Photo: Envato
When you search for trending topics including kosher travel, Passover programs, or Jewish holiday travel, Google allows you to choose Preferred Sources. These are the websites you trust and want to see more often in your search results, especially in Top Stories and related coverage.
If kosher travel is something you regularly search for, this is a feature worth knowing about.
Most people don’t realize how much control Google actually gives you over what you see. We all know Google can rank listings, but it still can’t replace trust. That’s where TJT comes in.
What Are Google “Preferred Sources”?
Google’s Preferred Sources feature lets you personalize your search results by highlighting content from sites you trust. When you choose a preferred source, its articles are more likely to appear when relevant topics are trending, making it easier to find information you actually rely on.
Why TotallyJewishTravel Is a Smart Choice as a Preferred Source
TotallyJewishTravel wasn’t built to chase clicks or trends. It was built to help Jewish travelers make confident, informed decisions while traveling the world, keeping kosher, and maintaining their daily religious practices. That philosophy has shaped everything we do from day one.
Not every site earns that level of trust. TotallyJewishTravel was built to earn it, and for the past 25 years, we’ve worked hard to keep it.
Here’s what makes TJT different.
1. No Reviews for Passover and Other Kosher Programs — On Purpose
TotallyJewishTravel does not use reviews, and yes, we’re asked about it constantly, by both travelers and program operators.
Reviews may help rankings, but they’re also one of the easiest parts of the internet to manipulate. From anonymous posts to hidden affiliations, reviews often reflect partial experiences rather than the full picture, and in the kosher travel world, that can be misleading at best and damaging at worst.
We made a deliberate decision to say no. Why?
For the past two and a half decades, we’ve received hundreds of complaints from travelers who had negative experiences with program operators. We’ve heard everything, from food fights at the breakfast buffet, to hotel staff eating pizza in the kitchen during the Seder, to flooded bathrooms. We’ve even received emails from guests who were effectively “held hostage” by hotel management after a program operator reportedly owed the hotel a substantial amount of money and left the premises.
The reality is that over 11 to 13 days of Passover, it’s nearly impossible to keep 100 percent of guests happy. Things can go wrong, and often it isn’t even the operator’s fault.
The real difference is how an operator prepares, how they handle problems and unexpected issues in real time, and most importantly, how they make things right.
The decision to avoid reviews has cost us business over the years, and it likely will again. But protecting our users’ trust matters more than chasing clicks or conversions.
Instead of reviews, we focus on accurate listings, detailed program information, vetting programs before they’re listed, and offering direct access to operators. This allows travelers to ask the questions that matter most to them about kashrut, logistics, pricing, and expectations.
We’re not against reviews. In fact, we encourage travelers to read them, just not on platforms where feedback is tied to advertising or placement. That’s why we always recommend using independent, non-biased review sites like Google, TripAdvisor, Trustpilot, and Yelp, where opinions come from a broader audience and aren’t influenced by who’s paying to be listed.
If you’re actively researching a program and want a practical framework for evaluating operators, hotels, kashrut standards, and logistics, read our Best Tips for Choosing a Passover Program guide for step-by-step advice based on more than 25 years of industry experience.
If you’re actively researching a program and want a practical framework for evaluating operators, hotels, kashrut standards, and logistics, read our Best Tips for Choosing a Passover Program guide for step-by-step advice based on more than 25 years of industry experience.
We also encourage travelers to speak directly with guests who have attended previous programs whenever possible.
2. Operators Are Vetted — And Declined When Necessary
Not every tour operator is allowed to advertise on TotallyJewishTravel.
As mentioned above, we receive many emails every year, and we take every inquiry and complaint seriously. We respond, contact the operator, and work to reach a fair resolution whenever we see clear wrongdoing.
Because we maintain close relationships with operators, we’re able to address concerns directly. If an operator ignores our findings, or if we receive clear evidence that kosher standards were compromised, that operator will no longer be allowed to advertise on TotallyJewishTravel.
Based on over 25 years in the Jewish travel world:
• Operators with payment issues are declined
• Operators with proven kashrut concerns are removed
• Advertising is refused when standards aren’t met
This isn’t automated. It’s based on experience, industry knowledge, and ongoing oversight. And yes, these decisions sometimes cost us business, but protecting our users’ trust matters more.
Protecting travelers comes first.
3. Independent by Design — No Commissions or Booking Incentives
TotallyJewishTravel does not sell travel, provide booking services, or earn commissions on reservations or referrals. We are not a travel agency, and we don’t profit from steering travelers toward specific programs or destinations.
Our role is to provide accurate listings, industry context, and reliable information so travelers can make their own informed decisions.
When appropriate, we’re happy to share general insights into operators’ reputations and activity in the market. This guidance is provided privately upon request — whether to travelers evaluating a specific vacation or to operators exploring potential collaborations — and is never tied to sales, commissions, or paid recommendations.
4. Your Trust (and Privacy) Comes First
When you submit an inquiry on TotallyJewishTravel, it goes immediately and directly to the operator.
We don’t:
• Sell leads
• Build mailing lists from inquiries
• Spam users
Your inquiry stays between you and the operator, exactly as it should. We only monitor communication when needed, solely to help ensure inquiries receive a response, especially when language or communication issues arise.
That respect for users is core to how TJT operates.
5. A Directory That’s Actively Maintained
Kosher travel information changes constantly. Hotels, supervision, programs, and destinations evolve every year.
TotallyJewishTravel invests significant time and resources into keeping the directory current, accurate, and accessible. For over 20 years, we’ve had a full-time, in-house content editor proactively reviewing, checking, and verifying updates across the kosher travel space to ensure travelers can rely on the information they find.
The site is open to everyone and updated continuously, not left to age out.
Why This Matters for Your Google Searches
By choosing TotallyJewishTravel as a Preferred Source, you’re telling Google:
“This is a site I trust for kosher travel information.”
That means when Passover season approaches, when new programs are announced, or when kosher travel is trending, you’re more likely to see reliable, experience-based content first.
No tricks.
No hype.
Just information you can actually use.
Choose Your Sources Wisely
In a world full of noise, shortcuts, and sponsored content, choosing trusted sources matters more than ever.
TotallyJewishTravel has spent over 25 years building a platform based on transparency, experience, and respect for its users.
If kosher travel is something you care about, add TotallyJewishTravel as a Google Preferred Source, and make your search results work better for you.
Yaniv is a co-founder of TotallyJewishTravel and a longtime travel and technology entrepreneur. After years of struggling to find kosher options while traveling for work, he launched one of the first Jewish travel directories online, laying the foundation for TJT’s global database.
Yaniv is a co-founder of TotallyJewishTravel and a longtime travel and technology entrepreneur. After years of struggling to find kosher options while traveling for work, he launched one of the first Jewish travel directories online, laying the foundation for TJT’s global database.