Jewish Heritage In Poland Tour

One out of every three Jews on our planet probably can trace their history to Poland. The Jews were in Poland for a thousand years; it’s a long time; it’s probably among the longest that they have been anywhere. During your visit you will understand important things and learn the influence Jews had on the culture in Poland. As well the influence Poland had on the rabbinic tradition that grew out of this area. Poland is a place where most of Jewish customs come from and most of Jewish culture. Polish Jewry produced generations of Jewish leaders, rabbis, and scholars and the shtetl was characteristic of how most Polish Jews lived.
Working with people that have Jewish Polish background it’s a really wonderful engagement and I really love connecting with people in terms of Jewish genealogy research, discovering forgotten sthetls and heritage visits to their Jewish background. To cooperate with them and discover their family histories, it feels like being Jewish myself and having Polish heritage.

history of Polish Jews during Shoah

The unrepeatable Jewish life of the Polish shtetls, over 90% of community, more than three million Polish Jews were murdred during the Holocaust. A lot of visitors are coming to understand how the Holocaust could happen and what’s happening to Jewish life now in Poland?

During your visit as I am educator at Auschwitz Memorial you will learn about the annihilation of Polish Jews by German Nazis and they collaborators. On the other hand I will make sure that you will not spend your time only on five years of history of Jews during II World War but as well educate and visit the heritage of thousand years history Jewelry here. During your trip you will visit the places connected both to the Jewish heritage and the past but also to the renewal of Jewish life in Poland. Then you will be able to in some way contend with the enormity of the loss you can’t contend with in any case but at least through understanding how they lived and understanding that there’s a renewal. When you will start to feel that you can face then with what happened. Important for people to understand that there’s a larger context to life in Poland and not just death in Poland.

We will show you answers to the questions as: About what happened? What was Jewish life here? What was the life that was destroyed? Questions about how the destruction happened?

Polish Jewish Heritage Sites: Cemeteries, Synagogues, and Ohels

 

Poland is home to many sites that commemorate Jewish history, ranging from cemeteries and synagogues to ohels of rabbis. Thanks to the efforts of various organizations, some of these places have been restored, while others still serve as reminders of the past. Here is a detailed list of Jewish-related heritage sites in Poland that are worth visiting. Visiting these sites is not just a journey into the past, but also a way to commemorate those who perished in the Holocaust. For families of Holocaust surviors, religious Jews and researchers of Jewish history, these places provide an invaluable history lesson. Although not all these sites are in perfect condition, each serves as a significant testament to the Jewish communities that once thrived in Poland.

ANDRYCHOW

Andrychow Jewish Cemetery Established in not known, area of ​​0.58 hectares, brick fence, preserved about 400 tombstones, including a number of valuable historical value.

