Today you will meet your guide and driver at 10AM to visit the major places of Jewish Interest in Warsaw. Before World War II, Poland’s capital was the most important Jewish center in Europe. Out of all the cities in the world, only New York had a greater Jewish population. The first stop on any itinerary of Jewish Warsaw is the Nozyk Synagogue, the only one of the ghetto’s three synagogues still standing. A short distance away is the Ghetto Heroes Monument. Unveiled in 1948 on the fifth anniversary of the Ghetto Uprising, the monument recalls the immense courage of the Jewish resistance.
Nearby you will have time to explore the Museum of the History of Polish Jews (POLIN). This is a massive timeline of Jewish life in the region, stretching back 1000 years. Unlike many museums, this exhibit doesn’t focus on the Holocaust. Rather, it focuses on the development of Jewish life and community.
Today you will have the chance to explore the fascinating Museum of the Warsaw Uprising. The museum, which opened on Aug. 1, 2004 to mark the 60th anniversary of the outbreak of the fight for Warsaw, is a tribute paid by residents of the city to those who fought and died to bring freedom to Poland and its capital. The exhibition displays all aspects of the battle as well as everyday life in Warsaw against the background of the German Nazi occupation. More than 500 exhibit items, plus about 1,000 photographs, films and sound recordings, depict the days leading up to the outbreak of the uprising, its day-by-day development, the forced evacuation of the fighters from Warsaw, and their ordeal after their heroic fight was over. Don’t miss the short film, City in Ruins, at the end.