Creating Firsthand Encounters and Relationships
Although 85 percent of American Jews trace their roots to Poland, most know little about their own heritage prior to the Holocaust. To address this, we began bringing American Jewish leadership groups to Poland for firsthand encounters to challenge preconceptions and open their eyes to the realities of today’s Poland. We have invested in changing the experience of Jewish youth travel to Poland from focusing solely on the Holocaust to promoting discovery of personal heritage and a promising future for Jewish life. To make this opportunity available to groups and individuals, the Taube Jewish Heritage Tour Program (TJHT) was created.
TJHT is a mission-driven, on-the-ground Jewish Heritage Tour Operator with outreach to the United States, Canada and Israel. Our professional staff of young academics, educators and community leaders provide meaningful and engaging tour experiences. Graduates of the Taube Center’s Mi Dor Le Dor Program serve as educators, infusing the tour experience with the perspectives of young adults committed to preserving and promoting Polish Jewish heritage and guiding international visitors in exploring this heritage’s complexities.
Our tours within the borders of pre-war Poland include major cities and heritage sites, ancestral towns, cultural events, and Poland’s natural treasures. Tours are available in English, Hebrew, French, German, Spanish and Russian. TJHT has a strong network of academic institutions and communal organizations in North America and worldwide, including the Association of Jewish Community Centers, Birthright Taglit, Hillels, Jewish Community Federations, and the March of the Living. It also enjoys the support of key community leaders and works with a growing number of partner organizations throughout Poland, organizing special sessions with Jewish communal leaders and cultural activists and visits to partner institutions. Furthermore, in close cooperation with the Jewish Genealogy & Family Heritage Center, TJHT assists in family roots research and visits to ancestral towns.
