Hundreds of people now look at the site every day for help deciding where to vacation, he said.<\/p>\n
Traveling while Jewish, especially identifiably so, has always been fraught in certain parts of the world. A rise in global antisemitism in the wake of the October 7, 2023, attacks and international anger over Israel\u2019s response in Gaza have seemingly shrunk the number of places Jews from Israel or abroad can reasonably expect to feel safe from antisemitic attacks or harassment.<\/p>\n
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\t\t\t\tBy signing up, you agree to the terms<\/a><\/p>\n Many travelers now think twice before traveling to parts of the world where anti-Jewish and anti-Israel sentiment is especially high, or at least make sure to hide any external symbols that could mark them as Jewish.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I first created this site, I thought that anti-Israel hatred would be trendy for a bit,\u201d Yaish said. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t have imagined it would still be like this today.\u201d<\/p>\n \t Yaish, 34, was born in Tiberias and now lives in Pardes Hanna. He described himself as a \u201cdeveloper at heart\u201d who has been coding since he was 16 years old.<\/p>\n He developed Safe for Jews with the help of AI tools, and uses AI to update the site with news about antisemitic incidents. It also draws from Israel\u2019s official travel advisories<\/a> for different countries \u2014 which are not always based on antisemitic attitudes or threats against Jews \u2014 as well as reports submitted by the site\u2019s users, to generate a travel advisory and summary of relevant information for travelers.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not just \u2018is this country safe?\u2019 but \u2018what\u2019s happening in the specific region I\u2019m planning to visit, and what kind of incidents have been reported there recently?’\u201d Yaish said.<\/p>\n Everything is compiled automatically using AI, Yaish said, although he checks the output every few days to make sure the information looks correct. Because it relies on AI and reports scraped from the web, its advisories are not always up to date or based on rigorous research.<\/p>\n The site advises users not to rely solely on its advice.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have a disclaimer on the site reminding users that this is not an official rating, and that we take no responsibility for decisions made using the site,\u201d Yaish noted. \u201cPeople still have to do their own research and use good judgment.\u201d<\/p>\n \t The list of safe places for Jews to visit has decreased in size over time, the website shows. Among the countries with the highest safety classifications are Eastern European countries like the Czech Republic, Albania, Lithuania and Belarus, South American countries like Bolivia, Paraguay, and Ecuador, and far eastern countries like Japan, Vietnam, and Cambodia.<\/p>\n Nepal, Iceland and Cyprus are also classified as safe, as are remote and exotic destinations like the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau and Tuvalu.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are a lot of places that people haven\u2019t heard of,\u201d Yaish admitted.<\/p>\n Many common destinations, like the United States, Australia, and most of Europe, are labeled \u201ccaution\u201d on the website, with a note that \u201cJewish\/Israeli symbols should be kept to a minimum.\u201d<\/p>\n Other countries that have seen more virulent antisemitic activity, including Spain, Canada, the UK, South Africa and Russia, are marked \u201cwarning,\u201d with a reminder to stay alert and avoid identifying as Jewish or Israeli. A number of mostly Muslim nations, including Iran, Afghanistan, and Egypt, are labeled \u201cdangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n \t The different levels are meant to reflect the ever-changing realities on the ground and the complex tensions that many Jews feel when they travel, Yaish said.<\/p>\n \u201cI have friends who might feel comfortable saying they are Israeli when they are in Cyprus, but if they are in, say, Spain, they try to hide their identities,\u201d Yaish said. \u201cIt depends on the country and their comfort level.\u201d<\/p>\n Currently, Yaish doesn\u2019t make any money from the site, which launched a year ago. In the future, he hopes to expand it into a hub for Jewish travelers to find Jewish-friendly hotels, kosher restaurants, and other resources to meet their specific needs.<\/p>\n But for now, guiding Jewish travelers through the chaos of global antisemitism is challenging enough.<\/p>\n \u201cThings are really confusing now for Israelis who want to travel,\u201d Yaish said. \u201cPeople just want to figure out where they can go without taking a risk.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tCountries in green are currently marked \u2018safe\u2019 for travel on safeforjews.com (Screenshot)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/poland\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/vlcsnap-2025-07-22-14h41m21s445-copy-640x400.jpg\")
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\n\t\tAn anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian protest preventing hundreds of Israelis from disembarking from a cruise ship at the Greek island of Syros, July 22, 2025 (Screen grab from social media used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/poland\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-08-09-at-4.28.54-PM-640x400.jpeg\")
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\n\t\tShay Yaish, founder of safeforjews.com (Courtesy)<\/p>\n
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