Scotch Plains shul plans Jewish tour of Poland and Prague 

Congregation Beth Israel in Scotch Plains will take a 10-day group trip to Poland and Prague in the spring of 2026 to explore the region’s deep Jewish history. The tour, open to the community, leaves for Warsaw on April 26, and will return from Prague and the Czech Republic on May 7.

In Poland, participants will learn about the thriving Jewish community that existed before World War II and also explore today’s cities. They will visit Jewish ghettos and Nazi concentration camps and sites of Jewish resistance to honor the memory of the 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust.

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 died in November.

The CBI trip will visit Peter’s hometown, Jablonez, to uncover its Jewish history and retrace his journey. An active CBI member since 1965, Peter volunteered through the Jewish Federation of Great MetroWest’s Holocaust Council to educate younger generations through one-to-one meetings with b’nai mitzvah students and with presentations to elementary, middle, and high school classes.

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The trip will be run by Sababa Travel, owned by CBI member Sharon Rockman. There will be professional English-speaking tour guides. Aviva Tilles, CBI’s executive director, will accompany the group.

The synagogue’s tour will serve kosher and/or vegetarian meals, with Shabbat-observant options offered. For questions, call Ms. Rockman at (908) 347-7785 or email her at sharon@sababatravel.com.