Lithuania & Latvia
These Jewish tours, under the auspices of the prestigious Vilnius Yiddish Institute, are a must for the sophisticated heritage traveler. Jews have lived in Lithuania & Latvia 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 Shtetls, beautiful Riga and Kaunas. This tour includes expert speakers and in-depth meetings with members of the Jewish community, as well as prominent local politicians.

Day 01 Sunday June 22 Departure from the USA
Depart on your flights from USA to Vilnius, Lithuania

Day 02 Monday June 23 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. Optional meetings with genealogists for those interested in pursuing personal family roots research (must be pre-arranged prior to the tour). In the evening, enjoy a Welcome Dinner with your Tour Director and a Guest Speaker. Ramada Hotel.

Day 03 Tuesday June 24 Vilnius
Breakfast. The day begins with a visit to the Vilnius Yiddish Institute, located on the Old Campus of Vilnius University. There, attend informative lectures on Lithuanian Jewish History and culture by Professors Sarunas Liekis and Dovid Katz, and a presentation on East European Jewish art by Dr. Vilma Gradinskaite. Lunch at the University Courtyard café. After Lunch, embark on a walking tour of the Old Town’s Jewish Quarter with emphasis in old Vilna’s major Jewish historical and literary sites, led by Ms. Roza Bieliauskiene, formerly Collection curator of the Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum of Lithuania. In the evening, visit the Choral Synagogue and meet with incredible personalities among the Jewish Holocaust survivors of Vilna, followed by Dinner. Ramada Hotel.

Day 04 Wednesday June 25 Vilnius – Yoneshik – Zhager – Riga
Breakfast. This morning, embark on a journey to Riga, Latvia. En route, get a rare insight to shtetl life during visits to the shtetls of Yoneshik and Zhager. Lunch boxes are provided. Upon arrival in Riga, check-in at the hotel, followed by Dinner at a local restaurant. Reval Latvija Hotel

Day 05 Thursday June 26 Riga
Breakfast. In the morning, visit the only remaining synagogue and meet with leading members of the Riga Jewish Community, followed by a visit to the Jewish museum and Documentation Center. After Lunch, continue to the outskirts of town for a visit to the well-maintained, Russian-inspired Jewish Cemetery. Later, a moving visit to the Memorial to the victims of the Nazis. At this site, obscured by dense forest, the Nazis herded thousand of victims to be executed and buried in the anonymity of mass graves. The current monument was unveiled only in 2001. Return to the city and stop at the site of the Jewish Ghetto, where only small traces remain of the brave Jewish life within. A short stroll takes us to the ruins of the Chorale Synagogue, cruelly torched by the Nazis as the entire congregation prayed inside. Later, visit the chic “Art Nouveau” District, where many prominent Jewish Latvians, among them Oxford scholar and philosopher Sir Isaiah Berlin, once lived. Riga has one of the world’s most impressive collections of authentic Art Nouveau architecture, and uniquely offers streets whose buildings are preserved almost entirely in this early 20th Century style. Enjoy Dinner with members of the Jewish Community of Riga. Reval Latvija Hotel.

Day 06 Friday June 27 Riga – Daugavpils (Dvinsk) – Vilnius
Breakfast. Early morning departure from Riga to Daugavpils, where you will get closer look at the history and culture of the town once known as Dvinsk, home of famous misnagedim and Chabad rabbis. Meeting with extraordinary survivors. After Lunch in Daugapils, return to Vilnius and check-in at the hotel. Kabbalat Shabbat Dinner at the Lubavitch Center. Ramada Hotel.

Day 07 Saturday June 28 Vilnius
Breakfast. On this day of rest, you may choose to attend synagogue services in the morning, relax, or enjoy a pleasant stroll through Vilnius. Ramada Hotel.

Day 08 Sunday June 29 Vilnius
Breakfast. This morning, the Deputy Director of the Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum will guide you during a visit to the Holocaust Museum (Green House). Later, continue on a walking tour through the streets and alleyways of the wartime Vilna Ghetto. Lunch will be served during the tour. In the afternoon, participate in a panel discussion at the Vilnius Yiddish Institute. Topics will include: Holocaust and war criminals, restitution, and the perception of truth in history.  Panel members will include leading Jewish and Lithuanian intellectuals, as well as officials of the government, who will be open to questioning. There will also be discussion of the many areas of successful Lithuanian-Jewish cooperation and friendship. In the evening, tour the Jewish Museum’s Tolerance Centre, formerly Jewish theatre, where Dr. Maria Krupoves-Berg will perform Vilna Ghetto songs, followed by Dinner. Ramada Hotel.

Day 09 Monday June 30 Vilnius – Kaunas – Vilnius
This morning, embark by coach to Kaunas – today’s second largest city of Lithuania and provisional capital between the wars. Excursion through Jewish sites. Lunch. Visit the synagogue in Kaunas and meet Jewish community members, survivors among them. Visit the Holocaust site at the Ninth Fort. Return to Vilnius. Ramada Hotel.

Day 10 Tuesday July 1 Vilnius
Breakfast. Excursion to the site of the secret Jewish partisan base in a forest outside Vilnius. The visit is led by Fania Brantsovsky, a VYI librarian and former Vilna ghetto inmate and partisan, who lived at the base during 1943-1944. Later Fania Brantsovsky will lead to the Ponar forest. This quiet site witnessed the deaths of thousands of our brothers and sisters, and now features a Memorial Center. Return to the city and have lunch. In the afternoon tour the premises of the Lithuanian Jewish Community, where you will meet community leaders of all ages. Later, participate in a panel discussion on “The Jewish Cultural Legacy of Lithuania in the Present and Future”. Farewell Dinner and concert with Dr. Maria Krupoves-Berg, as well as invited guest performers, at the Vilnius Yiddish Institute. Ramada Hotel.

Day 11 Wednesday July 2 Vilnius – Home Flights
Breakfast. After breakfast, transfer to the Vilnius Airport for your flights home.