BIELSKO BIALA
Bielsko-Biala Synagogue preserved foundations and part of the basement of the former, destroyed by the Germans during the war synagogue. After the war was extended with the building, which houses today: Puppet Theatre and Art Exhibitions Bureau.
Founded synagogue is not known; house of prayer, active.
The cemetery, founded in 1849, area of ​​2.4 hectares, brick fence, preserved about 400 tombstones.
Next to the mortuary of the Jewish cemetery, neglected and ruined, now in off-site on the initiative and at the expense of Nisenbaumów Family Foundation.
In 1765 in Bielsko expelled living there before the Jews. Re-Jewish settlement began in the nineteenth century, but only in the suburbs. The prayer house was launched in 1831, the cemetery – in 1849. The municipality was founded only in 1865 under the name “Community Izraelicka Lipnik near Biala” Lipnik before the war became a suburb and was absorbed by the city. The Jews in Bielsko came from Moravia, Slovakia and the Western Small-Polish. With the exception of the association Chevra Kadisha all community institutions were common for the White and White-rock. They were m.in .: progressive synagogue (with choir), the school Talmud-Torah, Talmud School Marbic-Torah (in their own building with primary school) Hebrew school open, safe interest-free Gmilas Chesed. In Bielsko lived and taught two well-known rabbis: SZH Halbersztam and Saul Horo-witz (1888-1895). Prior to the outbreak of war in 1939 in Bielsko-Biala was home to about 4,700 Jews, most of them were connected professionally with the industry textile industries. Germans as early as 13 September 1939 destroyed the upper floors of the synagogue. In the summer of 1941 created a ghetto was liquidated in czerwcu.1942 the deportation of the entire Jewish population to the extermination camp at Auschwitz.
CIESZYN
Cieszyn At the edge of the so-called new cemetery, ruins of a synagogue in very poor condition (crumbling). Year of construction is not known.
The cemetery, founded in the eighteenth century, after the 1.9-hectare surface, brick fence, preserved about 500 tombstones.
The cemetery, founded in the nineteenth century, the area of ​​0.75 hectares, brick fence, preserved about 100 tombstones. On the edge of the cemetery ruin synagogue.
Monument, the Cieszyn Jewish cemetery Set on the mass grave of several-ten Jews were shot and buried here in 1944.
Kalwaria Zebrzydowska
Kalwaria Zebrzydowska  synagogue, Year of construction is not known, after the war, used as a warehouse, a youth club and offices, recently converted into a department store with a capacity of approximately 3000 m.
Kety
Synagogue Year of construction is not known, now a restaurant.
The cemetery, located approximately 3 km from Kety, on the outskirts of Vitkovice Founded not known, residue
0.13 hectare surface, brick fence with a gate, partly devastated, about 30 tombstones preserved.
Milowka
Milowka Jewish cemetery, on the road to Kamesznica Founded not known, area of ​​0.18 hectares, about 30 tombstones preserved.
Oswiecim- Auschwitz city
Oświecim- city Synagogue, the Jewish Museum and education center. Oswiecim Jewish Cemetery, perhaps too-it was submitted XVI or XVII Large 1.17 hectare brick wall, saved about 1,000 tombstones. Ordered and renewed in 1980. The first Jews settled in Auschwitz in 1563, in 1588 built a synagogue and probably founded the cemetery. In 1765, 1,337 Jews lived there, and in 1921 -4950 years (accounted for 40% of the population of the city)
SKOCZÓW
SKOCZOW Synagogue
Year of construction is not known, no further data.
Cemetery, not far Wilamowic Founded not known, post-top 1 hectare, fenced , much devastated, about 20 tombstones preserved.
USTRON
USTRON Synagogue Year of construction is not known, no further data.
WADOWICE
WADOWICE The cemetery was founded in the nineteenth century, the brick fence, preserved about 150 tombstones.
Wall, inside the high school building plaque with the names of professors and alumni who died during the war, including Jews.
ZATOR
ZATOR Cemetery Established in not known, after-surface of 0.4 hectares, not fenced, about 50 tombstones preserved.
ZYWIEC
ZYWIEC The cemetery, founded in the nineteenth century, the area of ​​0.5 hectares, the remains of a brick fence and about 200 tombstones.
Myślenice
Jewish Cemetery (Sobieski Street): Founded in 1874, this cemetery covers 0.12 hectares and is enclosed by a fence wall and grid. It is in a state of devastation, with only 8 tombstones preserved; fragments of broken tombstones have been repurposed to construct a lapidary.
Niepołomice
Jewish Cemetery (Heroes of the Ghetto, Cemetery Street): Established at an unknown date, this 0.5-hectare cemetery is unfenced and heavily deteriorated, with only a few fragmented gravestones remaining—among which a legible tombstone of the Libaczów family, renowned local bakers, endures. Monument (Goat Hill): Situated at the edge of the Niepołomicka Forest, this monument marks the mass grave where, on 26–27 August 1942, the Germans executed approximately 700 Jews from Kraków and its surroundings, including the entire staff of the Jewish hospital in Wieliczka.
New Brzesko
Jewish Cemetery: Of unknown foundation, this cemetery spans 0.36 hectares. It is unfenced and heavily devastated, with no tombstones remaining.
Proszowice
Jewish Cemetery (Waryńskiego Street): Founded at an unknown date, this cemetery covers 0.36 hectares, is unfenced, and heavily devastated—with no surviving graves.
Skala
Jewish Cemetery: Located along the road to Morel, this cemetery (of unknown foundation) is unfenced, vandalized, and destroyed. No trace remains except for a wooded area.
Słomniki
Monument: In the wooded area along the Kraków-Warsaw route near Słomniki, a monument commemorates the site where, in August 1942, the Germans executed 163 Jews—among thousands held without food and water—prior to deportation to the Belzec death camp.
