New Orleans Jewish Heritage Walking Tour

This tour takes a trip through the French Quarter with an emphasis on how Jews have contributed to the multi-ethnic gumbo known as New Orleans. The Jewish community has had an active presence in New Orleans since colonial times, contributing to our culture, business, and music. As you walk through the original city, you’ll learn about the earliest Jewish settlers, who could easily have lost their identity in a Catholic colony.
You’ll see where those who arrived in the 19th and 20th centuries lived and worked. You’ll learn how they contributed to the development and growth of the city, adding to the unique mingling of the old world and new that is New Orleans. Jews are among the strongest preservationists of the French Quarter and one of its most significant achievements, jazz. They are also having an impact on that other great New Orleans cultural contribution to the world, food.

Meeting Point

PJ's Coffee

333 Canal St, New Orleans, LA 70130, USA

This PJ's is just inside Canal Place Mall on the corner of Canal and Iberville. Your guide will be waiting for you OUTSIDE the entrance of the coffee shop.

What's included:

• Licensed, insured, local guide with an extensive knowledge of the area

What to expect:

Duration: 2 hours

Woldenberg Riverfront Park

1 Canal St, French Quarter, New Orleans, 70130-1152, Louisiana

Along the river, our walk around the Woldenberg Park includes a chance to see the Holocaust Memorial, the statue of Malcolm Woldenburg.

15 minutes

Jackson Square

751 Decatur St, , New Orleans, 70181, Louisiana

This stop includes an intro to the history of New Orleans and discussion of earliest days of colony with threat of inquisition.

15 minutes

Madame John's Legacy

632 Dumaine St, , New Orleans, 70116-3211, Louisiana

This old building has a fascinating history, and was owned by a Jewish philanthropist.

12 minutes

Royal Street

Royal Street, , New Orleans, 70130, Louisiana

From Dumaine to Pirates Alley, your guide will share stories of New Orleans' famous pirates, some of which were Jewish.

10 minutes

Preservation Hall

726 St. Peter Street, , New Orleans, 70116-3182, Louisiana

In front of our storied Jazz Hall, guests will hear about how Music was saved by Jewish preservationists.

10 minutes

Omni Royal Orleans

621 St Louis St, New Orleans, LA 70130, USA

Our last discussion includes Judah Benjamin, U.S. Senator and cabinet member of the Confederate government, and slavery in the state before the Civil War.

15 minutes