signed releaseof liability/assumptionofriskagreement isrequiredfortripparticipation. provided topassengers uponenrollmentandis availabletoprospectivetravelers uponrequest. A Museum HoustonandMIRCorporation forlossofproperty,injury,illnessordeathwillbe Responsibility: of whichwillbesentuponreceipt ofyour registration. Insurance: However, sharedaccommodationscannotbeguaranteedanda singlesupplementratewillapply. Single Travelers: Corporation. this tour. Itisrecommendedthatyounotpurchaseinternational flightsuntilinstructedbyMIR cancellation penaltyincurredbythepurchaseofanon-refundable ticketinconnectionwith Note: NeitherHolocaustMuseumHoustonnorMIRCorporationaccepts liabilityforanyairline accommodations berefunded,ifany. participant, andsubjectonlytotherequirementthatrecov erable costofunusedservicesand the bestinterestofhealth,safety,orgeneralwelfare tourgrouporoftheindividual tour atanytimehis/herownexpense,whensuchactionisdetermined bytourstafftobein to acceptanypersonasaparticipantintour,orrequirewithdrawfrom cancel atour). HolocaustMuseumHoustonandMIRCorporationreservetherighttodecline MIR Corporationreservetheright,withoutpenalty,towithdrawtourannounced(i.e., complete thefulltourforanyreasonatall. HolocaustMuseumHoustonandourtouroperator days orfewer beforedeparture,norefund. Refundscannotbemadetopassengerswhodonot days to60beforedeparture,forfeit 50%oflandtourcostperperson;thosereceived30 days beforedeparture,forfeit the$500perpersonnon-refundable deposit;thosereceived31 Houston andthefollowingcancellationchargeswillapply:Cancellationsreceived61ormore Cancellations andRefunds: Payment ofthebalancedueisbycheckorbanktransfer only. 14,of paymentforalllandandaircostsisduebyFebruary 2020,60dayspriortodeparture. (payable toMIRCorporation-Trust)orcreditcardinformationCorporation. The balance Reservations andPayments: areto acceptlocalstandards essentialtotheenjoyment ofamenitiesandservices ofthisprogram. for extendedperiodsoftimeduringwalkingtoursandmuseum visits. Flexibilityandthewillingness without theassistanceofacane)over uneven terrain whilekeeping upwiththegroup, andstand the fullrewards ofthisadventure, travelers must beabletowalkatleasttwo milesaday (withor the extensive walkingandstairclimbingrequired. The tourisnotwheelchairaccessible. To reap What toExpect: confirmation. program. Informationwillbesent onarecommendedbyourtouroperatorupon flightitinerary Krakow. Becauseoftheglobalnature ofourmembersandpatrons, there isnogroup flight for this Air Arrangements: alcoholic beverages withincludedmeals • Personalitemssuchastelephonecalls,laundry,excessbaggagefees, visafees (ifrequired), can assistwithreservations)•TravelinsuranceMealsnotspecifiedasincludedintheitinerary Not Included:Internationalairfare to Vilnius/from Krakow (ourtouroperatorMIRCorporation staff duringincludedmeals•Comprehensivepre-departurepacket wherehotels andairports available; gratuitiestolocalguides, drivers, Tour Managerandrestaurant fees •English-speakingguidesand Tour •Baggagehandlingat Managerthroughout theitinerary private vehicles andtrains•Specialculturaleventsextensivesightseeing,includingentrance to Warsaw • All overland transportationperitineraryby start/end days•InternalairfarefromVilnius passengers arriving/departingonscheduled D=dinner) •Arrival/departuretransfersfor • Mealsperitinerary(B=breakfast,L=lunch, Included:
Single Supplement: $595 Land Program Rate: $4,695 (per personbasedondoubleoccupancy) All accommodation, hotel taxes Allaccommodation,hoteltaxes
©2019 MIRCorporation, allrightsreserved. Photos: Polish National Tourist Board, Kestutis Ambrozaitis, MIR Corporation Trip cancellation/interruption insurance isavailable from MIRCorporation. The details
A detailed statement of limitations and exclusions of liability of Holocaust A detailedstatementoflimitations andexclusionsofliabilityHolocaust Thistripismoderately active duetothesubstantialdistancescovered and
We makeeveryefforttomatchsingletravelerswhorequesta roommate. Program ratesdonotincludeinternationalairfare to Vilnius orfrom All cancellations must be made in writing to Holocaust Museum AllcancellationsmustbemadeinwritingtoHolocaustMuseum
Please mailthecompletedregistrationformwithyour check
MIR Corporation: CST#2082306-40. WST #601-099-932.
