International tour: Poland - Belarus - Lithuania

1 DAY

Arrival to International Airport in Warsaw. Our representative will meet you.

Check-in at hotel. Free time.

Lunch.

“Jewish Warsaw” city tour (~4h):

IAn old legend says, in the 1st century Jewish traders had found out the Poliane country. The name of the new country surprised them, because in Yiddish sounded like «Po-Lin», means, "There, we'll find peace". In a new country, which was recognized as a blessed land by rabbis, Jews found good conditions for the living and business as well.

The Warsaw Jewish community was located in the North-West part of the city called Muranov (Muranow). It was the second biggest diaspora after New York in the world. By knowing this, the Nazis staged here Europe's largest ghetto ... The Holocaust - a terrible tragedy of the Jewish people during The World War II. Sightseeing tour in Warsaw - Memory and Dignity, the Way of Tortures and Resistance of Jews in Warsaw.

Free time. Night at hotel.

2 DAY:

Breakfast. Check out.

Drive to Auschwitz (Oswiecim)-Birkenau  (~315 km).

Auschwitz was the largest and extermination center of the German Nazi , where more than 1, 5 million prisoners were tormented. UNESCO put this place in the World Heritage List as a reminder for people about the most terrible tragedy in the human history had happened here. Everything is kept unchanged there. This place should be visited by everyone.

During the excursion, you will visit both parts of former complex of concentration camps. you will visit exposition of the main camp with it's sad history, statistics, biography, and photomaterials. In the second part of the tour excursion goes through the territory of the Birkenau with its huge gas chambers, former inspection barracks,  ramps and crematoria.

Drive to Krakow (~70 km).Check-in at hotel.

Dinner.

3 DAY

Breakfast

“Old Krakow” walking tour (~1,5h): you will walk on “Royal Route” that used to be the entrance for Polish kings to “Wawel castle” residency. There was Kleparz town (known as the Floriańska Gate) in front of the entrance to Krakow. The route leads through circular fortress Barbican and to the main market`s square -“Rynek”. During the walking  tour, you will get acquaintance with  main sights of historical city center and it will be easy to orient when you have free time.

Excursion   in   Kazimierz-Jewish   section  (~2h): Kazimierz used to be independent town until XIX century. Since 1495 until 1941 Jews had lived in North-Eastern part of the town (they had to move there). Stone wall separated Jewish section “oppidum iudaeorum” from Christian part of the town. Christianity and Judaism existed peacefully during several centuries.

During the excursion you will know how Jewa lived, including the second World War. You will visit the Remuh Synagogue, Jewish cemetery, Ghetto Heroes square in Podgorze district.

Lunch.

Free time.Night at hotel.

4 DAY

Breakfast. Check-out.

Arrival to Lublin (~310 km).

Lublin is unique medieval city with manufactures, city halls, market squares and fortresses that reflects several periods. For instance, Krakow Gates (XIV – XIX) include Gothic, Renaissance and Barocco. Everyday at 12 o`clock window was opened and a city trumpeter played Heinal - what has been happening till nowadays!

Small walking tour “Lublin is a city of cultures” in historical center.

Visit concentration camp “Maidanek” (the second greatest camp of Hitler`s Germany during the Second World War after Audchwitz). Nowadays it works as opened-air museum with exhibits on large territory. It`s a real monument of human fanaticism.

Drive to Poland-Belarus border.

Late arrival to Brest (175 km). Check-in at hotel.

5 DAY

Breakfast.

Brest City-tour (~1,5h) tells you about history of the city and its inhabitants, as well. In XVI century Brest was named as Jewish capital of Great Lithuania, and in 1860 there were just 8829 people in Brest-Litovsk. Among them 7510 were Jewish. But during The World War II, Brest Ghetto was organized, almost all its people were killed for the time of Holocaust.

“Jews of Brest” Museum(~0,5h): the main exposition tells you about Brest Jewish community life in the XX century. Since 1920 exposition, devoted to Holocaust, was organized. It tells you about tragic time in history of Brest Ghetto, famous people, including Menachem Begin who won the Nobel Peace Prize and took part in creation of the State of Israel. The most remarkable museum rarities are part of the Torah roll (XIX century), it was founded on the garret of one of the buildings in Brest; textbook for boys (published in 1858)  the main idea of which was to teach them basic Judaism; “Laws of prayers and aspects of the Religious Behavior of Jews in Synagogue” was published in Warsaw in 1858.

Lunch.

Drive to Kamenets (~38 km) – small town with 700-years history.

Walking tour and visit of Yeshiva and Synagogue.

Tour in Kamenetskaya Vezha and scenic view point visit.

Kamenetskaya Vezha– typical building of 13-17 centuries in Belarus. Brest, Grodno, Mstislavl, Myadel, Novogrudok, Polotsk, Radoshkovichi, Turov, Shklov used to have similar towers but the only one still exists in Kamenets, this is the reason why it`s considered to be unique all over Eastern Slavic areas.

Drive to Minsk (315 km). In the case of good weather, it`s possible to visit Kobrin town to see old synagogue, founded in 1642.

