ABOUT US
Our website is specially designed to help you learn about Panama and prepare for the most fantastic kosher vacation in the tropics. We have compiled all the information you will need in order to plan a long or short vacation, or even a quick business trip.
Go Kosher Panama can work with you to create an itinerary to be sure that you experience the best Panama has to offer the first time visitor as well as the experienced traveler. Click here to start planning an unforgettable vacation.
If you prefer to create your own travel plan, be sure to mention Go Kosher Panama to all of your tour guides, drivers and especially when you visit the many kosher restaurants in Panama City.
A Message from the Owner of GoKosherPanama.com
Hola! I am Esther Zebede Schwartz, owner of Go Kosher Panama. I was born and raised in the small Sephardic community of Panama City.
Over the past 6 years Panama has grown to become the ‘hot’ place for the kosher traveler. My husband Simi and I decided to create gokosherpanama.com as the one-stop shop with everything you need to know to plan a vacation in Panama.
Best known for its canal and hat, Panama now boasts over 60 kosher establishments, four major shuls and a guarantee of 80 degrees every day. While deciding to visit Panama is a no-brainer; planning a trip to Panama can be overwhelming and costly.
Gokosherpanama.com makes it easy! Choose one of our planning services to help you plan a day-by-day itinerary or do it yourself and take advantage of our special discounts on hotels, tours and attractions.
Either way you save time & money and will enjoy the most wonderful kosher topical vacation you can imagine.
We hope the site is most helpful to you. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or suggestions you may have.
Simi & Esther
Why Visit Panama?
Panama has always been a magnet for Jews. Historically, some came to escape religious persecution in their homelands. Others have come for the economic stability that Panama has experienced since the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914.
Jews have been settling in Panama since before the turn of the 20th century, the biggest segment of the Jewish population emigrated from Syria, starting in the 1930s. They inaugurated the Orthodox synagogue called Shevet Ahim, which today is the largest Jewish congregation in Panama. With the additional waves of Syrian immigrants in the 1970s and 1990s, Panama City is now one of the strongest and most closely-knit Jewish communities outside of Israel and the United States.
With approximately 15,000 Jews in Panama City, there are 5 Orthodox shuls with daily minyanim & shiurim, as well as several yeshivas, mikvahs, and a Kollel.
As a result of the Jewish community’s transformation, the number of kosher food providers has exploded. There are two major kosher supermarkets that are fully stocked with products - including Cholov Yisrael - from the US and Israel. An abundance of meat and dairy restaurants, bakeries, and dessert locales have opened.
Panama offers a wide range of both land and sea experiences. You can take day trips to the rainforest, spend a few days at the beaches and resorts, visit a native Indian village, or even join an excursion to one of the beautiful islands on either the northern Atlantic or southern Pacific coasts of Panama.
In short, Panama has got EVERYTHING for the kosher traveler! Enjoy the abundance of kosher food in Panama City to take with you on your travels, near or far, as you experience the beauty, climate and excitement that Panama has to offer.
So now take a tour of our “one-stop shop” to plan your ultimate tropical kosher vacation. There is an extensive FAQ section to answer many of your questions and connect with others in our Facebook group who have experienced Go Kosher Panama!
