Have an experience of a lifetime!
Jewish Buffalo Exploring Our Roots
You are invited to spend 9 amazing days discovering Poland and Austria as part of the Jewish Buffalo Exploring our Roots trip. The search for family roots can stem from so many places. Together we will uncover our connection through education, remembrance and hope as we travel from Warsaw to Krakow to Vienna. We will immerse ourselves in regions history and culture and explore new ways of creating community and reimagining Jewish identity.
Enjoy a meaningful travel experience with fellow Buffalonians who will become dear friends.
Tour Operator: J2 Adventures
Federation Staff Team: Stacey Block & Lauren Bloomberg
Click the image above to read about the newest Immersive Experience from the Buffalo Jewish Federation on page 9 of the May/June 2023 Jewish Journal.
Pricing
$500/person deposit and completed registration are needed to guarantee your spot on the trip and group transportation.
Land Only
20+ PARTICIPANTS
Double Occupancy: $4,995/person
Single Occupancy: $5,665/person
*Cost reduces to $4,295/person (double occupancy) for 30 or more participants
Additional touring day and night in Vienna on April 11: + $500/person (double occupancy) with a minimum 20 paying participants
Air Package
Flight arrangements are the responsibility of traveler. At the current time we are not offering a group flight. Buffalo Jewish Federation will provide recommended flight information when it becomes available.
ITINERARY
Tuesday, April 2, 2024
DEPARTURE
- Depart the USA
Overnight: Flight
Wednesday, April 3, 2024
THE START OF A SPECIAL JOURNEY
- Arrive at Warsaw International Airport and transfer to hotel
- Check into hotel
- Enjoy a welcome dinner and orientation with your tour educator
Overnight: Warsaw
Thursday, April 4, 2024
THE WORLD THAT WAS & THE WORLD THAT IS
- Visit the Nozyk Synagogue, the last remaining pre-WWII synagogue in Warsaw
- Visit the Gensha Cemetery, one of the largest Jewish cemeteries in the world. Revive the names on the unique tombstones of famous Jewish leaders, artists, rabbis, and intellectuals
- Take a guided visit to the remains of the Warsaw Ghetto. At Mila 18, we will commemorate the doomed uprising and at Umschlagplatz, the holding area before transportation to the Treblinka death camp
- Explore the Ringelblum Archives, an eye-witness record of life and death in the Warsaw Ghetto
- Many of us know that our families and descendants once lived in Poland but undstand little else about our lives and experiences. Meet the people who can help change that. The Jewish Genealogy & Family Center assists people from around the world in discovering their roots in Poland. We’ll hear about how they search for clues, information, and insights that help rebuild family stories
- See the impact of a program supported by our Federation and implemented by the Jewish Agency for Israel, our primary partner
Overnight: Warsaw
Friday, April 5, 2024
The Jewish Story of Wolomin
- Check out of the hotel
- We will walk the streets of Wolomin and connect with the town’s Jewish history for what once was a flourishing Jewish community until WWII
- Packed lunch en route
- Return to Warsaw
- Depart Warsaw on a train to Krakow
- Check into the hotel and prepare for Shabbat
- Optional Shabbat services at the Rema synagogue (Orthodox)
- Shabbat dinner with Klezmer live music at the quaint Klezmer-Hois restaurant in the Kazimierz Jewish Quarter
Overnight: Krakow
Saturday, April 6, 2024
Shabbat in Krakow
- Visit the Wawel Royal Castle. This palace was the magnificent home of Poland’s kings and rulers from 1038-1536 and is a key symbol of the nation’s culture and independence. Highlights of the visit will include the stunning grounds and cathedral.
- Explore the Main Market Square, Krakow’s city center and one of the best public spaces in Europe today. It combines modern street life with medieval architecture. One of the largest medieval squares still in existence, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Visit the Galicia Jewish Museum.
- Cross the bridge to the site of the Podgorze ghetto, from where many were deported to the death camps or were killed in 1943 when it was liquidated. See the following sites:
- The Krakow Umschlagplatz memorial, now called Ghetto Heroes Square, which was the center of the Podgorze Ghetto. Its “lonely chairs” are a monument to those who have vanished.
