Day 10 Thur July19

This morning I am picked up at my hotel for a guided tour of the Jewish Distirct by Yaakov Rympel who I was referred by the ADL in New York. We are planning on seeing the Jewish sector and then return to my Hotel Qubus by Noon. We walked around the "Ghetto of Krakow" which had been the 'new Jewish"town when the Germans invaded.  It was across the river from Kazimierz which was the old Jewish community.  BTY , my new ultra modern hotel was at the outskirts of the "Getta".  After looking at remnants of the wall and visiting the site Schindler's Factory, Jakob told me the story how his grandparents escaped from this Ghetto and spent the war hiding with a family in the countryside. We then walked over the bridge separating the two parts of the city and entered the old Jewish neighborhood.  The first stop was the oldest Jewish Synagogue  in Poland.  There were 2 others on the same square.  After a short walk around the area, we passed a total of 7 synagogues in an area no larger than the entire Galleria.  Apparently Poland in the 19th and very early 20th Century had been a refuge for Askinazic Jews.  The Polish Kings like them.  After WWI the monarchy was abolished and this changed the attitude.  The ones that could, left for Israel.  The others stayed. I spent the afternoon on the "Old Square"...the Rynek Glowny.  Had dinner, a Chopin recital at the Wierzynek established 1364 and caught the 22:05 to Prague.

CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS