Location: Krakow, Oswiecim, and Auschwitz
Service: Learn about the Holocaust history and support historic preservation efforts through hands-on service at or near Auschwitz. Witness contemporary efforts to revive Jewish life and culture in Poland.
Housing: Hotels and Retreat Centers
Travel Highlights: Program begins and ends in the historic city of Krakow and travels to Oswiecim, Poland, the site of the Auschwitz Concentration Camp.
Program Description: In this program, you will learn about Jewish life in Poland, tracing events from before the terror of the Holocaust to contemporary efforts to revive Jewish life and culture. People of all faiths and backgrounds are invited to participate in this journey.
Your program begins and ends in Krakow, Poland, the intellectual and cultural heart of Poland. Krakow was spared the destruction that befell many European cities during World War II, so you will walk cobblestone streets nestled between Renaissance, Baroque and Gothic buildings. In Krakow, you will be introduced to Jewish life and culture in the Polish context.
Then, you will travel by a short bus ride to Oswiecim, Poland and the site of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp. More than 1 million visitors each year cross the threshold of this World Heritage Site. You will have an insider’s view of history through special guided tours, visits with museum staff, and a talk with a survivor, when available. You will spend five days here and help preserve memory through hands-on service at Auschwitz and at the nearby Jewish cemetery. We perform whatever service is needed at the sites, which may include groundskeeping, general maintenance, and work with artifacts.
After this moving experience, you will return to Poland with a new perspective. Witness the renewal of Jewish life and culture in a community that refuses to be defined by tragedy and that celebrates its spiritual, academic and cultural contributions to the world.
As the program completes, you will be a stronger witness for Remembrance, for contemporary genocide prevention and for the triumph of life over terror.
Program Dates & Fees: July 14-23, 2011: $1867
Program Fee Includes:
Contribution to local service effort
Accommodations
Three meals per day
Local Transportation during program
Multiple educational, cultural and service activities
Comprehensive Travel Insurance
Continuous support from local site director
Additional Program Related Expenses:
Airfare to Krakow, Poland and other travel related expenses
Applicable passport or visa fees
Supplemental meals or snacks
Personal spending money