The Jewish Federation, in partnership with Beth Abraham Synagogue, Beth Jacob Congregation, Chabad, Temple Beth Or, and Temple Israel, will lead a trip with a focus on Jewish sites in Budapest, Prague, and London, Jan. 28-Feb. 5.

The Jewish communities of Budapest and Dayton are connected through the Partnership2Gether program of the Jewish Agency for Israel. P2G facilitates people-to-people relationships through cultural, social, medical, educational, and economic programs.

Also in P2G are Israel’s Western Galilee and 16 other Jewish communities across the central United States.

A member of P2G’s Budapest young adult group will lead an architectural tour of the city. Time in Budapest will include a night cruise on the Danube River.

Touring in Prague and London are in conjunction with the 60th anniversary of the rescue and restoration of 1,564 Czech Torah scrolls.

In Czechoslovakia in 1942, the Nazis warehoused the scrolls at the Central Jewish Museum in Prague.

According to the Memorial Scrolls Trust Museum in London, members of Prague’s Jewish community “devised a way to bring the religious treasures from the deserted provincial communities to the comparative safety of Prague. The Nazis were persuaded to accept this plan and more than 100,000 items were sent to the museum.”

Prague’s Jewish leaders hoped that someday the liquidated artifacts might be returned to their communities.

After the war, the scrolls became the property of the Communist government. In 1964, London’s Westminster Synagogue purchased the scrolls with the help of private donations. Westminster Synagogue established the Memorial Scrolls Trust to conserve, restore, and distribute the Czech scrolls.

Temple Beth Or and Temple Israel are each home to a Czech Torah scroll on permanent loan from the trust.

Beth Abraham and Beth Jacob also house Torah scrolls that came out of Nazi-occupied Europe.

In Prague, trip participants will learn details of how the scrolls ended up there, and about Nazi-looted Czech Judaica. In London, those on the trip will join Jews from around the world at the Memorial Scrolls Trust Museum for its anniversary celebration.

The cost of the trip is $2,450 per person for double occupancy. Single occupancy is available for an additional $300. Additional expenses are airfare to and from Europe and some meals when participants tour on their own.

Jewish Federation CEO Cathy Gardner said the Jewish Federation will accept applications to provide emerging leaders with stipends of $1,500 each, to offset the trip’s expenses.

For more information about the trip and stipend applications, contact Gardner at cgardner@jfgd.net or rabbis with any of the participating organizations.

To read the complete October 2023 Dayton Jewish Observer, click here.