Krakow Jewish Quarter and Ghetto with Local Historian, Ph.D.

Shalom at the Jewish Kazimierz! The historic district of Krakow was for centuries seen as the Jewish capital city of the former Polish and Lithuanian Commonwealth. Kazimierz was home to world-famous Rabbis including the most famous one, Moses Ben Israel Isserles, also known as Remu. You can find here the Old Synagogue, one of the oldest preserved synagogues in Central Europe, as well as the Remu cemetery, one of the oldest Jewish cemeteries in Poland. Unique architecture along with charming restaurants and historical significance all add to the extraordinary atmosphere of Kazimierz. The famous Szeroka Street also hosts the biggest Jewish Festival in Europe. The Jewish Kazimierz tour is also an important history lesson of the Second World War, pictured in Steven Spielberg’s “Schindler’s List.” The old Jewish ghetto in the Podgorze district is associated with this turbulent period. The Kazimierz district also tells the story of brave and devoted people who in the darkness of the Second World War risked their own lives to help the Jewish dwellers of the Ghetto. The most important heroes included Tadeusz Pankiewicz (the Eagle Pharmacy) and Oskar Schindler (Enamel Factory). Your guide will be a history teacher and PhD student, who has for many years been fascinated by history, especially the history of Christianity and Israel. He is a Polish native and is well-traveled, having spent extensive time in the countries of both Sweden and Israel, but is glad to call Poland his home.