Please mail the completed registration form with check (payable to MIR Corporation-Trust) or credit card information to MIR Corporation, 85 S Washington St., Suite 210, Seattle, WA, 98104. The balance of payment for all land and air costs is due by February 14, 2020, 60 days prior to departure. Payment of the balance is due by check or bank transfer only. Space is limited. Reservations will be processed in order of receipt, subject to availability. The enclosed non-refundable deposit of $ ______($500 per person) to hold ______place(s). Holocaust Museum Houston
Enclosed check, payable to MIR Corporation-Trust Visa Mastercard American Express Discover Lester and Sue Smith Campus 5401 Caroline ______Houston, TX 77004 Credit card number Exp date CVC ______Billing Address (if different from mailing address) ______Signature of cardholder ______Full name #1 (as listed in passport) Date of birth ______Full name #2 (as listed in passport) Date of birth ______Mailing address (no PO boxes please) ______City State/Province Zip Council ______Phone (Home) (Work/Cell) Email Please check your preferences: I am traveling alone and prefer a single room wherever available at the single supplement rate ($595). I will share accommodations with ______ I would like to share with a Non-smoker Smoker (shares are not guaranteed) International airfare is not included in the tour price. Information on the recommended flight itinerary will be sent by our tour operator upon confirmation. Please send me a recommended air itinerary and fare estimate between my home city ______to Vilnius/from Krakow in: Business class Economy class
For more info contact Holocaust Museum Houston at (713) 942-8000 or email [email protected] Visiting thecitiesof: Vilnius featuring Study Leader WendyStudy featuring Warren Journey ofJewish Heritage April 18-27,2020
•
Warsaw
•
Krakow
Holocaust Museum Houston 713-942-8000 Program Highlights Day by Day Itinerary [email protected] - www.hmh.org • Take an in-depth tour of Vilnius’ old Jewish Quarter, including the beautifully restored Choral Synagogue, the Holocaust Museum, Take a trip to Treblinka, one of Nazi Germany’s main killing centers during WWII, and the cemetery where the most respected Talmudic scholar of April 18 Arrive Vilnius, Lithuania Vilnius is buried. Arrive in Vilnius and enjoy a welcome dinner at a local restaurant. where over 750,000 people were murdered. In Tykocin, discover the beautifully City Gate Hotel or similar (1D) restored 17th-century synagogue, built in 1642 in the early baroque style. Nearby • Visit the moving memorial at Ponary Forest, where more than is Lopuchowo Forest, the site where Tykocin’s nearly 2,000 Jewish residents were 100,000 Jews were marched to their execution during the murdered in August 1941. Return to Warsaw for an independent evening. Holocaust. April 19-20 Vilnius Lithuania’s Jewish population dates back to the 13th century. By the 18th century, Vilnius Ibis Warszawa Stare Miasto or similar (3B, 2L, 1D) • Take in places relevant to The Book Smugglers including the sites (or “Vilna”) had become a world center of Talmudic learning, and was often referred to of the Strashan Library, the Vilnius Judehrat Offices, and the Vilna as “the Jerusalem of the North.” Early 20th century Vilna was a vibrant home of Yiddish April 24-26 Krakow • Auschwitz Ghetto Theater. scholarship and literature, but this Jewish life was virtually destroyed during WWII. Today Visit the Zabinski Villa at the Warsaw Zoo before catching the day train to Krakow, • Survey the sites and memorials of the Warsaw Ghetto and the the capital of post-Soviet independent Lithuania, Vilnius is a lively, attractive city that Poland’s former royal capital. Until WWII, Krakow was a thriving center of Jewish historic resistance of its 1943 uprising. values the cultural importance of its Jewish heritage. religion, culture, and learning. Relatively undamaged during the war, it is Poland’s best-preserved city with a treasure trove of architectural beauty. Wander its • Gather for an evening Shabbat dinner with the local community at Krakow’s Jewish Community Center. Discover Old Vilnius on foot. Highlights include the Vilnius Cathedral, Pilies Street with its UNESCO-listed town center, admiring the medieval town square and Wawel Castle, 16th to 18th century structures, and the former Town Hall Square. Continue to the old the seat of Polish kings for hundreds of years. • Enjoy lunch and a meeting with a survivor of the Holocaust at a Jewish Quarter, visiting the site of the former Great Synagogue and its famous Strashun specially arranged presentation hosted by an expert staff member Library; the former Judenrat Offices; the Vilna Ghetto Theater; and the magnificent Enjoy a celebratory Shabbat dinner with