The idea to focus on Jewish travel-guiding services and genealogy emerged from years of studies of history of Polish Jews and the Holocaust. The sophistication of Polish-Jewish common past in Central Europe and history of the Holocaust is at present in the center of interest of Polish historians and society. The memory of 3,3 million Jewish population before the Second World War, which was to be erased by German Nazi and Russian Communist Regime is only now gradually coming back and is being incorporated into history of Poland. Jewish genealogy travels and interest in Poland as a country are very helpful in researching and reshaping historical memory and contemporary Polish-Jewish relations. For years Polish territory was linked with topic of Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camps only. Having the deepest respect and great knowledge about places connected with the Holocaust, we also try to tell the story of the rich world of Central European Jewry before the War. Although it was largely annihilated by the German Nazis, it partially survived in our historical memory of that time. Shtetls, synagogues, cemeteries, beit ha midrashes are dotting Polish landscape and bear the reminiscence of Rabbinical sages, individual families, rich religious and political life of Polish Jews. All of that is waiting here to be re-discovered, preserved and brought back to public interest and heritage. |
Majority of our tours and projects are supervised and led personally by Tomasz Cebulski. Nevertheless, sometimes guided tours through Cracow, its environs and Auschwitz-Birkenau are led by our highest quality cooperatives. All our guides are certified professionals who have rich international university background and share deep interest in Jewish history of Poland.
Tomasz Cebulski
I was born in Cracow but it was Oswiecim-Auschwitz which became the town of my childhood. Here my adventure started. In cooperation with International Youth Meeting Center I was participating in numerous educational projects in Dachau, Ravensbruck, Sachsenchausen and Berlin. In mid 1990's I was working as a volunteer cleaning the Jewish Cemetery in Warsaw and this was my entry point into richness of Jewish Culture and history. Latter visit and work in one of the Israeli kibutzes Nir Oz only strengthened my interest and exposed to Yad Vashem documents.
I graduated with my first MA from International Relations on Jagiellonian University with thesis "Polish - Israeli Relations after 1989". Then came my second MA on Jagiellonian University on Department of Middle and Far East Studies with thesis "Role of the Holocaust Memory in shaping the Israeli identity". Now I am preparing my PhD on political history of Auschwitz and I am writting articles on jewish genealogy which became one of my passions. I hold state guiding certificate for Auschwitz Birkenau Museum, state guiding certificate for Cracow and Galicia including the Second World War Museum at Schindler's Factory and I am an experienced, licensed tour leader in Poland and Central Europe. Additionally I have a state certificate for tourist transport and driving services. In late 1990's merging all my passions together I started Jewish guiding and genealogical firm POLIN TRAVEL.
Sylwia Cebulska
Cracow is a city where I was lucky to be born and where I have consciously put down my roots. I finished Mieczyslaw Karlowicz Music School which had a great impact on my future life. I hold an MA from International Relations on Jagiellonian University. In 2003 I was awarded a scholarship at Lund University in Sweden, where I accomplished inter alia a course on Cross - Cultural Negotiations on the example of Israeli - Palestinian conflict. In 2004 I also graduated from Pedagogical Institute of Jagiellonian University and acquired teaching qualifications. I participated in educational projects of International Youth Meeting Center in Oswiecim and State Museum Auschwitz - Birkenau e.g. seminar "KL - Auschwitz - History and Symbolic" which all brought me closer to the Holocaust theme.
During my academic years I was involved in Associatiotion des Etas Generaux des Etudiants se l'Europe and Student Department of International Affairs, while organizing international student exchanges, conferences and seminars. I was learning how to manage projects in all of their complicity. As a certified tour leader I assist our guests while their stay in Poland. I also take care of planning and execution of our projects, as well as logistics in POLIN TRAVEL.
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