten that it ended with WW II and were a little disappointed that we learned almost nothing about the present-day Jewish community, but in fact that was not Carlos's fault, as the tour explicitly says it covers Conquistadors to WW II.