the local community at Krakow’s Jewish of the Galicja Jewish History Museum. Moorish-style Choral Synagogue, Vilnius’ sole surviving Jewish temple. Community Center. Tour the Kazimierz district, including the Alte Schul, Poland’s • Pay a visit of remembrance at both Auschwitz and Treblinka, two oldest synagogue, and the Jewish Cemetery, where fragments from ruined of the Nazis’ most lethal concentration camps during WWII. Pay your respects at the new Jewish cemetery, where Vilnius’ most respected Talmudic tombstones have been pieced into a Wailing Wall. During a visit to the Galicja Jewish scholar, the Vilna Gaon, is buried. Make a moving visit to Ponary (Paneriai) Forest, where History Museum, attend a presentation by the museum’s staff expert, featuring lunch Nazis murdered over 100,000 people between 1941 and 1944, most of them Vilna Jews. and a meeting with a survivor of the Holocaust. Explore the former Krakow Ghetto, Study Leader Wendy Warren Returning to Vilnius, spend an afternoon at the Holocaust Museum, dedicated to the pausing to view Oscar Schindler’s factory and the remains of the Plaszow Labor culture and history of Vilna’s Jews. Camp. Wendy Warren is the Senior Associate Director of Education at Holocaust Museum Houston. City Gate Hotel or similar (2B, 2L) Wendy organizes education programs, conducts Make a sobering visit to Auschwitz, where the Nazis murdered nearly one million teacher and docent trainings, writes curriculum April 21-23 Warsaw • Treblinka • Tykocin, Poland Jews in one of the most lethal killing centers of WWII. Continue a short distance and works with teens in the Engines of Change After a visit to the renowned Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum, fly to Poland’s capital, to Birkenau. From the viewing platforms above the entrance gates of the camp, one Student Ambassador program. She earned her Warsaw, founded in 1374. Pre-war Warsaw held Europe’s largest Jewish population — can get a sense of the vastness of the turmoil and can view the remains of what the M.Ed. from the University of Houston and nearly 400,000, or a third of the city’s total. Warsaw’s Jewish population was destroyed Nazis destroyed when retreating. Back in Krakow, gather for a traditional klezmer has been an educator for 22 years. Prior to joining the Museum, she taught a variety of during the war, but the world also remembers the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising as an music performance with dinner in Kazimierz. social studies courses and held leadership positions at the campus and act of heroic resistance. Ibis Krakow Centrum Hotel or similar (3B, 3L, 2D) school district level. Additionally, she developed and implemented the first Holocaust and Genocide Studies course in Alief ISD. Wendy has In Old Warsaw, admire the Royal Castle, the Market Square, the neoclassical Grand April 27 Depart Krakow received recognition for her work, including being named the Region IV Theater, and the Heroes of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising Monument. Tour the former The tour concludes with transfers to the airport for international departures. Secondary Teacher of the Year. Warsaw Ghetto, including the Umschlagplatz, or “Gathering Place,” where the Gestapo (B, flight time permitting) had Jews assemble to be sent to Treblinka. By special arrangement, meet with a senior staff member of the award-winning POLIN Museum, commemorating the thousand-year history of Poland’s Jewish community. signed releaseof liability/assumptionofriskagreement isrequiredfortripparticipation. provided topassengers uponenrollmentandis availabletoprospectivetravelers uponrequest. A Museum HoustonandMIRCorporation forlossofproperty,injury,illnessordeathwillbe Responsibility: of whichwillbesentuponreceipt ofyour registration. Insurance: However, sharedaccommodationscannotbeguaranteedanda singlesupplementratewillapply. Single Travelers: Corporation. this tour. Itisrecommendedthatyounotpurchaseinternational flightsuntilinstructedbyMIR cancellation penaltyincurredbythepurchaseofanon-refundable ticketinconnectionwith Note: NeitherHolocaustMuseumHoustonnorMIRCorporationaccepts liabilityforanyairline accommodations berefunded,ifany. participant, andsubjectonlytotherequirementthatrecov erable costofunusedservicesand the bestinterestofhealth,safety,orgeneralwelfare tourgrouporoftheindividual tour atanytimehis/herownexpense,whensuchactionisdetermined bytourstafftobein to acceptanypersonasaparticipantintour,orrequirewithdrawfrom cancel atour). HolocaustMuseumHoustonandMIRCorporationreservetherighttodecline MIR Corporationreservetheright,withoutpenalty,towithdrawtourannounced(i.e., complete thefulltourforanyreasonatall. HolocaustMuseumHoustonandourtouroperator days orfewer