The purpose of this program, run in partnership with The Matzevah Foundation, and Friends of Jewish Heritage in Poland, is to inspire and begin the training of the future generation of leaders in Jewish genealogical involvement. We will travel to Poland, and explore basic tools of genealogical research in a country which was once home to more than half of world Jewry, and share and protect the history that gave shape to that genealogy of the past and future.

On this 10-day journey, participants will visit and tour many Jewish heritage sites throughout Poland, including Warsaw, spend an inspirational Shabbat in Krakow, visit Majdanek, and ultimately participate in the clean-up and preservation of a Jewish cemetery in partnership with Polish volunteers. During this part of the program, we will focus on the role of Jewish cemeteries today in preserving the memory and legacy of former Jewish communities. Specifically, we will explore symbols and epitaphs on tombstones, the general state of Jewish cemeteries in Poland after the Holocaust, efforts to preserve them from both a communal, political, and Halachic perspective,  and consider lessons that can be gleaned to inform our own life choices today. 

The trip will be led by highly experienced staff and participants will have an opportunity to learn from rabbis, scholars, dignitaries, and community leaders, who will offer first-hand insights regarding the imperative (and challenges) of cleaning-up cemeteries in accordance with Jewish law. They will address how local Polish communities view Jewish cemeteries in their towns, the need to preserve Jewish memory, and more. 

In advance of the trip. students will meet with JewishGen genealogists to gain strategies for exploring their roots. During the trip, students will have nightly reflection exercises to discuss and internalize everything they learned during that day. Upon returning home, each participant will be expected to record a video, write a blog post, and write an essay describing his or her experience.