Congregation Beth Israel to Offer Jewish Tour of Poland and Prague

Congregation Beth Israel (CBI) in Scotch Plains will run a 10-day group trip to Poland and Prague in the spring of 2026 to explore the deep Jewish history that has existed in those regions for centuries. The tour is open to the community. A Zoom information session about the trip will take place on Monday, May 12, at 7:30 PM. To register for the information session, go to https://www.cbinj.org/event/poland26zoom#.

The tour group will depart to Warsaw, Poland on April 26, 2026 and return from Prague, Czech Republic on May 7, 2026.

In Poland, participants will learn about the thriving Jewish community that existed before World War II and also explore today’s bustling cities. In addition, they will pay tribute to the memory of the 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust by visiting Jewish ghettos and Nazi concentration camps, as well as sites of Jewish resistance.

“We expect our trip to be a very meaningful and poignant journey,” said Aviva Tilles, Executive Director of Congregation Beth Israel. “It will focus on the full experience of Jewish life in Eastern Europe, from hundreds of years before the Holocaust through modern times.”

The group will also encounter the rich Jewish history of the Czech Republic, along with popular tourist attractions in Prague. In the Czech Republic, participants will have the unique experience of exploring the personal life of Peter Fleischmann, a beloved long-time CBI congregant and Holocaust survivor, who passed away in November 2024.

Peter Fleischmann was born in 1927 in Jablonez, located in the area of Czechoslovakia then known as the Sudetenland. This region was the first step in Hitler's expansion plans that eventually led to World War II. From 1938 to 1941, Peter and his family survived the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia and its restrictive Nuremberg laws, until they were given assistance by strangers to escape from Prague and eventually make their way to New York. The CBI trip will visit Peter’s hometown of Jablonez to uncover its Jewish history and retrace Peter’s personal journey.

Peter Fleischmann was an active member of CBI since 1965. Peter also volunteered through the Jewish Federation of Great MetroWest’s Holocaust Council to educate younger generations, either through one-to-one meetings with Bar and Bat Mitzvah students or through presentations to elementary, middle school and high school classes.

“Multiple generations at CBI and in the greater Jewish community were fortunate to learn about the Holocaust from Peter and it was a real loss when this kind and giving man passed away,” said Aviva Tilles. “We couldn’t think of a better way to honor Peter’s memory than to visit Prague and Jablonez, where Peter’s story began.”

The trip will be run by Sababa Travel, owned by CBI member Sharon Rockman. There will be professional English-speaking tour guides. CBI Executive Director Aviva Tilles will also accompany the group. Aviva has experience leading tours to Poland for Jewish youth groups.

“Whenever I took teens to Poland to explore their Jewish history there, the parents would say that they wanted to go on a similar trip,” said Aviva Tilles. “This is now a great opportunity for parents to have that experience too, but on an adult level, of course.”

The synagogue’s tour will serve Kosher and/or vegetarian meals, with Shabbat-observant options offered on Saturday.

To learn more about the tour’s itinerary and accommodations, go to: https://traveljoy.com/client/2frqDSVHyjbmMEddvNVVZRbD/view_proposal/oquCMw4yiRMAomBJfra6fxpD. For questions, contact Sharon Rockman at Sababa Travel at (908) 347-7785 or sharon@sababatravel.com.

Congregation Beth Israel is an egalitarian Conservative synagogue, serving Scotch Plains, Fanwood, Westfield and surrounding towns. For additional information, contact the synagogue office at (908) 889-1830.