Overview
On this one-of-a-kind journey, we’ll trace the histories of the Jewish communities of Sweden, still home to about 20,000 Jews today, and Denmark, the only nation in Western Europe that saved most of its Jewish population from the Nazis. We’ll visit the landmarks of Copenhagen, Odense, Malmö, and Stockholm — where Scandinavian Jewish communities date back to the 17th century.
During our five nights in Copenhagen, we’ll enjoy special visits to the Danish Jewish Museum and the Judaica collection at The Royal Library and spend time with influential community members. We’ll spend a night in Odense, the birthplace of author Hans Christian Andersen and the site of the 1819 pogrom. In Sweden, we’ll engage with the Malmö Jewish Community, founded in 1871, and visit Lund University for a special viewing of a collection of testimonies from Holocaust camp survivors. In Stockholm, we’ll take a private walking tour of the original Jewish neighborhood in Old Town and the current center of Jewish culture; plus, we’ll experience a private briefing and presentation of the Holocaust Museum project, set to open in the summer of 2023.
Highlights
- 10 nights of deluxe accommodations in Copenhagen, Odense, Malmö, and Stockholm
- Tours of the Danish Jewish Museum and the Judaica collection at The Royal Library.
- A meeting with a local rabbi and a special viewing of Lund University’s collection of survivor testimonies.
- Visits to the Malmö Jewish Community and Malmöhus castle.
- A walking tour of Stockholm’s Old Town, a visit to Raoul Wallenberg Square, and a guided tour of Stockholm’s Jewish Museum.
- A private presentation on Sweden’s Holocaust Museum project, set to open summer 2023.
- An overnight trip to Odense, the birthplace of author Hans Christian Andersen and the site of the 1819 pogrom.
Itinerary
Thursday, August 17 | Copenhagen
Guests will arrive and check in to the Hotel Skt Petri. This heritage-listed building, designed by legendary Danish architect Vilhelm Lauritzen, is located in the central neighborhood of Latinerkvarteret with “one foot planted in the quirky and fun Latin Quarter and the other in the old historical part of Copenhagen.”
There will be an optional afternoon walking tour of nearby attractions, including the nearby Round Tower, the 17th-century astronomical observatory built by King Christian IV, and the Rosenborg Castle Gardens. We’ll also have an orientation lecture, followed by a reception where guests will have the chance to get to know one another.
Friday, August 18 | Copenhagen (breakfast and dinner included)
In the morning, we’ll visit Carolineskolen, the only Jewish school in Denmark; its mission is to help children succeed in life “as a Jew, religiously, socially, professionally and culturally.” In the afternoon, we’ll tour the Chabad House of Copenhagen, the Orthodox Lubavitch synagogue and center, and meet with Rabbi Yitzi Loewenthal, director of ChabaDanmark. Guests will be able to join the congregation in Shabbat worship. Afterward, our group will enjoy a Shabbat dinner together at Taim Kosher Restaurant, where they fuse Danish and international dishes prepared “in authentic Nordic tradition.”
Saturday, August 19 | Copenhagen (breakfast included)
The day will be free with an optional walking tour. For those who wish to attend services, the Københavns Synagogue, the main synagogue in the city, is only one block from the hotel, and the Chabad of Denmark is a fifteen-minute walk. For those who prefer to sightsee, there are also many historic attractions equally nearby, including the 17th-century Rosenborg Castle, which contains the Crown Jewels, the Royal Regalia, and 400 years of royal treasures.
Sunday, August 20 | Copenhagen (breakfast and lunch included)
In the morning, we’ll walk to Det Jødiske Hus (The Jewish House) to meet with Chief Rabbi of Denmark Jaïr Melchior to hear his thoughts on the current state of Judaism in modern Denmark. After lunch, we’ll walk to the Danish Jewish Museum inside the Danish Royal Library’s old Galley House. The museum’s Judaica collection dates back approximately 400 years and highlights the diversity and culture of the Jewish community in Denmark.
Monday, August 21 | Fredericia (breakfast, lunch, and dinner included)
We leave Copenhagen in the morning and board our deluxe air-conditioned coach to ride to Odense, birthplace of Hans Christain Andersen (author of “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” “The Little Mermaid,” “The Princess and the Pea,” “The Little Match Girl,” and many more). We’ll visit the Hans Christian Andersen Center and learn about the life and work of the Danish master of the literary fairy tale. After lunch, we’ll continue to Fredericia, founded and chartered in 1650 by Frederick III as a fortress to defend Jutland. To attract more citizens, the town was granted special privileges, including freedom of worship, which helped build a Jewish community. (Freedom of religion was not granted to the rest of the Kingdom until the Constitution of 1849.). We’ll visit the Fredericia Museum — covering local history, beginning with the city’s founding in 1650 — and will enjoy a guided walking tour of the city.