beforedeparture,norefund. Refundscannotbemadetopassengerswhodonot days to60beforedeparture,forfeit 50%oflandtourcostperperson;thosereceived30 days beforedeparture,forfeit the$500perpersonnon-refundable deposit;thosereceived31 Houston andthefollowingcancellationchargeswillapply:Cancellationsreceived61ormore Cancellations andRefunds: Payment ofthebalancedueisbycheckorbanktransfer only. 14,of paymentforalllandandaircostsisduebyFebruary 2020,60dayspriortodeparture. (payable toMIRCorporation-Trust)orcreditcardinformationCorporation. The balance Reservations andPayments: areto acceptlocalstandards essentialtotheenjoyment ofamenitiesandservices ofthisprogram. for extendedperiodsoftimeduringwalkingtoursandmuseum visits. Flexibilityandthewillingness without theassistanceofacane)over uneven terrain whilekeeping upwiththegroup, andstand the fullrewards ofthisadventure, travelers must beabletowalkatleasttwo milesaday (withor the extensive walkingandstairclimbingrequired. The tourisnotwheelchairaccessible. To reap What toExpect: confirmation. program. Informationwillbesent onarecommendedbyourtouroperatorupon flightitinerary Krakow. Becauseoftheglobalnature ofourmembersandpatrons, there isnogroup flight for this Air Arrangements: alcoholic beverages withincludedmeals • Personalitemssuchastelephonecalls,laundry,excessbaggagefees, visafees (ifrequired), can assistwithreservations)•TravelinsuranceMealsnotspecifiedasincludedintheitinerary Not Included:Internationalairfare to Vilnius/from Krakow (ourtouroperatorMIRCorporation staff duringincludedmeals•Comprehensivepre-departurepacket wherehotels andairports available; gratuitiestolocalguides, drivers, Tour Managerandrestaurant fees •English-speakingguidesand Tour •Baggagehandlingat Managerthroughout theitinerary private vehicles andtrains•Specialculturaleventsextensivesightseeing,includingentrance to Warsaw • All overland transportationperitineraryby start/end days•InternalairfarefromVilnius passengers arriving/departingonscheduled D=dinner) •Arrival/departuretransfersfor • Mealsperitinerary(B=breakfast,L=lunch, Included:
Single Supplement: $595 Land Program Rate: $4,695 (per personbasedondoubleoccupancy) All accommodation, hotel taxes Allaccommodation,hoteltaxes
©2019 MIRCorporation, allrightsreserved. Photos: Polish National Tourist Board, Kestutis Ambrozaitis, MIR Corporation Trip cancellation/interruption insurance isavailable from MIRCorporation. The details
A detailed statement of limitations and exclusions of liability of Holocaust A detailedstatementoflimitations andexclusionsofliabilityHolocaust Thistripismoderately active duetothesubstantialdistancescovered and
We makeeveryefforttomatchsingletravelerswhorequesta roommate. Program ratesdonotincludeinternationalairfare to Vilnius orfrom All cancellations must be made in writing to Holocaust Museum AllcancellationsmustbemadeinwritingtoHolocaustMuseum
Please mailthecompletedregistrationformwithyour check
MIR Corporation: CST#2082306-40. WST #601-099-932.
Please mail the completed registration form with check (payable to MIR Corporation-Trust) or credit card information to MIR Corporation, 85 S Washington St., Suite 210, Seattle, WA, 98104. The balance of payment for all land and air costs is due by February 14, 2020, 60 days prior to departure. Payment of the balance is due by check or bank transfer only. Space is limited. Reservations will be processed in order of receipt, subject to availability. The enclosed non-refundable deposit of $ ______($500 per person) to hold ______place(s). Holocaust Museum Houston
Enclosed check, payable to MIR Corporation-Trust Visa Mastercard American Express Discover Lester and Sue Smith Campus 5401 Caroline ______Houston, TX 77004 Credit card number Exp date CVC ______Billing Address (if different from mailing address) ______Signature of cardholder ______Full name #1 (as listed in passport) Date of birth ______Full name #2 (as listed in passport) Date of birth ______Mailing address (no PO boxes please) ______City State/Province Zip Council ______Phone (Home) (Work/Cell) Email Please check your preferences: I am traveling alone and prefer a single room wherever available at the single supplement rate ($595). I will share accommodations with ______ I would like to share with a Non-smoker Smoker (shares are not guaranteed) International airfare is not included in the tour price. Information on the recommended flight itinerary will be sent by our tour operator upon confirmation. Please send me a recommended air itinerary and fare estimate between my home city ______to Vilnius/from Krakow in: Business class Economy class
For more info contact Holocaust Museum Houston at (713) 942-8000 or email [email protected] Visiting thecitiesof: Vilnius featuring Study Leader WendyStudy featuring Warren Journey ofJewish Heritage April 18-27,2020