Wieliczka
Jewish Cemetery (Grabówka): Founded in the 18th century, this cemetery spans 1.92 hectares, is unfenced, and retains about 50 tombstones alongside mass graves. Monument: Erected within the cemetery, the monument commemorates approximately 1,000 Jews from Wieliczka who were murdered by the Germans in successive executions between 1939 and 1942. Historical records note that the local Jewish community numbered 614 in 1890 and about 1,300 just before the war.
Biała Niżna
Monument: Positioned along the road to Grodek, near the monastery, this monument bears a plaque marking the mass grave of Jews murdered in August 1942.
Bobowa
Synagogue: Constructed in the mid-18th century, the synagogue’s interior now accommodates a lace workshop and an exhibition hall of Judaica. A commemorative plaque is affixed to the building’s exterior. Jewish Cemetery: Located approximately 2 km from the village center, the cemetery—of unknown foundation—covers 0.75 hectares and is enclosed by a grid fence. It preserves about 100 tombstones, including the grave of the renowned tzaddik Halbersztam, and contains mass graves of numerous Jews from the Podhale region executed between 1939 and 1945. Judaica: The former synagogue now serves as a small museum exhibiting Judaica and souvenirs, underscoring Bobowa’s historical importance as a regional Hasidic center.
Chochołów
Jewish Home: This traditional wooden highlander cottage, once inhabited by a Jewish family before the war, features a beam under the ceiling intricately carved with a Star of David, a Hebrew inscription, and the date 1914.
Czarny Dunajec
Synagogue: Located near the market, the synagogue (of unknown construction date) currently functions as a municipal cooperative building. Jewish Cemetery: Situated on the road to Rabka, the cemetery was founded at an unknown date, is unfenced, and in ruins, with only a few tombstones remaining.
Gorlice
Synagogue: After the war, the synagogue was rebuilt into a bakery. Recent plans propose converting the building into a concert hall near a local school. Another former synagogue building now houses the fire brigade and displays a commemorative plaque. Jewish Cemetery (Mount Cemetery): Of unknown foundation, this cemetery spans 1.59 hectares and is enclosed by a brick fence. It retains approximately 500 tombstones and numerous fragments. In 1942–43, this site was used for mass executions; in 1947, a lapidary was constructed from smashed tombstones, and the remains of the victims were interred in two common graves. Monument: A monument in the lower section honors the victims of the 1942–43 mass executions, with an additional stone marker commemorating the murders on 17–18 August 1942 during the ghetto liquidation, and plaques within the former synagogue commemorate approximately 2,500 Jews killed during the occupation.
Grybów
Synagogue: Originally constructed near the first market house, the synagogue—of unknown date—has long been neglected; it was once used as a locksmith’s shop and has recently been renovated into a house of culture. Jewish Cemetery: Located 200 meters behind the Catholic cemetery, this 19th-century cemetery covers 0.35 hectares and is enclosed by a fence. Approximately 50 tombstones are preserved. Judaica: The local rectory hosts the Museum Deanery Grybów, where artifacts such as Torah scrolls and other religious objects donated by the Jewish community are exhibited.
Jordanów
Jewish Cemetery: Covering 0.58 hectares, the cemetery features remnants of a brick fence with only two tombstones preserved.
Konina
“Żydownia”: This enigmatic building, located on the outskirts of Frączki and known locally as “Żydownia,” once belonged to the Jewish community. Its original function remains uncertain; after the war, it served as a school and teachers’ dormitory. Today, the building is abandoned and in poor condition.
Krościenko
Jewish Cemetery: Enclosed by a grid fence, this cemetery is devastated with only one gravestone surviving.
Krynica
Jewish Cemetery: Founded in the 19th century, this cemetery covers 0.16 hectares. It is unfenced, unkempt, and cluttered, with approximately 100 tombstones preserved—some have fallen.
Limanowa
Jewish Cemetery: Covering 0.4 hectares, the cemetery is enclosed by a grid fence and preserves about 30 tombstones.
Łabowa
Jewish Cemetery: Enclosed by a fence, this cemetery preserves approximately 400 tombstones.
Mszana Dolna
Jewish Cemetery: Covering 0.23 hectares, this cemetery is unfenced and devastated, with about 20 tombstones preserved. Additionally, a separate fenced site of 0.02 hectares retains a few tombstones; here, several Jews were executed by the Germans. Monument (“Field of the Lord”): This monument commemorates two mass graves of Jews from Mszana Dolna and surrounding areas, where executions took place on 19 August 1942.
Mukacz
Jewish Graves: During the occupation, several executions were carried out in Mukacz. The victims are interred in collective graves.
Muszyna
Jewish Cemetery: Situated on the slope of Malnik in the woods near the yellow trail to Szczawnica, this cemetery covers 0.3 hectares, is unfenced, overgrown, and has about 100 tombstones preserved. Monument: A tombstone plate at a mass grave commemorates 22 Jews executed by the Germans in May 1942.
Nowy Sącz
