Jewish Heritage Tours St. Petersburg

[jresn02]

Anyone been on a Tour and recommend a guide? Anyone else recommend any of the other Jewish Heritage Tours in the Baltics (Stockholm, Helsinki, Copenhagen, etc).

 

Thanks in Advance!

[barante]

If you google Helsinki synagogue, you may get an idea about the small Jewish community in Finland's capital. The synagogue is in Kamppi, an easy walk from the Metro station. There is a sentry box, manned 24 hours a day . . .

 

I also visited the Jewish cemetery in Hietaniemi (closed on Sabbath). Funeral rituals have been Finnocized: Flowers are part of funerals and also are planted on grave sites. Funerals often are held several days -- even a week, or more -- after death, another Finnish practice, in this case to enable mourners to come from abroad.

 

Only 1,400 Jews in Finland. The community's political leader is Ben Zyskowicz, a conservative member of Parliament whose parents immigrated from Poland after WWII. When he wanted to expand his political base, he ended up marrying a woman from Finland's Muslim minority, another 1,400. Both groups are remnants from the time when Finland was part of tsarist Russia (before 1917).

 

For Stockholm, please google. There is a Jewish museum.

 

For St. Petersburg, not much that I know of but I have never tried to see it all. I am basing my assessment on what I saw during the Soviet times, when there was hardly any Jerwish religious or cultural activity in Leningrad.

 

The potentially most interesting Baltic history site is Vilnius, Lithuania. A terrible place. I spent some time a few years ago trying to find out what was going on. Vilna was a major center of rabbinical studies and Yiddish culture, both erased during WWII.

 

There isn't much left, except that the university offers Yiddish and there is a street actually named "Jew Alley" right in the center. The remaining Jewish community is very aged and paranoid, feeling itself squeezed by Lithuanian nationalists who suspect it of Moscow sympathies (During WWII, Jews escaped to the Soviet Union to avoid certain death in Lithuanian and German hands). And in this city of enlightened religious activity, the only synagogue, when I visited was one rabbined by a Lubavitcher from the U.S.

Edited June 10, 2013 by barante

[barante]

If you look at the itineraries of advertised Jewish heritage tours in St. Petersburg, you are likely to notice the paucity of Jewish sites. That's due to suppression during both tsarist and Communist times.

 

In fact, many Jewish notables are buried in Christian cemeteries because the rulers changed the "nationality" of those deemed as "deserving" from Jewish to Russian. Both under tsars and Communists.

 

Overall, the most interesting tour in St. Petersburg would be one of the main cemeteries where composers, writers and scientists are buried. That would require a knowledgeable guide but would be worthshile.

[Giantfan13]

We are of the Jewish faith and we tried to see as many synagogues as we could when on our cruise.

 

In Copenhagen, the synagogue is so unadorned that if you didn't see a small Star of David there, you wouldn't even know it was a synagogue.

 

In Helsinki, we happened to be there on a Saturday and we went to the synagogue there hopefully, to attend services. As was said, there are guards out front and wouldn't even allow us entry onto the grounds. they were very polite about it, but very firm.

 

In St Petersburg, we toured the Grand Choral Synagogue, which was the only religious house that remained open through out the entire Soviet regime. It is not on most itineraries, but if you ask, it could be included.

 

In our other stops, Tallinn and Warnemunde, we could find no evidence of Jewish religion. If they were there, we couldn't find them.

 

In Copenhagen, the main Synagogue is very plain

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe328_zpscd68473e.jpg

 

In Helsinki, the Synagogue is very nice, but they will not allow anyone onto it's grounds

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe328_zpscd68473e.jpg

 

But you can get a Kosher Pastrami sandwich

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe328_zpscd68473e.jpg

 

In St Petersburg, the Grand Choral Synagogue is magnificent, inside and out

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe328_zpscd68473e.jpg

 

The Sanctuary

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe328_zpscd68473e.jpg

 

The beamer

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe981.jpg

 

Hope this helps some

 

Cheers

 

Len

[barante]

http://www.ejc.ee/templates/articlecco_cdo/aid/304664/jewish/Welcome-to-our-Synagogue.htm

 

If you google you may find references to places where Jews were killed in the Baltics. I have seen several such killing fields in Estonia, with historic markers. I don't know whether such markers exist in Lithuania, where much of the killing was done by locals before Hitler's troops came.

[barante]

http://www.jews.lv/en/content/riga-synagogue-peitavas-street-peitav-shul

[NorbertsNiece]

Useful info here.

 

Am also interested in guided tours of Jewish interest in the Baltic states, especially Riga. Any advice will be welcome.

[magandab]

I came here looking for other information entirely, but this thread has been fascinating. Quite a few years ago my mother and I were in Helsinki on a Saturday and stumbled upon the synagogue. As stated, there were armed guards around the building but we merely told them we were Jewish and they let us enter and attend the service.

 

I had a cousin (by marriage and we're not sure of the exact connection between her husband and my father) who grew up in Vilna. She and her family were exiled to Siberia by the Russians, for the crime of being capitalists. They sat out the war there (enduring what they felt at the time were unbearable hardships) while most of the remainder of their extended family was wiped out when the ****s came through behind the Soviets.

[riansgrammy]

We are of the Jewish faith and we tried to see as many synagogues as we could when on our cruise.

 

In Copenhagen, the synagogue is so unadorned that if you didn't see a small Star of David there, you wouldn't even know it was a synagogue.

 

In Helsinki, we happened to be there on a Saturday and we went to the synagogue there hopefully, to attend services. As was said, there are guards out front and wouldn't even allow us entry onto the grounds. they were very polite about it, but very firm.

