By Yochanan Gordon

Life is so busy on a number of levels that getting away for a week or two during the course of the year is necessary for everyone’s sanity.

It helps us perform better in the workplace and be better spouses and parents at home. Because the time away is so scant, it is important to maximize that time in order to enjoy and return energized.

There are a couple of types of travelers. The first type just finds a destination and looks to spend a few days away, regardless of food and many of the other trappings of a Jewish getaway. Generally, these types of getaways are low budget, the objective being to find a quiet spot in some exotic and warm environment for a few days of respite and serenity from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

The issue with this approach is that most people are not travel specialists. That is why I have always been a great believer in entrusting getaways to the people who get paid the big bucks to do just that. Life requires 100 percent focus, and although we agree that it is necessary to get away, we have no time to plan all the nitty gritty details to satisfy all of our diverse needs.

The second type of traveler entrusts their resources to the people who plan vacations professionally. But they may be unable to distinguish between those who are good at what they do and the others who are just in it to make a buck.

I have been my own travel agent in the past, and I have also used travel companies. I can safely say that no one in the travel industry is better than the people at Kosherica. They have been successfully planning every detail of people’s getaways for 20 years and their reviews are stellar.

During my last getaway with Kosherica in the winter, every aspect of the preparations, from the high-level culinary offerings and the unprecedented entertainment with some of the Jewish music industry’s brightest stars to the smaller but many times most challenging issues such as honoring everyone’s seating preferences, were executed to perfection. It was readily evident how their years of experience and level of expertise were instrumental in successfully navigating all these details.

As I am in the newspaper business, it’s a common occurrence to deal with a travel company that advertised one year and was out of business the following year. It’s no different than any other business. If you’re not an expert at listening and acting expeditiously and with great courtesy and sensitivity, your foray in a people-centered industry will be short lived.

I can personally attest to the great honor and courtesy that the Schiffmans and their appointed staff accord each guest. The result is one of the most successful travel companies in the industry for 20 years and counting.

I could go on endlessly extolling the virtues of the Kosherica family, but the objective here is for you to book one of their upcoming summer cruise options and experience it for yourself. As their numerous clients have said, one cruise will change the way you travel going forward. In order to accommodate your schedule, Kosherica offers a number of date options throughout the summer months. The first summer seven-day voyage embarks June 24 from Seattle to Alaska, featuring scholars-in-residence Rabbi Moshe Keletnick and his wife, Rivy Poupko Keletnick.

The Alaskan cruise has long been hailed the gold standard of all of the cruise destinations, with scenery that is so breathtaking and guaranteed to be different than anything you have ever encountered. A seven-day voyage to Venice, Italy, and Greece will also leave on June 24, with ports of call in Montenegro, Korfu, Santorini, Mykonos, and Dubrovnik.

If the June Alaskan cruise does not fit your schedule, you could take one in August, either the foodie cruise on August 5 or the budget cruise on August 12, both running seven nights. Both cruises will allow you to experience luxurious and at times prohibitive travel options at a discounted rate. In addition, there is a seven-day cruise to Venice, Italy, and Greece departing August 12,featuring the Five Towns’ own scholar-in-residence, Rabbi Zev Meir Friedman, rosh yeshiva of Rambam Mesivta in Lawrence as well as dean of Midreshet Shalhevet High School for Girls in North Woodmere.

Just a note regarding the foodie cruise, which attracted me as it was the first time that I saw it being advertised. If I didn’t know any better, I would have thought that the cruise I went on this past winter was the foodie one, but I know that it was the Jewish music festival at sea. The point is, that regardless of which cruise you decide to take, the level of culinary excellence on every Kosherica excursion is unsurpassed. If they are advertising this as a foodie cruise and you are a food fan or connoisseur, this one has your name written all over it.

In between the June and August cruises there is an option to depart on July 29 for a seven-day cruise to Bermuda, featuring the Five Towns’ own scholar in residence Rabbi Stephen Savitsky, former chairman of the board and president of the Orthodox Union and current president of the Bnai Zion Foundation.

Rabbi Savitsky spent decades in high level positions in Jewish activism, affording him the opportunity to travel across the world into the offices of great statesman and aristocrats and a rolodex which provides his audiences with engaging and inspiring topics and personal accounts that will leave you mesmerized.

Another highlight is the July 26 cruise departs from New York City, which saves money and hassle of having to fly to Florida, Seattle, or any other place of origin.

I urge you to visit Kosherica.com where you can study all of the travel options, read up on the unique and exhilarating ports of call and destinations, and begin the registration process for your next getaway. Call 305-695-2700 or 877-724-5567 today! You will thank me when you do.

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