•
Warsaw
•
Krakow
Holocaust Museum Houston 713-942-8000 Program Highlights Day by Day Itinerary [email protected] - www.hmh.org • Take an in-depth tour of Vilnius’ old Jewish Quarter, including the beautifully restored Choral Synagogue, the Holocaust Museum, Take a trip to Treblinka, one of Nazi Germany’s main killing centers during WWII, and the cemetery where the most respected Talmudic scholar of April 18 Arrive Vilnius, Lithuania Vilnius is buried. Arrive in Vilnius and enjoy a welcome dinner at a local restaurant. where over 750,000 people were murdered. In Tykocin, discover the beautifully City Gate Hotel or similar (1D) restored 17th-century synagogue, built in 1642 in the early baroque style. Nearby • Visit the moving memorial at Ponary Forest, where more than is Lopuchowo Forest, the site where Tykocin’s nearly 2,000 Jewish residents were 100,000 Jews were marched to their execution during the murdered in August 1941. Return to Warsaw for an independent evening. Holocaust. April 19-20 Vilnius Lithuania’s Jewish population dates back to the 13th century. By the 18th century, Vilnius Ibis Warszawa Stare Miasto or similar (3B, 2L, 1D) • Take in places relevant to The Book Smugglers including the sites (or “Vilna”) had become a world center of Talmudic learning, and was often referred to of the Strashan Library, the Vilnius Judehrat Offices, and the Vilna as “the Jerusalem of the North.” Early 20th century Vilna was a vibrant home of Yiddish April 24-26 Krakow • Auschwitz Ghetto Theater. scholarship and literature, but this Jewish life was virtually destroyed during WWII. Today Visit the Zabinski Villa at the Warsaw Zoo before catching the day train to Krakow, • Survey the sites and memorials of the Warsaw Ghetto and the the capital of post-Soviet independent Lithuania, Vilnius is a lively, attractive city that Poland’s former royal capital. Until WWII, Krakow was a thriving center of Jewish historic resistance of its 1943 uprising. values the cultural importance of its Jewish heritage. religion, culture, and learning. Relatively undamaged during the war, it is Poland’s best-preserved city with a treasure trove of architectural beauty. Wander its • Gather for an evening Shabbat dinner with the local community at Krakow’s Jewish Community Center. Discover Old Vilnius on foot. Highlights include the Vilnius Cathedral, Pilies Street with its UNESCO-listed town center, admiring the medieval town square and Wawel Castle, 16th to 18th century structures, and the former Town Hall Square. Continue to the old the seat of Polish kings for hundreds of years. • Enjoy lunch and a meeting with a survivor of the Holocaust at a Jewish Quarter, visiting the site of the former Great Synagogue and its famous Strashun specially arranged presentation hosted by an expert staff member Library; the former Judenrat Offices; the Vilna Ghetto Theater; and the magnificent Enjoy a celebratory Shabbat dinner with the local community at Krakow’s Jewish of the Galicja Jewish History Museum. Moorish-style Choral Synagogue, Vilnius’ sole surviving Jewish temple. Community Center. Tour the Kazimierz district, including the Alte Schul, Poland’s • Pay a visit of remembrance at both Auschwitz and Treblinka, two oldest synagogue, and the Jewish Cemetery, where fragments from ruined of the Nazis’ most lethal concentration camps during WWII. Pay your respects at the new Jewish cemetery, where Vilnius’ most respected Talmudic tombstones have been pieced into a Wailing Wall. During a visit to the Galicja Jewish scholar, the Vilna Gaon, is buried. Make a moving visit to Ponary (Paneriai) Forest, where History Museum, attend a presentation by the museum’s staff expert, featuring lunch Nazis murdered over 100,000 people between 1941 and 1944, most of them Vilna Jews. and a meeting with a survivor of the Holocaust. Explore the former Krakow Ghetto, Study Leader Wendy Warren Returning to Vilnius, spend an afternoon at the Holocaust Museum, dedicated to the pausing to view Oscar Schindler’s factory and the remains of the Plaszow Labor culture and history of Vilna’s Jews. Camp. Wendy Warren is the Senior Associate Director of Education at Holocaust Museum Houston. City Gate Hotel or similar (2B, 2L) Wendy organizes education programs, conducts Make a sobering visit to Auschwitz, where the Nazis murdered nearly one million teacher and docent trainings, writes curriculum April 21-23 Warsaw • Treblinka • Tykocin, Poland Jews in one of the most lethal killing centers of WWII. Continue a short distance and works with teens in the Engines of Change After a visit to the renowned Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum, fly to Poland’s capital, to Birkenau. From the viewing platforms above