The last time any of the Naglers set foot on this island soil was in 1949, when my grandparents, Holocaust survivors, boarded a ship that took them from the detention camps in Cyprus to where their souls were yearning for, the Land of Zion and Jerusalem. Now, 75 years later, we're back, but happier. Much happier.
Vacations appropriate for strict Orthodox Jews like us can consist of one of the two scenarios: a 4-day-holiday in Israel, tops, having a relaxed, all-inclusive vacation bundle, or spending at least one week abroad to justify the preparations. By the time you plan, fly, arrive, and settle down, not to mention packing one small suitcase for clothes, and another bigger one for food and essential Kosher utensils and appliances (pots, portable stove, ice-pack, dishwasher… just kidding, forget the dishwasher), you need a longer holiday.
Let's elaborate on the 'elephant' in the suitcase: Kosher keepers abroad always enjoy a semi-spiritual experience, since fasts and abstentions in the presence of everything the local food culture has to offer are an integral part of the story. This is why every medium-sized restaurant in the world that serves Pasta 'Polognese' (a Polish-style tasteless pasta with a touch of cream, salt, and pepper, but hey, kosher) is considered a local food temple adorned with three Michelin stars. You may also expect it to be accordingly priced.
That's why it took us 75 years to get back there, but this time - happier. Even more so. First, it's close. The trip from my house in central Israel to Ben Gurion Airport was longer than it took us to fly from Ben Gurion Airport to Paphos. Second, we carried only one small backpack. No suitcase, no canned goods, no pots, no dishwasher. And what did we get? A kosher vacation!
Blue Lagoon Hotel, PaphosBlue Lagoon Hotel, Paphos
Welcome to the "Blue Lagoon" hotel, located on one of the finest beaches in Cyprus and the only kosher resort in Paphos. Yoni Kahana, an Ultra-Orthodox entrepreneur who foresaw the success, decided to operate the hotel in a kosher version about seven years ago. Very recently, the Issta Tourism company got involved and decided to take the project one step further, making it an all-inclusive overseas prestigious experience for kosher families.
"Blue Lagoon" shares a building with the Capital Coast chain - but if you accidentally book a room through the chain, you will be directed to the general and very non-kosher complex, so you'd better be careful. As of today, the kosher vacation is marketed exclusively by Issta.
In fact, for Israeli tourists, it feels like a separate hotel. The kosher dining room is located on a separate floor, there is an active synagogue on site, and the presence of quite a few Israelis there creates a homely atmosphere.
"It's not the most beautiful hotel in Paphos, but it's the best hotel available worldwide today for kosher-keeping families," one of the organizers told us in a moment of openness. "It's not about architecture, but rather the ability of a family that eats kosher to go on a family vacation. Most Israelis, mainstream Judaism, are not religious, nor Ultra-Orthodox, but they keep kosher. Most of the hotels in Israel are kosher and so are most of the restaurants. On the other hand, when you go abroad, you need to compromise."
It's a 4-star hotel with beautiful and very spacious rooms. We stayed in a real mini-suite. Even if you didn't pack the pots and the dishwasher, you will be greeted by a large and fully equipped kitchen (full-sized refrigerator, oven, electric stove, and...dishwasher), a dining table, a huge living room overlooking the pool, and the blue sea beyond, a restroom, and a bathroom that theoretically could easily accommodate two more children.
Now let's talk about the food. Don't forget we're talking about a kosher culinary experience here. The bundle includes breakfast and dinner on weekdays and an extra lunch on Shabbat. The dairy breakfast has everything you wish for: from a variety of types of bread baked in a local kosher bakery, to a variety of cheeses, hot pies, omelets, salads (and yes, also a tzatziki) yogurts, and other breakfast foods Israelis expect to have in hotel breakfast buffets.
In addition, it is possible and even recommended to pack sandwiches and fruits to go, which are provided on-site, so you can grab a bite during your daily trips to the many local attractions, on which I will elaborate later. There's no need to hide rolls wrapped in napkins and tissues as you shy away from walking down the customs line with a container filled with electric appliances. There was an actual lunch-to-go preparation bar in the center of the buffet.
Dinner includes a rich meat buffet filled with goodies, with a selection of meats, fish, salads, wines, and delicious Pareve desserts. Yes, yes, even fancy ones. Pareve desserts can be delicious. The hotel also offers an evening program that includes a Taverna experience with a local cheerful and extremely talented band, adding an authentic Greek atmosphere to the meal.
Shamaya Kaiser, the hotel's chef, says that one of the challenges involved in a kosher kitchen is obtaining the products. "It requires us to be creative," he said. "The kosher certificate is provided by a rabbi who has been living here for 12 years. He is familiar with the local products, so it's much easier. He knows what he's approving."
Until recently Rabbi Kaplan provided the kosher supervision, and now it is under the supervision of Rabbi Zeev Raskin, a Chabad follower who also serves as the Cyprus' Chief Rabbi. The hotel has two kitchens, meat and dairy, accompanied by an in-house supervisor on behalf of Rabbi Raskin, Yair Levy.
"The hotel also has a kosher convenience store, for those who wish to buy kosher wine, kosher snacks and more," said Chris, one of the "Blue Lagoon" entrepreneurs. "There is an active snack bar by the pool, which is also kosher, where you can order a kosher meal. In the lounge, there are dairy refreshments and drinks."
The lounge is located next to the synagogue, "During the holidays the synagogue is packed here." It can accommodate about a hundred men and a hundred women. On Sukkot, the hotel welcomed 380 guests and erected a huge sukkah stretched on the beautiful and local promenade located at the foot of the hotel. Imagine a huge sukkah built on Tel Aviv's large boardwalk with the local mayor who came to give his holiday blessing to the Israeli vacationers who took over the promenade.