Tuesday, August 22 | Malmö (breakfast and lunch included)
We’ll leave Denmark and travel over the Øresund Bridge to the coastal city of Malmö, Sweden’s third largest Jewish city, and check in to the Scandic Triangeln. Located in the heart of the lively city center, the hotel is just a short walk to The Malmö Jewish Community, where we’ll meet with local community members to hear what life is like for Jews living there today. Afterward, we’ll head to the Malmö Jewish Cemetery. In the afternoon, we’ll receive a tour of Malmö Castle, Scandinavia’s oldest Renaissance castle, which is now home to the Malmöhus Museum. We’ll see one of the original Red Cross White Buses the Swedish government used in 1945 to evacuate survivors from Nazi concentration camps. Finally, we’ll finish the day with a visit to the Malmö Synagogue. Built in 1903, the city’s only synagogue has an Art Nouveau and Moorish Revival design and an onion dome reminiscent of Orthodox churches.
Wednesday, August 23 | Malmö (breakfast, lunch, and dinner included)
We’ll spend the day at Lund University and meet with local scholar and Associate Professor of Yiddish Studies Jan Schwarz, Ph.D., for a presentation on Jewish life in Sweden and the state of Yiddish language and culture. We’ll also tour the university library to view a unique collection of testimonies from concentration camp survivors. Lastly, we’ll visit Kulturen Lund, an indoor and open-air museum, to view its permanent exhibition: “Survival: Voices from Ravensbrück.” We’ll view the testimonials and material evidence collected from women who survived the largest female-only concentration camp after they were rescued and brought to Malmö in the spring of 1945.
Thursday, August 24 | Stockholm (breakfast included)
We’ll ride to Stockholm and check in to the five-star Hotel Diplomat, a unique Art Nouveau palace and stunning views of the Stockholm waterfront. We’ll enjoy a guided walking tour of Old Town Stockholm, followed by a visit to Stockholm’s Jewish Museum and its collection of Judaica and works by Scandinavian Jewish artists. We’ll also receive a tour of the newly opened Swedish Holocaust Museum. (The museum opened digitally in June 2022, but its full-scale physical exhibition premieres in June 2023.) On the way back to the hotel, we’ll stop at Raoul Wallenberg Square to honor the heroic Swedish diplomat who saved tens of thousands of Hungarian Jews by giving them diplomatic status.
Friday, August 25 | Stockholm (breakfast and lunch included)
In the morning, we’ll visit Bajit, an important Jewish community center housing a preschool, school, library, and kosher cafe, and we’ll meet and chat with local community members. From there, we’ll visit the Vasa Museum and see the famous Vasa warship, which sank on its maiden voyage in 1628 and was salvaged 333 years later in 1961. After lunch, we’ll proceed to Södermalm, a neighborhood and island in Stockholm’s inner city, to visit Adat Jisrael, Stockholm’s Orthodox synagogue.
Saturday, August 26 | Stockholm (breakfast and dinner included)
The morning will be free with an optional walking tour to the Great Synagogue, where guests can join the Shabbat service. The largest and oldest of the three synagogues in Stockholm, it has been the focal point of Jewish life in Sweden since it was first inaugurated in 1870. We’ll have a final walking tour in the afternoon, followed by a farewell dinner near the hotel.
Sunday, August 27 | Stockholm (breakfast included)
Return home.
Gallery
Traveling with you…
Therkel Straede
Therkel Straede is a professor of contemporary history at the University of Southern Denmark in Odense and one of the world’s leading experts on the October 1943 rescue (and deportation) of the Jews from Denmark. His newest book, about the rescuers of WWII, will be published in 2023 on the 80th anniversary of the German assault on Denmark’s Jews. Professor Straede is currently working with the Museum of Jewish Heritage to create an exhibition on the families and children saved by the Danish government. He also operates a website on the Danish deportees of the Theresienstadt ghetto: danskejoederitheresienstadt.org. Straede received a Congressional Citation of Honor from the United States House of Representatives for his achievements in Holocaust research and education.
Accommodations
Copenhagen: Hotel Skt Petri
One of Copenhagen’s only five-star hotels, Skt Petri’s modernist structure was built as a department store in 1928. Originally designed by legendary Danish architect Vilhelm Lauritzen, the hotel received a stylish overhaul in 2017 by Norwegian studio Anemone Wille Våge. This urban retreat has three dining and bar options with exceptional food. Just a short walk to the city’s primary shopping district and major local attractions, such as the Round Tower, the National Museum of Denmark, Tivoli Gardens, Amalienborg Palace, and more.
