Duration: 5 hours
Location: Vilnius
Transportation: mini van
Highlights of Jewish Heritage Tour:
- You will learn why Vilnius was so famous for Jewish scholars
- You will visit previous Jewish area
- You will learn about the holocaust and how Lithuanians were hiding Jews
- You will visit Ponary Memorial
You will be fascinated with an extremely rich Jewish culture in Vilna before the WWII even if you don’t have any Jewish roots. The Jerusalem of the North, The Small Jerusalem- so many definitions for the town, which counted only 200 thousands inhabitants, where about 80 thousands there used to be Jews.
During Jewish Tour you will learn about Rabbi Eliyahu of Vilna often called “Gaon”, what means genius, who was probably the most influential Jewish leader in modern history, Jascha Heifetz- considered to be one of the finest violinists of modern times, Tsemakh Shabad – a doctor and social and political activist, co-founder and vice-president of the YIVO (Institute for Jewish Research), Chabad Motke – famous funny stories creator – you will be definitely acquainted with these vibrant personalities by your tour guide. After sightseeing in the old town, while which you will visit the streets of former Ghetto area, Judenrat, the reconstruction of Jews hiding place „malina“ the car will pick you up and you will be driven to explore the sights, which are too far for walking, such as: former printing house of „Widow and brothers Romm“, former main Jewish cemetery, which was brutally demolished by Soviet government.
At the end of the tour the guide will drive you to place everybody should remember – Ponary Memorial- the forest, which was a witness of WWII massacre – the mass murder of 100 000 people.
The main itinerary:
- Jewish quarter
- Judenrat building
- Reconstructed hiding place
- Former Jewish cemetery
- Ponary Memorial
I was always fascinated with an extremely rich Jewish culture in Vilna before the WWII even I don’t have any Jewish roots. The Jerusalem of the North, The Small Jerusalem- so many definitions for the town, which counted only 200 thousands inhabitants, where about 80 thousand there used to be Jews.
Rabbi Eliyahu of Vilna often called “Gaon”, what means genius, who was probably the most influential Jewish leader in modern history, Jascha Heifetz- considered to be one of the finest violinists of modern times, Tsemakh Shabad – a doctor and social and political activist, co-founder and vice-president of the YIVO (Institute for Jewish Research), Chabad Motke – famuos funny stories creator – you will be definitely acquainted with these vibrant personalities during a tour. After sightseeing in the old town, while which you will visit the streets of former Ghetto area, Judenrat, the reconstruction of Jews hiding place „malina“ the car will pick you up and you will be driven to explore the sights, which are too far for walking, such as: former printing house of „Widow and brothers Romm“, former main Jewish cemetery, which was brutally demolished by Soviet goverment.
At the end of the tour the guide will drive you to place everybody should remember – Ponary Memorial- the forest, which was a witness of WWII massacre – the mass murder of 100 000 people.
Duration – 5 hours
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