1. Travel Back in Time with the Core Exhibit at POLIN Museum

The Core Exhibit at POLIN Museum takes you on a thousand-year journey of Polish Jewish history from the Middle Ages through contemporary times. Telling the stories of the people – bakers, traders, and kings alike – the Museum’s Core Exhibit will have you in awe of the in-depth and incredible knowledge each gallery presents. Middle Ages, Nineteenth Century, Pre-War, the Holocaust, Post-War, and more, the Core Exhibit has a story for everyone.

Link to website >>

2. Learn to Prepare a Traditional Jewish Meal at Menora InfoPoint

With today’s conveniences, pre-cooked meals and easy “on the go” dishes have become the norm. But it wasn’t so long ago that our grandmothers spent hours in the kitchen preparing a home-cooked meal for the entire family to enjoy while sitting around the dining room table. Take a step back into time and learn to cook a traditional meal you’d only find in your grandmother’s kitchen! After preparing and cooking the meal, enjoy feasting with fellow family members and friends, making new memories over the old and traditional dishes you loved as a child.

3. Walk through Warsaw

The history of Warsaw can be seen throughout the city’s monuments and memorials located on almost every block and corner. But there is so much to see that it is easy to overlook famous landmarks! Take a walking tour of Warsaw with a local guide to not only see the city but to learn the city. And the best part? The tour is FREE! Walk, talk, and take in the beautiful city of Warsaw with a local guide! Visit the Menora InfoPoint to learn more about the free walking tours of Warsaw. 

Have Warsaw Jewish roots and would like to follow in the footsteps of past family generations? For those interested in doing a custom tour, the Taube Center can create a tailor-made tour for you! The Taube Center can help you trace your family’s history through a walking tour of Warsaw.

Information on the cost and booking of these custom tours can be found here >>

4. Taste Jewish Cuisine and more

Lots of walking and touring can really work up an appetite. Don’t spend your time trying to google and decide your next meal. Enjoy Jewish cuisine at some of our favorite spots for breakfast, lunch, or dinner! Pair your meal with an Israeli wine or Polish vodka. Eat – and drink! – Like a local!

• Charlotte Café: Start your morning with a delicious cappuccino and a warm bagel at Charlotte Café. Located at the front of the Menora InfoPoint, the café is the perfect spot to grab a quick cup of coffee and bagel on the run or to sit outside and enjoy the wonderful summer weather while sipping on a latte’. The café also serves lunch and dinner, coffee, tea, beer, and wine, and has a wide variety of yummy pastries and desserts. Although there is no English website, no translation is needed for the display of breads and pastries at the café.
  
  Website, address, and menu can be found here >>
   
• Besamim Restaurant: Serving breakfast and lunch, Besamim Restaurant is located inside of the POLIN Museum. Besamim, a Hebrew name meaning “spices”, specializes and serves delicious Jewish cuisine as well traditional Polish and international dishes. Kosher meals are also available for dine-in or take-out! A buffet style restaurant in a beautiful and bright room on ground zero of the POLIN Museum, Besamim Restaurant is perfect for those visiting the museum but also for those wanting a quick but tasty breakfast, lunch, or early dinner. Looking for just a snack? Coffee, tea, Israeli wines, and a variety of desserts and treats are available too!
  
  Website, address, and menu can be found here >>
   
• Bekef Restaurant: Small, inexpensive, and informal, Bekef Restaurant is a kosher restaurant with big portions of tasty Israeli dishes served by friendly and welcoming servers. The owner speaks Polish, Hebrew, and English, and will make your meal even more unique by sharing stories and offering tips and recommendations about Warsaw. Although all of their dishes are worth a taste, Bekef’s hummus and falafel will have you happily stuffed and satisfied! Although their website does not have an English page, don’t let that stop you from eating at Bekef Restaurant.
  
  Website, address, and menu can be found here >>

5. Enjoy Classical Music Concerts

While Warsaw was under German occupation following the invasion of 1939, the musical sounds of Warsaw’s beloved composer, Fryderyk Chopin, was banned from playing in the city. The Nazis even blew the Chopin Monument to pieces, and the head of the Chopin Monument was found after the war. Today, however, on Sunday afternoons and evenings from May to September in the lovely Royal Lazienki Park, open-air piano concerts occur at noon and then again at six o’clock. Enjoy the sounds of Chopin’s music for free while picnicking and lounging in the gardens next to the Chopin monument.

Visit the website for more information >>

Other free classical music concerts can be found simply by strolling through Warsaw Old Town. Cathedrals, such as the breathtaking St. Anne Cathedral, offer free Baroque concerts during the week.

6. Find Your Ancestors

Visit the Resource Center of the POLIN Museum to trace your Polish Jewish roots and discover what we have here to find information regarding your family’s past. Individual staff consultations can be arranged whether you are doing genealogical, historical, or scholarly research. The Museum’s library, staff, and resources can introduce you to the family and the history you never knew before! POLIN Museum is dedicated to preserving Polish Jewish heritage, and that includes the stories of your past.

For more information on genealogical research with the POLIN staff, click here >>