Private 3-hour Tallinn Jewish Tour
Description
Join us as we walk through Tallinn's Old Town and draw parallels between Estonian and Jewish history, discuss Jewish heritage in Tallinn (as well as in Estonia and the region in general) from the medieval period up until the modern day. We will point out the buildings where prominent Jews lived, already during the middle ages, and what life was like for different peoples in Tallinn. Estonia's University of Tartu was the first university in Czarist Russia to allow Jewish students attendance; in 1927 during its first independence period, Estonia was the first country in Europe to grant its Jewish citizens full cultural autonomy; Estonia was one of the few East European nations in the 1920s and 1930s where anti-Semitic newspapers and magazines did not find any success. Jews often made a name for themselves on Tallinn, whether as bakers, craftsmen, teachers, lecturers, politicians, actors or politicians, they have left a large mark on Estonian history. Why not come and discover more?
Tour Options
Itinerary
Tallinn's Synagogue is one of the newest in all of Europe, having been completed in 2007. Here you can see what Estonia's synagogues looked like before WW2 and how the modern one compares.
Tallinn has been home to a small Jewish community since at least the 14th century. Due to a small Jewish population, the experience that many Jews had in Estonia was often rather different compared to those who lived in areas with larger Jewish communities. Despite this, Jews often made a name for themselves on Tallinn, whether as bakers, craftsmen, teachers, lecturers, politicians, actors or politicians, they have left a large mark on Estonian history, comparative to their size. But with this city having changed hands numerous time from Danish to German, Swedish to Russian, communist to nazi occupiers, the Jews have had to weather both the good times and the bad. Why not come and discover more?
The Song Festival has for over a century been the unifying event of all the various peoples of Estonia
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Your tour guide will be waiting for you with a sign reading "White Oak Tours"
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(1)
This was an excellent tour. There is not much Jewish culture in Estonia, so our tour guide, Erik, first showed us around old town then took us to a previously Jewish cemetery and ended the tour at the synagogue (there is only the one in Tallinn). We took a minibus to each destination with Erik filling us in on the history of Jewish life in Estonia between stops. My friends and I did this tour as an extension of a trip to Finland. White Oak was very helpful beforehand in suggesting which ferry to take, and we were picked up from the terminal by our guide. At the end of the tour, we were dropped off in old town where we walked around on our own before returning to the ferry. Erik was an excellent tour guide, and my friends and I agreed that this was one of the most worthwhile tours of our trip.
Dear Susan, Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback. We were more than happy to supply any suggestions beforehand. And we are delighted to hear you enjoyed the tour and your time with Erik :) Best wishes!