Synagogue Museum: The former synagogue now functions as a museum. Jewish Cemetery: Spanning 3.19 hectares, the cemetery preserves approximately 200 tombstones. During the German occupation, it was the site of mass executions, with victims interred in mass graves. Recently, an ohel was constructed, likely in memory of the local tzaddik. Monument: Erected to commemorate the mass executions, it marks the site where approximately 25,000 Jews were executed by the Germans between April 1942 and January 1945. Historical Context: The first record of Jews in Nowy Sącz dates to 1409. In 1503, the renowned Jewish ophthalmologist Abraham practiced here; the Great Synagogue was built in 1746. By 1765, 609 Jews resided in the area, and the town later became an important Hasidic center after tzaddik Chaim Halberstam established his court in 1830. Population estimates before the war indicate about 10,000 local Jews, with another 5,000 in the surrounding region.
Nowy Targ
Synagogue: A small storey building that, after the war, was used by locksmiths and now functions as a cinema. Its construction date is unknown; although its former baroque interior was once prominent, it has faded with later reconstructions. Jewish Cemetery: Covering 0.58 hectares and enclosed by a fence, the cemetery is severely devastated with only about 40 tombstones preserved and contains mass graves of Nazi victims. Post-war, local authorities removed many tombstones to pave nearby streets (now a park), so some graves may remain unmarked. Kahal House: Of unknown construction, this building once served as the headquarters of the Jewish community during the Nazi occupation, housing the Judenrat, a furrier workshop, and a private flat. Monument: A commemorative plaque on Monument Street marks that between 1939 and 1942, the Germans executed 2,900 Jews from Nowy Targ and its surroundings on mass graves.
Piwniczna
Jewish Cemetery: Covering 0.04 hectares, this cemetery is unfenced and heavily devastated, with only a few tombstones surviving. Judaica: A modest exhibition of Judaica—including old photographs documenting Jewish life—is housed in the regional museum (open on Sundays from 9:00 to 13:00). Historical records indicate that Jews have resided in Piwniczna since at least the 14th century; they once maintained a small synagogue, though the community was integrated with that of Nowy Sącz.
Podwilk
Jewish Cemetery: Located outside the village, of unknown founding date and unfenced, approximately 50 tombstones are preserved.
Rabka
Monument: Situated on a slope in the woods, this monument was erected on one of the many mass graves where, during 1940–42, the Germans executed Jews under cover of darkness.
Upper Ropica
Monument: Erected on the site where 3 Jews were shot by the Germans in March 1942.
Skrzydlna
Plaque: Affixed to an old Catholic cemetery, this plaque marks the mass grave where Jews were executed and interred alongside other victims.
Stary Sącz
Monument: Located in the Sands area on a boulder along the Poprad River, this plaque marks the site where, in 1942, the Germans executed approximately 400 Jews.
Gatehouse
Plaque: Situated in the Garbacz forest, this plaque marks the mass grave where 700 Jews from Gorlice and Bobowa were shot by the Germans on 14 August 1942.
Szczawnica
Monument: An obelisk erected at the mass grave of 39 Jews—predominantly elderly and infirm—who were executed by the Germans in July 1942.
Śnietnica
Inn of the House of Prayer: A historic wooden inn in the highland Lemko style, built in the early 20th century. Originally serving as both a pub/shop and a house of prayer for local Jews, the building is well-preserved due to recent renovation efforts.
Zakopane
Jewish Cemetery: Of unknown foundation, this cemetery spans 0.08 hectares, is unfenced, and is in a severely dilapidated state. No tombstones remain except for fragments of broken ones.
Baczków
Monument: Located in the wilderness near the Niepołomicka road, approximately 1.5 km from the highway, a memorial plate in Polish and Hebrew commemorates the mass graves of about 500 Jews from the Bochnia ghetto, executed by the Germans on 25 August 1942. Previously, the area was fenced and planted with spruces.
Jewish Genealogical and Family History Research Tour
Service that offers full support in Jewish Genealogy tracing your Jewish Family pre-war history in Poland and Holocaust records. During this sentimental private tour you will visit towns, sthetls, and other Jewish heritage sites related to your garandparernts or other ancestors.
Tours to Jewish Traces, Shtetls and Hasidic Centers and Other Places Connected With Jewish Heritage in Poland
Trips with Jewish Guide to cities, towns, sthetles that remains a Jewish Heritage like synagogues, Jewish cemeteries, memorials. We offer You an escorted tour and private transportation to explore Jewish Traces, Shtetls and Hasidic Centres.
Krakow Kazimierz Jewish Quarter
Visit Jewish Kazimierz, including the Jewish Museum in the Old Shul, Remuh Synagogue with the Old Cementary, historical overview of Jewish life in Cracow and Kazimierz, retrace the key sites of Spielberg’s work – Schindler List, area of former Jewish Ghetto in Podgorze and Pharmacy Under the Eagle: Ghetto Museum, Schindler’s Factory Museum, sites of Plaszow concentration camp.
Commemoration Visits To German Nazi Concentrations Camps, Extermination Centers and sites of Holocaust
Commemoration guided trips to concetration camps Auschwitz, Majdanek, Plaszow. Death camps and extremination centers Birkenau, Belzec, Treblinka, Sobibor, Chelmno at Ner River as well other places connected with annihilation of Polish Jewry during Aktion Reinhardt
Jewish Property Real Estate Research in Poland
We offer the property research tracing the ownership, documents, articles and also locating the real estates on old maps also checking the ownership history.
Virtual Ancestral Tour With Video Journey To Your Jewish History
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and restrictions we have started our new project of live online visit to your and video journey to the town, sthetl and area that your ancestors lived.

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