Author: Rafael

Raphael ran a great Pesach program, the Dreams Hotel was a great program venue, and Panama City a great program setting: taking these in sequence, Raphael arranged for flawless logistics to and from the airport, and for an extended program (starting a day before erev Pesach and ending a couple of days after isru chag) to accommodate complex international travel needs. He was accommodating of any concerns that came up. And the price of the program was very reasonable. The congregant-led minyanim ran fairly smoothly (a sometimes awkward mix of Spharadi/Ashkenazi), and – to our preference – the food was totally adequate but no frills (those wishing to pay much more can oogle all the food they want, knowing that they cannot consume a fraction of it and that it will go to waste!). There was a nice mix of participants from geographically dispersed areas and with varied hashkafot/perspectives. Regarding the hotel, its setting and accommodations were lovely, with reasonably spacious rooms and drawer space, lovely views, many offered activities (kayaking, nature walks on premises, archery, outdoor swimming, swimming beach, volley ball, night entertainment by local folk dancers and singers, etc.), and complementary drinks. Hotel staff were generally friendly and helpful (though they could have been a bit more knowledgeable about tourism options). Regarding Panama City itself, with so much history, Judaica, nature, and man-made wonders, it contains lots of potential activities/day trips to hold the interests of all ages, including visits to the Panama Canal, to museums (historic, natural history, etc.), to the lovely synagogues in the city, to old Panama ruins, to the city old town, and to be hosted by indigenous communities. There are lots more generic options for people watching, shopping, hiking, snorkeling, viewing wildlife, and rappelling. All in all, a great experience, and concerns that we had were quite trivial.