SUMMER 2026 POLAND STUDY ABROAD
THE HOLOCAUST THROUGH THEATRE AND PERFORMANCE
About the tour
June 25 - July 5, 2026
For theatre studies
For performance studies
For museum studies and public history
For Jewish, Polish, and Holocaust studies
For world and European history
For contact with "living" Jewish, as well as non-Jewish “voices” in Poland, engaging in contemporary culture
Open to students (suggested age 20-26) at the university and for students in theatre as performance and text, museum studies, history, global studies, education, and other humanities—we will utilize tools of performance and public history/museum work; and through centering the Holocaust, seek to understand racism, antisemitism, and supremacism today, as well as the endurance of culture. By being on-site in this way, a unique lens is provided for the understanding and portrayal of the Holocaust and other narratives of atrocity, of othering, and the ongoing reverberations.
We will also partake in the wonderful cultural life—food and restaurants, city landscapes, diverse arts and literature, synagogue and cathedral architecture—of Jews, Poles, Germans, and other nationalities of Central and Eastern Europe, and how these intersections are a powerful tool for memory, resilience, and creativity, and understanding.
Cities on the trip are Warsaw, Lublin, Oświęcim, and Krakow. In the latter, we plan to be there at the time of the fabulous International Jewish Culture Festival, the largest in the world, which attracts up to 40,000 people annually.
Professor David Y. Chack, adjunct faculty in Theatre Studies at The Theatre School, DePaul University. Teaching Jewish Theatre and Performance, Holocaust Theatre, and Identity Theatre. Prof. Chack was mentored by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, his doctoral advisor. Prof. Chack worked with him on his groundbreaking conference “Facing Hate.” Inspired by him, he writes about, produces and directs theatre that promotes intersectional Jewish culture and the arts and exposes antisemitism, racism and xenophobia. His most recent production was “#Charlottesville” by and with Priyanka Shetty at Actors Theatre Louisville; a performance symposium at The Theatre School including “#Charlottesville”, Roger Guenveur Smith as “Otto Frank”, and scholar Prof. Pamela Nadell foremost expert on antisemitism in America; and directed the staged performance “Question 27, Question 28” by Chay Yew at Bellarmine University’s Theatre about the Japanese-American internment camps.
Dr. Carol Ely, Executive Director of the museum, Historic Locust Grove, from which she retired after a 20-year long tenure. She is past adjunct professor in Public History at the University of Louisville and the author of books and a lead creator of exhibitions on Jewish American history in Massachusetts, Virginia and Kentucky, including “Jewish Louisville: A Portrait of a Community”, and “To Seek the Peace of the City” a history of Jewish Life in Charlottesville and Albemarle County, Virginia. She was the founding executive director of the New England Quilt Museum. In 2025, Dr. Ely was awarded the Frank R. Levstik Award for Professional Service by the Kentucky History Society. Her Ph.D. is in American History at Brandeis University.
Georgia Berg received her BFA in Acting from The Theatre School at DePaul University in 2021 and has since built a multifaceted career working in both theatrical and commercial media in Los Angeles. She played a key role in launching the inaugural Poland Study Abroad Trip at The Theatre School—an immersive program exploring theatre of the Holocaust—and has been greatly fulfilled to return as an Engagement Coordinator for its second iteration. Georgia is currently part of the team at a Post-Production Studio in Santa Monica.
PROGRAM*
What you can expect on the tour
Day 1:
June 25, Thursday
WARSAW (I)
- Arrivals
- Airport pickups and transfers to the hotel
- Check in and time to refresh
- Welcome and introduction to Poland and Polish-Jewish history session
- Guided walk through the Old Town and the Royal Route
- Welcome dinner in the Old Town
- Return to the hotel
Overnight in Warsaw (I)
DAY 2:
June 26, Friday
WARSAW (II)
- Breakfast at the hotel
- Framing the day session
- Visit to Nożyk synagogue and Grzybowski Square vicinity
- Study visit at POLIN The Museum of the History of Polish Jews
- Lunch session at POLIN with POLIN Museum Educators
- Guided walk along the Memorial Route of Martyrdom and Struggle of Warsaw Jews (including Mila 18 and Umschlagplatz memorials)
- Visit to the Żabiński Villa in the Warsaw zoo (a site of the “Zookeeper’s Wife”)
- Shabbat dinner at the Warsaw JCC with peers
Overnight in Warsaw (II)
DAY 3:
June 27, Saturday
WARSAW – LUBLIN – WARSAW
- Breakfast at the hotel
- Departure for Lublin (2h long drive), including framing the day session on the bus
- Guided walk through the Old Town of Lublin
- Lunch break on your own in the old town
- Study visit to Brama Grodzka – Teatr NN (theater workshop in Teatr NN)
- Short visit to the former Lublin Chachmei Yeshiva
- Return to Warsaw (2h)
- Evening and dinner on your own
Overnight in Warsaw (III)
DAY 4:
June 28, Sunday
WARSAW – LODZ – WROCLAW
- Breakfast at the hotel
- Check out
- Framing the day’s session on the bus
- Drive to Lodz (1.5h)
- A visit to Lodz (including a walk along famous Piotrkowska street and a visit to the Manufaktura Center)
- Lunch break on your own in Lodz’s Manufaktura
- Visit to the Museum of Cinematography (guided, presentation about the Polish Film School)
- Drive to Wroclaw (2.5h)
- Check in
- Evening and dinner on your own
Overnight in Wroclaw (I)
DAY 5:
June 29, Monday
WROCLAW (I)
- Breakfast at the hotel
- Framing the day session
- Guided walk through Ostrow Tumski and Wroclaw’s Old Town
- Lunch in the old town on your own
- Visit to Jerzy Grotowski Institute
- First workshop with the Grotowski Institute (Jakub Gontarski) / free time (museum recommendations will be provided)
- Dinner on own
Overnight in Wroclaw (II)
DAY 6:
June 30, Tuesday
WROCLAW (II)
- Breakfast at the hotel
- Framing the day session
- Visit to the White Stork Synagogue and the District of the Four Denominations