the entrance gates of the camp, one Student Ambassador program. She earned her Warsaw, founded in 1374. Pre-war Warsaw held Europe’s largest Jewish population — can get a sense of the vastness of the turmoil and can view the remains of what the M.Ed. from the University of Houston and nearly 400,000, or a third of the city’s total. Warsaw’s Jewish population was destroyed Nazis destroyed when retreating. Back in Krakow, gather for a traditional klezmer has been an educator for 22 years. Prior to joining the Museum, she taught a variety of during the war, but the world also remembers the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising as an music performance with dinner in Kazimierz. social studies courses and held leadership positions at the campus and act of heroic resistance. Ibis Krakow Centrum Hotel or similar (3B, 3L, 2D) school district level. Additionally, she developed and implemented the first Holocaust and Genocide Studies course in Alief ISD. Wendy has In Old Warsaw, admire the Royal Castle, the Market Square, the neoclassical Grand April 27 Depart Krakow received recognition for her work, including being named the Region IV Theater, and the Heroes of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising Monument. Tour the former The tour concludes with transfers to the airport for international departures. Secondary Teacher of the Year. Warsaw Ghetto, including the Umschlagplatz, or “Gathering Place,” where the Gestapo (B, flight time permitting) had Jews assemble to be sent to Treblinka. By special arrangement, meet with a senior staff member of the award-winning POLIN Museum, commemorating the thousand-year history of Poland’s Jewish community. Holocaust Museum Houston 713-942-8000 Program Highlights Day by Day Itinerary [email protected] - www.hmh.org • Take an in-depth tour of Vilnius’ old Jewish Quarter, including the beautifully restored Choral Synagogue, the Holocaust Museum, Take a trip to Treblinka, one of Nazi Germany’s main killing centers during WWII, and the cemetery where the most respected Talmudic scholar of April 18 Arrive Vilnius, Lithuania Vilnius is buried. Arrive in Vilnius and enjoy a welcome dinner at a local restaurant. where over 750,000 people were murdered. In Tykocin, discover the beautifully City Gate Hotel or similar (1D) restored 17th-century synagogue, built in 1642 in the early baroque style. Nearby • Visit the moving memorial at Ponary Forest, where more than is Lopuchowo Forest, the site where Tykocin’s nearly 2,000 Jewish residents were 100,000 Jews were marched to their execution during the murdered in August 1941. Return to Warsaw for an independent evening. Holocaust. April 19-20 Vilnius Lithuania’s Jewish population dates back to the 13th century. By the 18th century, Vilnius Ibis Warszawa Stare Miasto or similar (3B, 2L, 1D) • Take in places relevant to The Book Smugglers including the sites (or “Vilna”) had become a world center of Talmudic learning, and was often referred to of the Strashan Library, the Vilnius Judehrat Offices, and the Vilna as “the Jerusalem of the North.” Early 20th century Vilna was a vibrant home of Yiddish April 24-26 Krakow • Auschwitz Ghetto Theater. scholarship and literature, but this Jewish life was virtually destroyed during WWII. Today Visit the Zabinski Villa at the Warsaw Zoo before catching the day train to Krakow, • Survey the sites and memorials of the Warsaw Ghetto and the the capital of post-Soviet independent Lithuania, Vilnius is a lively, attractive city that Poland’s former royal capital. Until WWII, Krakow was a thriving center of Jewish historic resistance of its 1943 uprising. values the cultural importance of its Jewish heritage. religion, culture, and learning. Relatively undamaged during the war, it is Poland’s best-preserved city with a treasure trove of architectural beauty. Wander its • Gather for an evening Shabbat dinner with the local community at Krakow’s Jewish Community Center. Discover Old Vilnius on foot. Highlights include the Vilnius Cathedral, Pilies Street with its UNESCO-listed town center, admiring the medieval town square and Wawel Castle, 16th to 18th century structures, and the former Town Hall Square. Continue to the old the seat of Polish kings for hundreds of years. • Enjoy lunch and a meeting with a survivor of the Holocaust at a Jewish Quarter, visiting the site of the former Great Synagogue and its famous Strashun specially arranged presentation hosted by an expert staff member Library; the former Judenrat Offices; the Vilna Ghetto Theater; and the magnificent Enjoy a celebratory Shabbat dinner with the local community at Krakow’s Jewish of the Galicja Jewish History Museum. Moorish-style Choral Synagogue, Vilnius’ sole surviving Jewish temple. Community