Malmö: Hotel Scandic Triangeln
Located in the heart of the city, close to the Malmö Opera House and Mollevang Square, this modern eco-friendly hotel is decorated with warm colors, natural materials, and Scandinavian woods for an authentic Swedish experience. Guests can enjoy the on-site gym and relaxation area.
Stockholm: Hotel Diplomat
This unique Art Nouveau palace on the prestigious Strandvägen boulevard offers breathtaking views of Nybroviken Bay and the perfect location to explore the best of Stockholm — close to the greenery of Djurgården, high-end shopping, and the city’s vibrant restaurant scene. Or, if you prefer to stay in, the hotel restaurant creates classic Swedish dishes with a Mediterranean twist. Guests will also appreciate the art collection, fitness center, drybar, massages, and beauty treatments.
Details
Program Cost: $6,450* includes:
- 10 nights’ accommodations at deluxe hotels
- Full breakfast daily; 5 lunches; 5 dinners
- Group transportation via deluxe air-conditioned coach and first-class rail
- All lectures, guided tours, museums, and site entrance fees
*Per person, based on double occupancy. Single supplement: $1,450. Fees not included: gratuities: $165. Museum of Jewish Heritage membership for nonmembers: $54.
Secure your place
Book Now: use the link below to reach our easy online booking form.
By phone: 845-256-0197 Monday–Friday, 10am–4pm EST.
Payment Reserve your space with a nonrefundable deposit of $1,000 per person. Final balance is due 120 days prior to departure.
Participation Tour sizes are limited to 30 participants unless otherwise noted. Trips entail considerable walking including over uneven terrain. Participants need to be in good health, be able to keep up with the group, be able to experience group and cultural differences with grace, and be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Please let us know if you have any physical conditions that may require special attention while on tour.
Cancellations All cancellations must be received by Jewish Heritage Travel in writing. Cancellations received 120 days or more prior to departure: full refund less nonrefundable deposits, per person; 119–90 days prior to departure: 50% refund per person after nonrefundable deposits. 89–0 days before departure: no refund.
Trip Cancellation Insurance Jewish Heritage Travel strongly urges all participants to purchase travel insurance for coverage of losses necessitated by having to cancel due to illness or accident. For your convenience, we are providing a link to Allianz Global Assistance, which many past participants have used. Please use code ACCAM/Agency ID# F026815 or feel free to use your own insurance agent. When purchasing insurance, please consider the plans carefully to familiarize yourself with what is covered. In this context, do take note that most insurance companies generally will waive exclusion for preexisting conditions only if your application is received by them within 14 days from the date of your program registration. If you have a preexisting medical condition and are interested in taking trip insurance, you should do so either with Allianz or through your own insurance agent within 14 days of registration.
Changes All rights are reserved by Jewish Heritage Travel to make scholar substitutions and/or to modify the itinerary (including hotels) as needed. Every reasonable effort will be made to operate the program as planned; however, should unforeseen world events and conditions require the itinerary to be altered, Jewish Heritage Travel reserves the right to do so for the safety and best interest of the group. Any extra expenses incurred in this situation are the responsibility of the participant.
Disclaimer of Responsibility By registering for this program, each participant specifically waives any and all claims of action against any participating organization and the Jewish Heritage Travel office and their respective staffs for damages, loss, injury, accident, or death incurred by any person in connection with this tour. Any participating organization and the Jewish Heritage Travel office and their respective staffs assume no responsibility or liability in connection with the service of any train, vessel, carriage, aircraft, or other conveyance that may be used wholly or in part in the performance of their duty to the passengers. Neither will any participating organization or the Jewish Heritage Travel office or their staffs be responsible for any injury, death, loss, accident, delay, or irregularity through neglect or default of any company or person engaged in carrying out the purposes for which tickets, vouchers, or coupons are issued. No responsibility is accepted for losses or expenses due to sickness, viruses, weather, strikes, wars, and other causes. In the event it becomes necessary or advisable for any reason whatsoever to alter the itinerary or arrangements, including hotels or scholars, such alterations may be made without penalty. All rights reserved to require any participant to withdraw from the tour at his/her own expense when such an action is determined by the tour staff to be in the best interest of the participant’s health and safety and that of the group in general. Prices subject to change. Cost in effect at time of registration will be honored.
