Jewish tours to Lithuania, Jewish tours to Belarus

Lithuania - Belarus

For our 2009 departures to the Baltics, please check our featured Tours or click here

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This tour, under the auspices of the prestigious Vilnius Yiddish Institute, is a must for the sophisticated heritage traveler. Jews have lived in Lithuania/Belarus for over 700 years - in some areas predating even the arrival of Christianity to this part of the world. Their legacy is rich with both Torah and secular scholarship - most Litvaks could speak at least three languages, two of them being Hebrew and a rich, classic Yiddish. Although the Nazis cut a vast swathe through Jewish life here, there is still much to see and experience in this part of the world, and a new, post-Soviet openness has awakened a huge interest in Jewish history and culture.

Come and meet with members of the Vilnius Yiddish Institute - where Yiddish is being taught as part of the curriculum of the Vilnius University, Lithuania's premier center of higher learning. Travel on to Belarus (once a part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania), for centuries home to great yeshivas and small shtetls. Vilna, Kovno,Grodno, Minsk, Mir and Slonim - all are basic building blocks of Ashkenazic Jewish heritage. This tour includes expert speakers and in-depth meetings with members of the Jewish community, as well as a welcome at the Palace of the President of Lithuania.

Day 01 Monday Departure from the USA
Depart on your flights from USA to Vilnius, Lithuania

Day 02 Tuesday Vilnius
Arrive in Vilnius, or Vilna (as it is known by Jewish Lithuanians) and transfer to your hotel to rest and refresh. Remainder of the day is at leisure. In the evening, enjoy a Welcome Dinner with Guest Speaker. Barbacan Palace Hotel.

Day 03 Wednesday Vilnius
Breakfast. The day begins with a visit to the recently founded Vilnius Yiddish Institute, located on the Old Campus of Vilnius University. There, attend informative lectures on the history of the Jewish people in this part of the world. After Lunch, embark on a tour of the capital city of Vilnius, including a visit with members of the Jewish Community. In the evening, enjoy a private concert. Barbacan Palace Hotel.

Day 04 Thursday Vilnius – Keydan – Kaunas – Vilnius
Breakfast. This morning, embark by coach to the former Jewish shtetl of Keydan – for centuries a center of Jewish learning. Continue to Kaunas, or Kovne (as it is known by Jewish Lithuanians), once the capital of Lithuania, where you will enjoy Lunch with members of the Jewish Community. After Lunch, tour this city, including the former ghetto and the infamous Ninth Fort, before returning to Vilnius. Barbacan Palace Hotel.

Day 05 Friday Vilnius
Breakfast. Today, you will visit the fascinating Jewish Museum of Vilnius, which offers an insider’s perspective on the tragic events of World War II. Lunch, followed by a tour of the Center for Tolerance, housed in the former site of a Jewish theater (besides its exhibits, this center hosts seminars, lectures, and symposia). In the evening, you may choose to attend Services at either the beautiful Chorale Synagogue or the Chabad Center, followed by a festive "Shabbos" Dinner with members of the local Jewish Community. Barbacan Palace Hotel.

Day 06 Saturday Vilnius
Breakfast. On this day of rest, you may choose to attend synagogue services in the morning, or simply relax. After Lunch, enjoy a walking tour of the Old Jewish Quarter and the Vilna Ghetto. Remainder of the day is at leisure. Barbacan Palace Hotel.

Day 07 Sunday Vilnius – Druskininkai – Grodno
Breakfast. This morning, depart for Grodno, Belarus, stopping en route at the old spa resort town of Druskinkai. After crossing the border, enjoy Lunch with a Speaker from the Jewish community of Grodno, as well as a tour of the Jewish sites in this historic town, founded by an medieval Russian Prince. Dinner tonight will be in the welcoming presence of members of the local Jewish community of Grodno. Semashko Hotel.

Day 08 Monday Grodno – Minsk
Breakfast. Today, you will travel to Minsk, the historic capital and largest city in Belarus – where, alongside Russians, Poles and Belarusians, Jews comprised over half of the population before the war. En route, stop at Mir, a major Jewish heritage site. The former Mir - or “Mirer” - Yeshiva, still talked about by scholars, is here (though no longer functioning as a yeshiva), as well as a Holocaust Memorial. You will also see the adjacent Mir Castle, one of the biggest in Eastern Europe. Continue to Slonim, of equal Jewish significance, and see the Slonim Synagogue, which survived the Holocaust and is now being caringly restored. Lunch is served during the tour. Arrive at Minsk for Dinner with members of the Jewish Community. Hotel Minsk.

Day 09 Tuesday Minsk
Breakfast. Around 10,000 Jews currently make their home in Minsk. Today, you will visit the Jewish Community Museum, the Minsk Main Synagogue and Yeshiva. You will also visit the “Yama” monument “against fascisim” (as it was known during Soviet rule), honoring the memory of 800,000 martyred Jews. See the landmark of Pravednikov Lane, an entire street dedicated to the memory of those who courageously saved Jews during World War II. After Lunch, enjoy a special guided tour of the Great Patriotic War Museum, with emphasis on the Jewish Partisans and the Maly Trostinets death camp. Dinner. Hotel Minsk.

Day 10 Wednesday Minsk – Vilnius
Breakfast. Today, depart for Vilnius with a stop en route at Valozhin (Volozhin), where you will see the restored Yeshiva, walk through the old shtetl, and pay respects at the Jewish cemetery. Continue to Vilnius for Lunch, followed by an in-depth symposium on Jewish History and Intergroup Relations; this rare gathering will include leading scholars and dignitaries from both Jewish and non-Jewish backgrounds. In the evening, a visit to the Ponar Forest is featured – this quiet site witnessed the deaths of thousands of our brothers and sisters, and now features a memorial center. Barbacan Palace Hotel.

Day 11 Thursday Vilnius
Breakfast. Today, you will be welcomed at the Palace of the President of Lithuania – a moment in modern Jewish history. Later, visit Vilna’s Sholom Aleichem Schoool for a command performance by the school’s charming musical ensemble. This evening, enjoy a Farewell Dinner. Barbacan Palace Hotel.

Day 12 Friday Vilnius – USA
Breakfast. After breakfast, transfer to the Vilnius Airport for your flights home.