Center. Tour the Kazimierz district, including the Alte Schul, Poland’s • Pay a visit of remembrance at both Auschwitz and Treblinka, two oldest synagogue, and the Jewish Cemetery, where fragments from ruined of the Nazis’ most lethal concentration camps during WWII. Pay your respects at the new Jewish cemetery, where Vilnius’ most respected Talmudic tombstones have been pieced into a Wailing Wall. During a visit to the Galicja Jewish scholar, the Vilna Gaon, is buried. Make a moving visit to Ponary (Paneriai) Forest, where History Museum, attend a presentation by the museum’s staff expert, featuring lunch Nazis murdered over 100,000 people between 1941 and 1944, most of them Vilna Jews. and a meeting with a survivor of the Holocaust. Explore the former Krakow Ghetto, Study Leader Wendy Warren Returning to Vilnius, spend an afternoon at the Holocaust Museum, dedicated to the pausing to view Oscar Schindler’s factory and the remains of the Plaszow Labor culture and history of Vilna’s Jews. Camp. Wendy Warren is the Senior Associate Director of Education at Holocaust Museum Houston. City Gate Hotel or similar (2B, 2L) Wendy organizes education programs, conducts Make a sobering visit to Auschwitz, where the Nazis murdered nearly one million teacher and docent trainings, writes curriculum April 21-23 Warsaw • Treblinka • Tykocin, Poland Jews in one of the most lethal killing centers of WWII. Continue a short distance and works with teens in the Engines of Change After a visit to the renowned Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum, fly to Poland’s capital, to Birkenau. From the viewing platforms above the entrance gates of the camp, one Student Ambassador program. She earned her Warsaw, founded in 1374. Pre-war Warsaw held Europe’s largest Jewish population — can get a sense of the vastness of the turmoil and can view the remains of what the M.Ed. from the University of Houston and nearly 400,000, or a third of the city’s total. Warsaw’s Jewish population was destroyed Nazis destroyed when retreating. Back in Krakow, gather for a traditional klezmer has been an educator for 22 years. Prior to joining the Museum, she taught a variety of during the war, but the world also remembers the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising as an music performance with dinner in Kazimierz. social studies courses and held leadership positions at the campus and act of heroic resistance. Ibis Krakow Centrum Hotel or similar (3B, 3L, 2D) school district level. Additionally, she developed and implemented the first Holocaust and Genocide Studies course in Alief ISD. Wendy has In Old Warsaw, admire the Royal Castle, the Market Square, the neoclassical Grand April 27 Depart Krakow received recognition for her work, including being named the Region IV Theater, and the Heroes of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising Monument. Tour the former The tour concludes with transfers to the airport for international departures. Secondary Teacher of the Year. Warsaw Ghetto, including the Umschlagplatz, or “Gathering Place,” where the Gestapo (B, flight time permitting) had Jews assemble to be sent to Treblinka. By special arrangement, meet with a senior staff member of the award-winning POLIN Museum, commemorating the thousand-year history of Poland’s Jewish community. signed releaseof liability/assumptionofriskagreement isrequiredfortripparticipation. provided topassengers uponenrollmentandis availabletoprospectivetravelers uponrequest. A Museum HoustonandMIRCorporation forlossofproperty,injury,illnessordeathwillbe Responsibility: of whichwillbesentuponreceipt ofyour registration. Insurance: However, sharedaccommodationscannotbeguaranteedanda singlesupplementratewillapply. Single Travelers: Corporation. this tour. Itisrecommendedthatyounotpurchaseinternational flightsuntilinstructedbyMIR cancellation penaltyincurredbythepurchaseofanon-refundable ticketinconnectionwith Note: NeitherHolocaustMuseumHoustonnorMIRCorporationaccepts liabilityforanyairline accommodations berefunded,ifany. participant, andsubjectonlytotherequirementthatrecov erable costofunusedservicesand the bestinterestofhealth,safety,orgeneralwelfare tourgrouporoftheindividual tour atanytimehis/herownexpense,whensuchactionisdetermined bytourstafftobein to acceptanypersonasaparticipantintour,orrequirewithdrawfrom cancel atour). HolocaustMuseumHoustonandMIRCorporationreservetherighttodecline MIR Corporationreservetheright,withoutpenalty,towithdrawtourannounced(i.e., complete thefulltourforanyreasonatall. HolocaustMuseumHoustonandourtouroperator days orfewer beforedeparture,norefund. Refundscannotbemadetopassengerswhodonot days to60beforedeparture,forfeit 50%oflandtourcostperperson;thosereceived30 days beforedeparture,forfeit