 

In St Petersburg, we toured the Grand Choral Synagogue, which was the only religious house that remained open through out the entire Soviet regime. It is not on most itineraries, but if you ask, it could be included.

 

In our other stops, Tallinn and Warnemunde, we could find no evidence of Jewish religion. If they were there, we couldn't find them.

 

In Copenhagen, the main Synagogue is very plain

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe328_zpscd68473e.jpg

 

In Helsinki, the Synagogue is very nice, but they will not allow anyone onto it's grounds

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe328_zpscd68473e.jpg

 

But you can get a Kosher Pastrami sandwich

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe328_zpscd68473e.jpg

 

In St Petersburg, the Grand Choral Synagogue is magnificent, inside and out

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe328_zpscd68473e.jpg

 

The Sanctuary

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe328_zpscd68473e.jpg

 

The beamer

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe981.jpg

 

Hope this helps some

 

Cheers

 

Len

 

TJ Tours offers a Jewish Heritage Tour in Berlin. I'll be booking that one as that particular itinerary is important to me.

Vicki

[NorbertsNiece]

TJ Tours offers a Jewish Heritage Tour in Berlin. I'll be booking that one as that particular itinerary is important to me.

Vicki

 

Thanks for mentioning TJ. Their tour is really interesting. I've had a look at Alla Tours. RCCL offer a Jewish Heritage Tour and they don't require a minimum number to make it financially viable..... trying to drum up some interest on the roll call.

[riansgrammy]

TJ Tours also offers Jewish Heritage tours in Helsinki and Tallinn.

st-petersburg-tours.ru

Look under the Baltic tours heading.

[NorbertsNiece]

TJ Tours also offers Jewish Heritage tours in Helsinki and Tallinn.

st-petersburg-tours.ru

Look under the Baltic tours heading.

 

Thanks. Appreciate the heads up.

[Giantfan13]

I know SPB Tours also does a Jewish heritage tour in St Petersburg, as well as Berlin

 

http://www.spb-tours.com/st-petersburg/en/Jewish-Heritage-Tour

 

http://www.spb-tours.com/germany/en/berlin-jewish-heritage-tour

 

Hope this helps

 

Cheers

 

Len

[ZZROX]

Just booked the Jewish Heritage Tour in Berlin with SPB. Thanks for the info.

[hvsteve1]

Believe it or not, there's a Choral Synagogue in Moscow, right behind the Kremlin.

[hubofhockey]

For the time being, I'm avoiding anything in Denmark relating to my Jewish heritage. It's a shame that in 2014 this stuff is alive and well, but there are plenty of opportunities to embrace the culture in other Scandinavian / Baltic / Russian cities. We won't be doing a Jewish themed tour, but will stop at the Grand Choral Synagogue in St Petersburg.

 

http://dispatch.dis.dk/story/antisemitism-copenhagen

 

http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-news-and-politics/128077/hiding-judaism-in-copenhagen

[dogs4fun]

Alla Tours also provides Jewish Heritage tours in both Saint Petersburg and Berlin. :)

http://alla-tour.com/tours/

Edited February 15, 2014 by dogs4fun

[Nitemare]

For the time being, I'm avoiding anything in Denmark relating to my Jewish heritage. It's a shame that in 2014 this stuff is alive and well, but there are plenty of opportunities to embrace the culture in other Scandinavian / Baltic / Russian cities. We won't be doing a Jewish themed tour, but will stop at the Grand Choral Synagogue in St Petersburg.

 

http://dispatch.dis.dk/story/antisemitism-copenhagen

 

http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-news-and-politics/128077/hiding-judaism-in-copenhagen

 

One article is 9 months old, the other 11. Not saying these things don't still happen because I don't know, but what better way to give thugs the virtual finger than by going to the Jewish sites you want to see? Like the article said, don't speak Hebrew and wear a hat over your Kippuh (if you wear one), but you'll be fine.

[hubofhockey]

One article is 9 months old, the other 11. Not saying these things don't still happen because I don't know, but what better way to give thugs the virtual finger than by going to the Jewish sites you want to see? Like the article said, don't speak Hebrew and wear a hat over your Kippuh (if you wear one), but you'll be fine.

 

You can find many more recent articles about this. It is really a shame because Denmark was very much a safe haven for Jews in the worst of times. Obviously, this problem is not one relating to Danes, but the Arab immigrants who dominate parts of their society. I don't wear a kippah outside of a synagogue, but won't come close to identifying myself as jewish there. Many Danish Jews are leaving for Israel. Good for them.

[Got2Cruise]

You can find many more recent articles about this. It is really a shame because Denmark was very much a safe haven for Jews in the worst of times. Obviously, this problem is not one relating to Danes, but the Arab immigrants who dominate parts of their society. I don't wear a kippah outside of a synagogue, but won't come close to identifying myself as jewish there. Many Danish Jews are leaving for Israel. Good for them.

 

I have to say that I was very surprised at how many Arabs were in Copenhagen when we visited two years ago. Had a verrrry interesting conversation with the Danish cab driver to the airport.

 

That said, hate crimes against Jews are everywhere. Look at NY for one.

[hubofhockey]

I have to say that I was very surprised at how many Arabs were in Copenhagen when we visited two years ago. Had a verrrry interesting conversation with the Danish cab driver to the airport.

 

That said, hate crimes against Jews are everywhere. Look at NY for one.

 

I wouldn't confuse NY with Copenhagen. What is going on in Copenhagen is more than isolated hate crimes. It also sounds like the Norrerbro section is also the real dangerous section. It's just that with all of the other opportunities in northern Europe to embrace Jewish heritage, Copenhagen might be worth skipping in favor St Petersburg, Berlin, or even Tallinn.