INSIDERS POLAND
Led by Jewish Renewal in Poland leader, Rabbi Haim Beliak and
Prof. of Religious Studies at UC Santa Barbara, Prof. Richard Hecht Warsaw, Krakow, Lubin,
Kielce, Prague
PARTICIPANT COMMENTS: "Our trip was, in part, a pilgrimage
to let our fellow Jews - living and dead - know that
we have not forgotten. Our trip was a deeply profound
reminder for us of God's desire for our survival and
God's power that enables us to continue being who we
are" - Rabbi Arnold S. Task - Prof. Berk Germany Tour
"We
have traveled extensively, but there has never been
anything like this experience. It compares to nothing
else in our lives. It was a trip that stands alone as
the most meaningful of our existence on this planet.
As for Dr. Berk, there is no one like him. He is magnificent." -Paul L. Cohen - Prof. Berk Eastern Europe Tour
"Steve is such a brilliant lecturer. His detailed, emotion-laden stories made the experience a once-in-a-lifetime one. In addition, our tour escort was outstanding, and attended to every detail. I would recommend this trip to anyone. Thanks for your help with everything. Now, where to next?!" -Jerry G.- Prof. Berk Eastern Europe Tour
"Our scholar Natan Meir was terrific- clear, interesting and knowledgeable." -Joe Gilbert- Prof. Meir Eastern Europe Tour
"…Overall, I would grade the entire experience an A+. My wife and I are experienced travelers. We venture overseas at least once a year. This was by far the best trip we have had …Thank you for getting Professor Meir on short notice. I have a background in academics and hold a host of degrees. I studied Soviet and East Bloc geopolitics and worked these issues as a senior intelligence officer, so I am no novice to the history of the region. Professor Meir was just outstanding. His grasp of Jewish history from the Pale Settlement to each of the counties we visited was exceptional. He provided comprehensive and unique perspectives of the evolution of the Jewish culture as it evolved over the centuries. He bundled very complex issues in a short amount of time. He addressed every question tossed at him. My wife and I came away knowing so much more than we did when we started. His lectures were specifically designed for each city we toured. I told my wife that I would take his class if we lived in Portland. I strongly recommend using him again ." -Bill Morales - Prof. Meir Eastern Europe Tour
"…Professor Natan Meir was wonderful - I hope you will have other tours featuring him as the lecturer, we would love to travel with him again (perhaps Ukraine and the Baltics?). Thanks for arranging this trip, it was inspiring and educational ." -Sandy Glatter- Prof. Meir Eastern Europe Tour
It is one thing to learn about Jewish heritage at school or through reading, it is another entirely to explore the significant and historic sites yourself. With our Traveling University Tours, you can explore the sites while gaining the benefits of a tour escorted by several acclaimed Professors of history.
Ayelet Tours is very pleased to offer a variety of Traveling University Tours throughout the year. Like our Israel tours, these travel packages include the sites, sounds and flavors of the destination. But there is simply no substitute for traveling with a professor to bring the often tragic history of these destinations to life.
Dr. Stephen M. Berk leads Traveling University Tours throughout the world. Dr. Berk is an outstanding history professor at Union College in Schenectady, New York, and is well known as a superb lecturer throughout North America. Ayelet Tours and Dr. Berk have partnered together for close to 20 years – operating and leading Jewish Heritage tours to Israel, Germany, Poland, Spain, China and other deeply enriching destinations.
Dr. Natan Meir joined our team two years ago to oustanding reviews. He has led groups to Eastern Europe, the Baltics, Ukraine, and Russia.
The destinations for our Traveling University Tours change from year to year. Each location selected, however, has deep ties to Jewish heritage. From the streets of Barcelona to the wartime history of Warsaw and Krakow, we offer insight into these destinations that you won’t find elsewhere.
To find out more about our Traveling University Tours or any of our Israel tour options, just explore our website. If you’d like direct assistance with our tour information, please email us at ayelet@ayelet.com. We are also available by telephone at 1-800-237-1517.
At Ayelet Tours, it is our mission to make the sites, sounds and significance of our tour destinations stand out for all of our guests. When you choose one of our Traveling University Tours, your tour to Israel, Germany, Poland, China, Spain or other destination will truly come to life in ways beyond word. The quality of your experience is our top concern at Ayelet Tours.
To find out more about any of our tours, just browse the selections offered on our website. We also have live representatives available to answer your questions. Call us at 1-800-237-1517. You can also reach us at ayelet@ayelet.com. At Ayelet Tours, we are here to help bring the wonders of Israel and the Jewish World to life for each of our clients.
Dr.
