Odessa Jewish Heritage History Tour

It is hard to imagine what Odessa would look like without the influence and the contribution of the Jewish community. When the city of Odessa was founded, it attracted many adventurous people who was looking for new opportunities in the new and developing city and the Jews were among them. In the times of the Russian Empire, Odessa was the first city where Jewish people were allowed to settle down. Not surprising, that in the beginning of the XX century Odessa Jewish community was the third largest in the world.

The Jews contributed a lot in the cultural and political life of the city. Such famous people as Sholem Aleichem, Isaak Babel, M. Zhvanetskiy, L. Utesov and others lived in Odessa in different periods of their lives.

During this guided tour, you will discover the old Jewish quarter and the Jewish Street in the central part of Odessa. Our guide will show you the oldest Main Synagogue of Odessa and the grey gothic Brodsky Synagogue.

Moreover, you will uncover the tragic pages of the Jewish history and hear about the pogrom in 1905, see the Holocaust Monument in the city park and visit the largest Jewish cemetery in Ukraine.

To understand better the role that the Jewish community plays in the Odessa life you will visit the Jewish Museum “Migdal Shorashim”, opened in 2002. It has a large collection of the document, pieces of art and household items that describes the tradition of the Jews.

This tour gives you a complete picture of the history and modern life of the Jewish community in Odessa.