- Meeting at Teatr Polski, and/or visit to the center of Judaic studies of the University of Wroclaw
- Lunch break on your own
- Second workshop with the Grotowski Institute / free time (museum recommendations will be provided)
- Dinner on own
Overnight in Wroclaw (III)
DAY 7:
July 1, Wednesday
WROCLAW – AUSCHWITZ-BIRKENAU – KRAKOW
- Breakfast at the hotel
- Early check out
- Morning drive to Oswiecim (Auschwitz) (3h), including framing the day session on the bus
- Boxed lunch en route
- Study visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum
- Visit and post-Auschwitz-visit session at the Auschwitz Jewish Center
- Late afternoon drive to Krakow (1.5h)
- Check in
- Free evening and dinner on your own
Overnight in Krakow (I)
DAY 8:
July 2, Thursday
KRAKOW (I)
- Breakfast at the hotel
- Framing the day session
- Morning guided walk from Krakow’s Old Town to the Wawel Royal Castle grounds
- Lunch break on your own in the Old Town
- Meeting/session with the Festivalt / free time (museum recommendations will be provided)
- Free evening and dinner on your own
Overnight in Krakow (II)
DAY 9:
July 3, Friday
KRAKOW (II)
- Breakfast at the hotel
- Framing the day session
- Guided walk through the Jewish district of Krakow, Kazimierz, with visits to some of its seven remaining synagogues and the Rema cemetery with Jakub Janeczko
- Lunch break on your own in the Old Town
- Visit to the Galicia Jewish Museum
- Free afternoon
- The JCC Krakow Shabbat dinner event during the Krakow Jewish Festival
Overnight in Krakow (III)
DAY 10:
July 4, Saturday
KRAKOW (III)
- Breakfast at the hotel
- Framing the day session
- Short walk through Podgórze (location of Krakow Ghetto 1941-43) to Cricoteka
- Workshop at Cricoteka / free time (a visit to the Former Oskar Schindler’s Factory Museum is recommended)
- Lunch on your own in Podgorze
- Closing session at the GJM
- Evening on your own in Krakow to use the opportunities of the Krakow Jewish Festival
- Dinner on own
Overnight in Krakow (IV)
DAY 11:
July 5, Sunday
KRAKOW (departure)
- Breakfast at the hotel
- Check out
- Transfers to the Krakow Balice International Airport
- Departures
Registration
To apply for participation, please submit your short Curriculum Vitae (CV) and a concise resume outlining your motivation for joining the study tour.
Please ensure your document is in PDF format and submitted using the form provided below.
Following the acceptance of your application, you will receive a personalized confirmation email. This email will provide a payment link, offering options to pay via credit card.
Deadline for sending registration applications:
March 6th, 2026
Save your spot
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2- or 3-star accommodation with breakfast in Warsaw, Wroclaw, and Krakow
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Sessions with educators and performers
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Private ground transportation (as indicated in the Itinerary)
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Private guiding services and briefings (as indicated in the Itinerary)
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Online genealogical consultations prior to or after the tour
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Entrance fees, passes, and tickets (as indicated in the Itinerary)
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Meals (when provided - as indicated in the Itinerary)
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Airport transfers
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Tour Coordinator throughout the tour
The fee does not include:
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Airfare
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Taxis
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International health and travel insurance (mandatory)
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Any additional health/travel insurance resulting from COVID-19 or other obligatory medical requirements
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Personal expenses
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Additional ground transportation that is not included in the Itinerary
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Additional activities not included in the Itinerary
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Meals, drinks, laundry, entrance fees, porterage, tours/excursions, and transfers not specified in the Itinerary
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Cancellation, baggage, and medical insurance
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Any new government taxes, levies, fuel, or industry increases that are beyond our control
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Any items of a personal nature or anything not specifically stated as included
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Optional excursions
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Tips
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Pre-and post-tour accommodation or other arrangements
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Genealogy consultation and research
Cancelation Policy:
We understand that plans can change, and we want to make the process as smooth as possible for you.
If you need to cancel your tour, we’re here to help.
The refunded amount depends on how far in advance you let us know:
- If you cancel more than 90 days before the tour begins (by March 29, 2026, 11:59 pm CET), we’ll refund you 90% of the tour price.
- If you cancel more than 60 days before the tour (by May 30, 2026, 11:59 pm CET), you’ll receive a 70% refund.
- Cancel more than 21 days before the tour (by June 6, 2026, 11:59 pm CET) and we’ll return 50% of the tour price.
- Cancel more than 14 days before the tour (by June 13, 2026, 11:59 pm CET) and you’ll receive a 30% refund.
- Cancel more than 7 days before the tour (by June 20, 2026, 11:59 pm CET) and we can refund 10%.
- For cancellations more than 3 days before the tour (by June 24, 2025, 11:59 pm CET), we’ll be able to refund 5%.
If you have any questions or need help with your cancellation, please reach out – we’re always here to support you.