Stephen M. Berk is a Professor of History at
Union College in Schenectady, New York, Chair
of the Department of History, Director of the
Program in Comparative Communist Studies and
Faculty Advisor to the Jewish Student Organization. He
is author of Year of Crisis, Year of Hope: Russian
Jewry and the Pogroms of 1881-1882 (Greenwood
Press, 1985). At the present time Professor
Berk is writing a book entitled, Our People
Are Your People: American Jewry and the Struggle
for Civil Rights 1854-1965. The book provides
an interesting discussion of an extremely important
chapter in the history of the civil rights movement
and attempts to dispel the myths and misunderstandings
that surround the Black-Jewish relationship.
Professor Berk is also the author of many articles
on Russian History, Russian Jewish History,
anti-Semitism and American Policy in the Middle
East. Professor Berk is frequently consulted
by newspaper reporters and by television and
radio stations including the BBC. He has lectured
in numerous universities in countless cities
and towns in the United States and Israel and
is a primary speaker for the UJA, Israel Bonds
and B'nai B'rith.
Professor
Berk is considered an absolutely superb lecturer
and teacher. Touring with him has been compared
to attending a "traveling university...his
lectures are outstanding." He is always
informative, interesting and entertaining. He
has lectured as scholar-in-residence for us
on many trips to Russia, Spain, the Caribbean,
Eastern Europe, Europe and Israel. It is a privilege
to have him with us!
Natan M. Meir is the Lorry I. Lokey Associate Professor of Judaic Studies and Academic Director of the Schnitzer Family Program in Judaic Studies at Portland State University. His research interest is modern Jewish history, focusing on the social and cultural history of East European Jewry in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. He is the author of Kiev, Jewish Metropolis: A History, 1859-1914 (Indiana University Press, 2010) and co-editor of Anti-Jewish Violence: Rethinking the Pogrom in East European History (Indiana, 2010). Meir is currently working on a study of vulnerable and marginalized groups among East European Jews in the nineteenth century, as well as an anthology of translated nineteenth-century kvitlekh (handwritten petitions) from collections in New York and Jerusalem. He served as a consultant for the Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center of Moscow, which opened in November 2012. Meir received his Ph.D. in Jewish history from Columbia University in 2003.
Jeremy Leigh is the Director of the Hebrew Union College’s Israel Studies Program for rabbis and cantors and also teaches modern Jewish history at the College in Jerusalem. In addition to academic work, he has helped pioneer the field of Jewish educational travel, and has worked extensively in developing and leading numerous programs in Europe as well as in Canada and Mo-rocco. He is the author of many publications, including ‘Jewish Jour-neys’ (Haus, London 2006), a cultural and personal reflection on the idea of the Jewish travel. He is currently writing a book 'Jews Must Go: The Jewish Grand Tour'. He has lectured at numerous programs and academic institutions, primarily in the UK where he is from and Jerusalem where has lived since 1992. He is eminently qualified to bring the Ashkenazi Story to life!
Prof. Fred Lazin graduated from UMASS where he served as president of Hillel. He received his M.A. & Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Chicago. He is Prof (Emeritus) at Ben Gurion University. He has also taught at the Hebrew University, NYU, UCLA, GWU, Cornell, Tufts & CUNY. He has served as a Visiting Scholar at universities in Australia, Sweden, France, China, Czech Republic & Canada. Fred has authored over sixty scholarly articles & chapters in books. He has a long association with China which began in 1999 when he lectured at six Chinese universities. He then developed a close working relationship with the Diane & Guilford Glazer Jewish Studies Program at Nanjing University. More recently he has been a Visiting Scholar at Fudan University in Shanghai. He also lectures annually at the Southwest University of Law & Political Science in Chongqing.
Rabbi Samuel S. Kieffer served for 40 years as a pulpit Rabbi in the communities of Montclair, NJ, Schenectady, NY, Weston, Fl, and Philadelphia, Pa. Rabbi Kieffer received his B.A. in Political Science from Columbia University and his M.A., Rabbinic Ordination, and D.D. from The Jewish Theological Seminary of America. He has a special love of history which serves him well as a Scholar-In-Residence for Jewish Heritage Tours with Ayelet Tours. He is known for his unusual ability to present the drama of historical events in a style that combines humor and emotion. He challenges his audiences to enter the life and times of the events under consideration. Among the hallmarks of his career have been activism on behalf of Soviet Jewry, Jewish Identity, Hospice Care and Israel Advocacy. His other interests include music (guitar and piano and composing over 50 songs in Hebrew and English) and sports (as a fan and participant). Numerous sermons of his have been published in professional Rabbinic journals and he is the author of Life Cycle Of The Jew (United Synagogue Of Conservative Judaism). In August of 2013 he made Aliyah to Israel and currently resides in Jerusalem, where he is a sought-after lecturer.
