The Best of Oktoberfest

Oct. 5, 2010 - PRLog -- Oktoberfest celebrates its 200th anniversary this year. Joy of Kosher, the first social networking site for Jewish cooking enthusiasts, traces the history of Oktoberfest with delicious Bavarian recipes and travel ideas for Jewish visitors to Munich in a wonderful article published this week.

As a Jewish traveler, I must admit I had my reservations prior to visiting Germany for the first time.  Two nights and three days at the Munich Hilton for Oktoberfest 2007.  I went for the beer, the music, and the lederhosen.   I Ieft with an appreciation for the spirited renewal of Jewish life in this historic city, a taste for lager and a hangover.

Jews have been part of Munich life since medieval times.  In 1882, the Bavarian King Ludwig II granted the Jewish community a site in the town center, so they could construct their new central synagogue.   The rise of the Nazi party and the Holocaust decimated Jewish life in Germany and the tragic murder of 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympic Games did little to improve Munich’s reputation as hospitable for Jews.  In recent years, however, Jews have returned to the city to rebuild their cultural and religious institutions.  A Jewish Museum and Jewish Community Center opened in 2007, residents frequent a delicious kosher restaurant specializing in European and German cuisine at the same location, and an architecturally stunning main synagogue was completed in 2003.  

For the complete article, see:

http://www.joyofkosher.com/ArticleList.aspx?cat=Jewish+Mu...

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Whether you keep kosher or are just kosher-curious, joyofkosher is an online community for people with good taste who are passionate about food.