the$500perpersonnon-refundable deposit;thosereceived31 Houston andthefollowingcancellationchargeswillapply:Cancellationsreceived61ormore Cancellations andRefunds: Payment ofthebalancedueisbycheckorbanktransfer only. 14,of paymentforalllandandaircostsisduebyFebruary 2020,60dayspriortodeparture. (payable toMIRCorporation-Trust)orcreditcardinformationCorporation. The balance Reservations andPayments: areto acceptlocalstandards essentialtotheenjoyment ofamenitiesandservices ofthisprogram. for extendedperiodsoftimeduringwalkingtoursandmuseum visits. Flexibilityandthewillingness without theassistanceofacane)over uneven terrain whilekeeping upwiththegroup, andstand the fullrewards ofthisadventure, travelers must beabletowalkatleasttwo milesaday (withor the extensive walkingandstairclimbingrequired. The tourisnotwheelchairaccessible. To reap What toExpect: confirmation. program. Informationwillbesent onarecommendedbyourtouroperatorupon flightitinerary Krakow. Becauseoftheglobalnature ofourmembersandpatrons, there isnogroup flight for this Air Arrangements: alcoholic beverages withincludedmeals • Personalitemssuchastelephonecalls,laundry,excessbaggagefees, visafees (ifrequired), can assistwithreservations)•TravelinsuranceMealsnotspecifiedasincludedintheitinerary Not Included:Internationalairfare to Vilnius/from Krakow (ourtouroperatorMIRCorporation staff duringincludedmeals•Comprehensivepre-departurepacket wherehotels andairports available; gratuitiestolocalguides, drivers, Tour Managerandrestaurant fees •English-speakingguidesand Tour •Baggagehandlingat Managerthroughout theitinerary private vehicles andtrains•Specialculturaleventsextensivesightseeing,includingentrance to Warsaw • All overland transportationperitineraryby start/end days•InternalairfarefromVilnius passengers arriving/departingonscheduled D=dinner) •Arrival/departuretransfersfor • Mealsperitinerary(B=breakfast,L=lunch, Included:
Single Supplement: $595 Land Program Rate: $4,695 (per personbasedondoubleoccupancy) All accommodation, hotel taxes Allaccommodation,hoteltaxes
©2019 MIRCorporation, allrightsreserved. Photos: Polish National Tourist Board, Kestutis Ambrozaitis, MIR Corporation Trip cancellation/interruption insurance isavailable from MIRCorporation. The details
A detailed statement of limitations and exclusions of liability of Holocaust A detailedstatementoflimitations andexclusionsofliabilityHolocaust Thistripismoderately active duetothesubstantialdistancescovered and
We makeeveryefforttomatchsingletravelerswhorequesta roommate. Program ratesdonotincludeinternationalairfare to Vilnius orfrom All cancellations must be made in writing to Holocaust Museum AllcancellationsmustbemadeinwritingtoHolocaustMuseum
Please mailthecompletedregistrationformwithyour check
MIR Corporation: CST#2082306-40. WST #601-099-932.
Please mail the completed registration form with check (payable to MIR Corporation-Trust) or credit card information to MIR Corporation, 85 S Washington St., Suite 210, Seattle, WA, 98104. The balance of payment for all land and air costs is due by February 14, 2020, 60 days prior to departure. Payment of the balance is due by check or bank transfer only. Space is limited. Reservations will be processed in order of receipt, subject to availability. The enclosed non-refundable deposit of $ ______($500 per person) to hold ______place(s). Holocaust Museum Houston
Enclosed check, payable to MIR Corporation-Trust Visa Mastercard American Express Discover Lester and Sue Smith Campus 5401 Caroline ______Houston, TX 77004 Credit card number Exp date CVC ______Billing Address (if different from mailing address) ______Signature of cardholder ______Full name #1 (as listed in passport) Date of birth ______Full name #2 (as listed in passport) Date of birth ______Mailing address (no PO boxes please) ______City State/Province Zip Council ______Phone (Home) (Work/Cell) Email Please check your preferences: I am traveling alone and prefer a single room wherever available at the single supplement rate ($595). I will share accommodations with ______ I would like to share with a Non-smoker Smoker (shares are not guaranteed) International airfare is not included in the tour price. Information on the recommended flight itinerary will be sent by our tour operator upon confirmation. Please send me a recommended air itinerary and fare estimate between my home city ______to Vilnius/from Krakow in: Business class Economy class
For more info contact Holocaust Museum Houston at (713) 942-8000 or email [email protected] Visiting thecitiesof: Vilnius featuring Study Leader WendyStudy featuring Warren Journey ofJewish Heritage April 18-27,2020
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Warsaw
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Krakow