Learning Jewish History on the Ground

The Torah teaches us “Zechor yemos olam binu shenos dor v’dor, remember the days of old, consider the years of ages past.” Touro not only fulfilled this commandment but took it a step further by bringing history to life on the ground. The faculty included Rebbetzin Esther Boylan, Rabbi Shmuel Yudelzon and Dr. Susan Weissman, as well as noted historian Rabbi Dr. Shnayer Leiman, a distinguished professor at Touro’s Graduate School of Jewish Studies, who stated in his introductory speech that, “travel is learning through experience.” By taking students beyond the classroom walls, Touro created an environment designed not just for hearing history, but for seeing it firsthand and inspiring growth for generations to come.

Our first stop was the historic city of Prague. Dr. Israel Singer, vice president of International Affairs at Touro University, lectured on Prague’s legacy as a crossroads of Slavic, German and Jewish cultures. This made Prague a city of tolerance and a home for the Jews for hundreds of years. We visited the historic Jewish quarter where we saw many synagogues, including the Altneu Shul which was the main synagogue of the time and where the Rav of the city davened, including the noted Maharal of Prague. We davened there Friday night, and it was a moving experience. Although there was no air conditioning, the feeling in the air was remarkable; standing and praying in a sanctuary that has been in continuous use for hundreds of years served as a powerful testament to Jewish resilience across the generations.

Theresienstadt: A Propaganda Camp

From Prague, we visited Theresienstadt, a ghetto and transit camp established by the Nazis during the Holocaust. We were informed beforehand that this would not be the same experience as visiting Auschwitz in Poland. When we arrived via bus, we saw an ordinary-looking town and no signs of a concentration camp. Theresienstadt was used as a propaganda camp by the Nazis to show the world how “great” the Jews were being treated. While we were there, we visited a newly discovered shul that was used during the Holocaust. There were many transports from Theresienstadt to Auschwitz and other camps. The experience visiting Theresienstadt was insightful and showed the psychological warfare of the Nazis.

Beyond the major cities, our journey took us through historic Jewish communities in smaller towns such as Nikolsburg, Bratislava and Eisenstadt, where we visited historic synagogues and learned about the great leaders who shaped these kehillos.

In Vienna, we learned about the vibrant history of Austrian Jewry while also visiting iconic landmarks like Schönbrunn Palace. Blending general European history with our own rich Jewish heritage made the experience all the more rewarding.

Insights about the Gedolim

Over the course of our trip, we visited many cemeteries. We saw the graves of the Maharal, Kli Yakar and Noda B’Yehuda in Prague and the Chasam Sofer in Bratislava, and many more gedolim throughout our trip. Standing at the gravestones of these gedolim, we listened to Rabbi Dr. Leiman share insights into their lives and snippets of the Torah they taught. Learning about these gedolim and visiting their resting places makes studying their sefarim so much more meaningful.

We heard insightful lectures from Touro faculty on a wide range of topics, including the legend of the Golem of Prague, medieval burial practices, and the life of Theodor Herzl in Vienna.  Shiurim were incorporated into the daily schedule so that there was no absence of Torah while we otherwise absorbed Jewish history. These shiurim and presentations, taught by Dean Stanley Boylan and Provost Judah Weinberger, among others, transformed our journey into a true educational experience rather than a standard sightseeing tour.

Student Mordechai Cywiak shared, “The trip was a great mix of seeing new places and meeting new people, learning about our history and just having a good time. There were definitely meaningful moments along the way, and overall it was a great experience and a trip I’ll remember for years to come.”

Ultimately, this journey through Central Europe was far more than a summer travel course; it was a living link to our past. By connecting the Torah, we learn with the places where our mesorah was preserved, we returned home not only with a deeper understanding of Jewish history, but with a renewed sense of responsibility to carry that legacy forward into the future.