- The Under the Eagle Pharmacy, a pharmacy inside the ghetto run by Tadeusz Pankiewitz. We’ll hear how this Polish-Catholic pharmacist saved many Jews and was subsequently recognized by Yad Vashem as one of the Righteous among the Nations.
- The Oscar Schindler Factory Museum tells the story of Krakow and its residents under Nazi occupation from 1939 to 1945.
- Experience the authentic local cuisine and culture on a fun tasting tour.
Overnight: Krakow
Sunday, April 7, 2024
LAYERED MEMORIES AND THE PATH THAT BINDS THEM
- Explore the Kazimierz Jewish Quarter. Once the heart of Jewish life in Krakow for 500 years, the quarter is now one of the city’s most attractive and Bohemian areas. Our tour will include:
- The Altshul. Built in the 15th century, this is the oldest synagogue still standing in Poland
- The Rema Synagogue, named after Rabbi Moses Isserles (the “Rema”), a great Talmudic scholar and codifier of Jewish law. It is one of the few synagogues in Krakow that is still active today
- The Rema Cemetery, where many renowned rabbis, including Rema himself, are buried
- The Tempel Synagogue. No longer used as a synagogue, it instead hosts artistic events and is a key venue in the revival of Jewish culture in the city
- Drive to the Wieliczka Salt Mines, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Poland’s most popular attractions. Guided visit through this underground labyrinth of tunnels and shafts, which houses a salt lake and many intricate statues and creations (including an entire chapel) chiseled out of salt.
- Return to the hotel
Overnight: Krakow
Monday, April 8, 2024
THE DESTRUCTION OF EUROPEAN JEWRY
- Visit the Auschwitz-Birkenau complex, the largest of the Nazi concentration and extermination camps and in all its inhumanity. Over 1.1 million people lost their lives in the Auschwitz camps. Our experience will include:
- The first camp built at Auschwitz, a mass concentration camp. Here, we’ll visit the Auschwitz museum which contains powerful artifacts and haunting footage of the lives and deaths of prisoners
- We will then make the short drive to the Auschwitz II death camp, also known as Birkenau. Largely untouched since the war, it provides intimate insights into the tragedy of the Holocaust. We’ll reflect here on the personal stories of some of the Jews held and killed here and read accounts from survivors
- Packed lunch en route
- Visit the Oswiecim Synagogue which stood as a silent witness to the Holocaust
- Return to the hotel
- At the Krakow Jewish Community Center, we’ll talk with JCC Director Jonathan Ornstein, and members of the local community over dinner
Overnight: Krakow
Tuesday, April 9, 2024
FROM KRAKOW TO VIENNA
- Check out of the hotel and drive to Brno, the second largest city of the Czech Republic
- Learn about the long history of Jews in Brno and visit the Agudas Achim Synagogue. Meet with members of the local community
- Continue your drive to Vienna
- Take a panoramic orientation tour along the Ringstrasse, the main avenue circling the city center, for a view of the city's main landmarks
- Arrive in Vienna and check into the hotel, with evening at leisure
Overnight: Vienna
Wednesday, April 10, 2024
WONDERFUL VIENNA
- Take a look behind the scenes of the world’s largest repertory operation and discover much that otherwise remains hidden from the evening opera-goer during a private guided tour of the Vienna State Opera
- Visit the Stadttemple Synagogue, the only synagogue in Vienna to survive Kristallnacht and World War Two. Hear about the synagogue’s role in Vienna’s Jewish life today
- Continue to the Judenplatz, a center of Vienna’s Jewish life
- Visit the Jewish Museum’s underground wing at the Judenplatz
- See “The Kiss” and other famous paintings by Gustav Klimt at the Belvedere Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Europe’s most beautiful Baroque buildings
- Enjoy a farewell dinner
Overnight: Vienna
Thursday, April 11, 2024
OPTIONAL EXTENSION OR UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN
- Option 1: Return home
- Check out of the hotel and transfer to the airport
- Return flight to the USA
- Option 2: Research your family roots in Vienna
- Walking tour of the city's main landmarks, including: The Hofburg Palace, St. Stephen's Cathedral, St. Peter's Church
- Tour Nachsmarket, the city’s biggest food market. Enjoy a light lunch on own at the market
- Travel to the heart of the Habsburg Empire with a visit to the Schönbrunn Palace and Gardens
- Discover the secrets of strudel-making while watching master confectioners at work
- Return to the hotel with evening at leisure
- Next day morning check-out and transfer to the airport
Overnight: Vienna
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We hope you will join us as we travel to Poland and Austria to explore common heritage, learn about genealogy, remember the Holocaust, and meet young Poles and Austrians who are committed to and have taken great strides toward commemorating Jewish Life in their towns. The trip will surely have countless meaningful moments of learning, but we also hope it will include many moments of fun and friendship as well.