"The locals," says Kaiser, "are very supportive, interested in our customs, and like to ask questions. They find it very intriguing. For example, they wish to know why and when we eat matzah on Pesach, why we avoid eating bread during an entire week; these are legitimate questions for a person who is unfamiliar with Judaism."
So, who is the hotel appropriate for? First, for observers of Shabbat, kosher and Nida (there is an active mikveh located ten minutes away from the hotel). Second, around 70% of Israelis eat only kosher food (according to the Israel Democracy Institute's report issued in 2023). Also, this vacation is meant for those who dream of a vacation but are unable to visit Israel's bombarded north, or Eilat which is targeted by Houthi attacks. While summer vacation is underway, children are home and the soul is tired and anxious.
"We are the leading destination for all Israeli tourists today, in every aspect," says Tali Goldstein, VP of Marketing and Sales at Issta. The hotel, she stressed, operates as a kosher hotel all year round, which means that even if only two guests arrive, they will have all the goodies that a strictly kosher all-inclusive buffet has to offer.
The hotel's facilities include a game room for children, outdoor pools, and another indoor pool with separate swimming hours for women only, at least once a week. As part of the bundle, you can fill your day with amusement with all the hotel has to offer. There is also a sauna, jacuzzi and spa, a Greek tavern, an adjacent beach, and a lovely cruise to the Blue Lagoon departing from Latchi Harbor. The children can jump in the water or take the waterslide down.
I recommend visiting the 200-year-old old town of Paphos. In the evening, it transforms into an area full of bars and taverns, and during the day you will enjoy walking around the white alleys filled with boutiques, cafes, and galleries. Not far from there is the charming marina, and next to it is a national archeological site and a small ancient fortress.
Although not included in the hotel bundle, you can go to the local water park (which, as they say here, also sells kosher food), book a day trip to the Troodos Mountains, less than an hour's drive from Paphos, where, according to the locals, there is also a kosher winery that produces "Cyprus wine" (we didn't get to visit there). There are also ATV tours and you can book them all with the receptionist's assistance.
If you feel like dining outside, you can go to "Sabba", a kosher restaurant that offers delicious Jerusalem-style street food and air conditioning! The weather in Paphos in July-August and the Troodos climate reminded us of Israel's Galilee.
While many Western countries are awash with hate protests, Cyprus seems to remain an island of sanity. The average Cypriot, at least in our experience, is welcoming to the Israeli tourists, empathetic and know who the good guys are and who are the bad ones. After all, they have their neighbors on Erdogan's side.
The security arrangements at the hotel, a stationary Israeli target, include the local security authorities. "There is a guard at night, who is here all night long, and we also have our own security," said the kosher supervisor, Yair Levy. "The local authorities are very cooperative, and they are assigned to guard here. We, as Israelis, may have gotten a little used to it, but the locals are much more scared than us, so we are in good hands. I have been here for a few months and feel at home", said Levy.
According to Chris, "There is a huge Israeli community here, in Paphos. A large community lives in Larnaca, and that's where Rabbi Raskin's main work is. There is also a large community in Limassol. You will hear Hebrew almost everywhere you go, because many high-tech companies moved here, and there are many immigrants, migrant workers like Yair and myself."
About 3,000 Israelis live on the island, which is surprising because up until 2010 Cyprus was not a popular destination for Israelis, whereas today it has the highest number of daily incoming flights. "There is an Israeli school here, there is a Chabad school in Limassol, where most of Israeli children study. There is also a very large community in Coral Bay, here in Paphos. Limassol is about an hour's drive from here, so the children have to drive an hour. But it's not so bad. There is an amazing school there," added Levy.
Since October 7, the Israeli community has grown, and a few weeks ago a new kindergarten was opened here, with about thirty Israeli children. The tuition for the Chabad Jewish school, if you are interested, is about 500 Euros per month.
The local public transport will take you to any attraction you wish to see and it beats renting cars. Just remember the steering wheel is located on the right side. Right next to the hotel, which is in a central spot on the island, there is a bus station that can take you to the marina, the archeological park, the old city, and the shopping mall - a huge Jumbo stock store, which extends over two floors and is popular among Israelis. How popular? You can tell by the signs featured also in Hebrew.
I visited the mall twice in four days to be exact. For me to talk about the mall, we first need to talk about my grandfather, Lipa, may he rest in peace, who came to Cyprus in 1947. After he survived the horrors of the Holocaust alone and his entire family was murdered in the killing pits of Auschwitz and Buchenwald, he refused to hear about any place other than the Land of Israel or Palestine. From Czechoslovakia he migrated to Hungary, and from there to the south of France, on the coast of which the illegal immigration ship "Theodor Herzl" was mooring.
The ship sailed from France on April 2, 1947, carrying 2,620 Holocaust survivors, including my grandfather. After spending 11 days sailing, when it approached the shores of Tel Aviv, it was raided by British destroyers, and a fierce battle broke out between the British forces and the holocaust survivors, killing three immigrants. My grandfather, after throwing everything he had at the British, took off his shoes and threw them too. Then, he jumped into the water, determined to reach Israel by swimming. He was caught and deported to Cyprus, barefoot, wearing nothing but his pants.
I don't know if this is the reason I caught the shoe fever (well, I know it's not the reason), in any case, I left the Kings Avenue Mall, aka the largest mall in Paphos with 5 new pairs of shoes. We won Grandpa!
How much will you pay for this kosher vacation?
In July the price for a mid-week deal (including flights and transfers) starts at $979 per person in a double room per night, minimum 4 nights. In August: starting at $969.
A weekend bundle per person in a double room in July starts at $649 per person in a double room per night, a minimum 3 nights. In August: starts at $799 per person for 3 nights.
- The writer was an Issta guest at the Blue Lagoon Kosher Hotel