 Check-in at the hotel.

 6 DAY

Jewish Minsk City tour (~2,5h). During excursion, you will visit historical and religion sights related to Jews history and culture in Minsk – Svobody Square, Rakovskoye Predmestye (Rakovskoye surburb), Yubileynaya Square, Old Jewish cemetery. A lot of places are connected to Holocaust period and Minsk Ghetto – one of the largest Ghetto in Europe, the monument "Yama" – symbol of murdered Jews in Belarus during The World War II.

 Lunch.

Visit Jewish History and Culture Museum of Belarus (~1h): museum possesse a wide collection of more than 15 000 exhibits: photographs, unique documents, films and artifacts related to the centuries-old
history of Belarusian Jews. The mission of the Museum is to save and transfer historic and cultural heritage of Jews to new generations. Museum constantly looks for evidence of Jews survival during nazi occupation period in Belarus and solicits Yad Vashem museum for giving survivals the rank of Righteous of the World Nations.

Free time. Night at hotel.

7 DAY

Breakfast. Check-out.

Arrival to Volozhin (~85 km) – town, where one of the 1st Yeshivas in Belarus was established.

You will take a look the Yeshiva`s building – one of the main Jewish establishments of Mykolayev`s Russia time. The Volozhin Yeshiva had important role in Jewish life. Many authorities of different Yeshivas, magiday shiurim, mashgiahs studied here, Volozhin Yeshiva had become a prototype of contemporary Yeshivas in the world, and the symbol of contemporary Judaism.

In August, 1941 Jewish Ghetto was established in Volozhin. All Jews ( about 3 500 people) from Volozhin, Vishnevo and Oshmyan areas were sent there by Germans.

After, you will visit old Jewish cemetery, common grave and monument devoted to the Volozhin Ghetto victims.

Arrival to Radun (~125km) – town of Hafetz Hayim - spiritual lider of Jews XIX-XX centuries.

Lunch. Lesson in Hafetz Hayim Yeshivah.

Rabbi Israel Meir HaKohen(1838—1933), who is known as Hafetz Hayim moved to Radun on the age of 18. He dedicated himself to study and he lived modestly and for living he worked in a small shop. While he was working, he couldn`t give up reading books. Having received the title of Rabbi, he refused any job offers in order not to stop studying. His name is concerned with famous Yeshiva in Radun which had reputation as the best Yeshiva in Eastern Europe. Hafetz Hayim was one of the founders of intergovernmental Jewish organization that is still functioning “Agudath Israel”, beside this, he was an initiator of important establishment “Waad Hayeshivoth”. “Hafetz Hayim“ book (“Desirer of life”) was devoted to laws “lashon hara” (prohibition of gossiping), it was published in 1873 and along with its addition ”Shemirath ha-lashon” (“Guarding of the tongue”)  got popularity all over the world. But the most famous work is “Mishnah Berurah”- broaded and comprehensive commentary to “Orach Chayim”. “Mishnah Berurah” was authoritative codex of Torah`s laws and sage`s provisions in all contemporary Jewish communities.

Cemetery and Hafetz Hayim`s grave visit.

Arrival to Grodno (~135 km). Check-in. Night at hotel.

 

8 DAY

Breakfast. Check-out.

Grodno city-tour (~3h): Grodno is the city which due to its location, closed to boundaries, has avoided destruction in 1941. It saved its unique architecture, historical buildings and old streets` planning. In 1388 Grand Duke of Lithuania Vitautas the Great granted privilege to Jews from Grodno. There is one of the most beautiful and oldest synagogues in Europe that is included in the list of Cultural and Historical values of Belarus.

You will visit The Great Choral Synagogue. The Great Choral Synagogue, or The Main Synagogue, on Bolshaya Troitskaya saved the first look as it used to be in XX century. It has long history. Choral Synagogue was built by Italian architector Santi Gucci in 1578 according to Rabbi Mordechai Yaffe`s initiative.

Walking in historical city center and visit old Jewish buildings

Visit Jewish cemetery and Shimon Shkop`s grave

Rabbi Shimon Yehuda bar Yitzchak-Shmuel Hakohen (1859—1939) — remarkable researcher of Talmud, teacher, Spiritual leader, lecturer in Grodno Yeshiva.

Lunch.

Pass through borders Belarus-Lithuania

Arrival to Vilnius (~170 km).

Check-in. Night at hotel.

 

9 DAY

Breakfast. Check-out.

“Jewish Heritage of Vilnius” (~3h): Jews have been living in Lithuania for almost 700 years.They created rich and diverse culture. Vilnius hosted very famous Jewish scientists and Rabbis. It used to be called as “North Jerusalem”. Holocaust was real tragedy of The World War II for the city, so tourists can see signs of Jewish culture, functioned cultural centers, Synagogues etc.

“Panerai” Memorial Museum” (~1h): this memorial is devoted to Nazism victims. Mass killings of Jews from Vilnius, Soviet prisoners of war were in Pomarah forests (suburbs of Vilnius)

Lunch.

Transfer to International Vilnius Airport.