Genealogy Resource Links
Resources to come…
FAQs
Can I book my own flights?
Flight arrangements are the responsibility of each traveler. At the current time we are not offering a group flight. Buffalo Jewish Federation will provide recommended flight information when it becomes available.
Should I get a new passport?
A passport valid for a minimum of 6 months from the date of travel is required.
ETIAS Travel Authorization
The European Union will soon require incoming foreigners to fill out an online authorization application before entry into 30 European countries. To learn more go to: https://travel-europe.europa.eu/etias_en
Should I purchase travel insurance & supplemental medical coverage?
Yes! We urge you to purchase cancellation insurance & supplemental medical coverage (which covers preexisting conditions). This is a smart way to safeguard against life’s surprises.
We recommend Travel Insured International for all your travel insurance needs.
Website: https://www.travelinsured.com/
Phone Number: 1-800-344-6226 ext. 257
What are the hotel accommodations?
We will be staying in the following hotels throughout Jewish Buffalo Exploring Our Roots:
Warsaw 2 Nights: Crowne Plaza – The Hub
Krakow 4 Nights: Indigo Old Town
Vienna 2 Nights: Hilton Plaza
What is not included in the cost of the trip?
- Credit card fees
- Extra touring day and night in Vienna (April 11)
- Flights to & from Europe
- Gratuities: Recommend guidelines for tipping are provided in the terms section
- COVID related expenses, including tests
- Evening transportation when dinner is not included
- Amendments to the program. In the event that any sites, programs or meals etc. are added to the program, an additional fee may be required
- Personal extras: Items of personal nature such as laundry, wines, mineral water, beverages, coffee, tea. food other than the meals that are included (daily breakfast, 3 lunches and 5 dinners), passport and visa fees, insurance, and foreign port taxes, unless otherwise specified
- US and foreign airport taxes, Q fuel surcharge and border taxes when applicable
What is the payment and cancellation policy?
- Payments – The balance of your payment is due 90 days before your trip begins, or as specified in your invoice. You will receive an email reminder 2 weeks before this date. Various payment options are available as follows:
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- Credit card – We accept Visa, Mastercard and American Express
- Domestic bank wire transfer
- J² Adventures reserves the right to automatically cancel your reservation on that date and it may be subject to reconfirmation should the final payment not be received.
- Cancelation Policy – All cancelations need to be made in writing. The cancelation fee depends on the date when we receive written notification of your request to cancel your booking. Please note that the deposit is non-refundable.
- Cancellation fees
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- Cancellations made 90 or more days prior to departure incur the loss of the deposit. Cancellations made 89 to 46 days prior to departure incur the loss of 50% of the full trip cost.
- Cancellations made 45 days or less prior to the departure incur the loss of 100% of the full trip cost.
- Cancellation fees may also include: Hotel or supplier cancellation fees. J² Adventures reserves the right to adjust its terms of payment, including cancellation policies and initial deposits.
Can I pay on a payment plan?
For any assistance with this registration process or other trip-related queries including payment plans, please email Customer Care: customercare@j2adventures.com.
Terms and Conditions
Can I bring my children on the Jewish Buffalo Exploring our Roots trip?
This experience is intended for people 18 years of age and older.
Who will be our tour guides?
We will be led by some of the best guides in the region, including highly trained J2 Adventures team members.
Will there be a meeting in Buffalo before we travel to Poland and Austria?
Yes, there will be at least one (possibly two) gatherings in Buffalo before we depart on April 2, 2024.
Will there be free time to visit my family or shop?
Yes! There will be a variety of different times throughout the experience when you can explore cities on your own. These will be great times to meet a family member for dinner or shop! Alternatively, our travel agent can help you extend your stay in Poland or Austria.
Will I have time to exercise?
There will be free time in the evening and time before breakfast to walk, run or take advantage of the hotel fitness facilities.
COVID Information
Info to follow