One of the highlights of joining a kosher tour in Europe is learning about the many Jewish personalities who made a mark in the histories of the countries they lived in. One such person is Willie Rosenstein a German Jewish World War I ace and a pre-war aviation pioneer. He was born in Stuttgart on January 28, 1892. Because he had a keen interest in engines and cars, he decided to become a motor engineer. In 1912 he earned his pilot’s license (No. 170) at the famous flying school at Johannisthal. Soon afterwards he became a flight instructor, a test pilot, and a contestant in airplane competitions. His great flying talent made him a known figure in the country. When WWI was declared in 1914, Rosenstein volunteered as a pilot. At first he piloted two-seaters; while he flew the plane, another man would observe the enemy below. Later in the war the observers were armed with machine guns and participated in air combat. Pilots of one-seaters had both jobs of flying and shooting. Rosenstein eventually became the pilot of a one-seater. From February to December 1917, Rosenstein was a member of Jasta 17, which was under the command of Lieutenant Hermann Goering. (Jasta was short for Jagdstaffel, or squadron. It was part of a Jagdgeschwader, or wing.) Rosenstein had his first confirmed aerial victory while in Jasta 17. In late 1917 an incident occurred in which Rosenstein became very upset after Lt. Goering made an anti-Semitic remark in front of several people. Rosenstein requested an apology but when Goering refused, Rosenstein asked for a transfer out of the unit. In Rosenstein’s official assessment, Goering wrote that Rosenstein was a fine pilot but that he was suffering from nervous exhaustion. For a short while Rosenstein was assigned border duty. He eventually was transferred to Jasta 40, led by Lt. Carl Degelow. Rosenstein flourished under his command. He shot down several more enemy aircraft and was even made Deputy Staffelführer (squadron leader). Rosenstein always received excellent assessments from Degelow. He received credit for shooting down seven enemy aircraft (shooting down five or more made you an “ace”), but he most probably deserved credit for two additional victories. His last two victories occurred near the end of the war and as a result, his claims were never officially processed. Among the decorations he received for his wartime service were the Iron Cross (First Class), the Order of the Zaringer Lion, and the Württemburg Service Medal in Gold. His story is one of the many that you will learn about in Jewish heritage tours in Europe. Want to learn more? Go ahead and join!
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For over 20 years, Kosher River Cruises has been running cruises, kosher travel vacations & highly specialized tours all over the world. One of their proud tours is the 10 Stars Jewish Heritage Program in the Czech Republic. The Jews have a very colorful history in the Czech Republic. A century ago, the country had about 400 synagogues. From the beginning of the Nazi occupation in 1938, to the end of WWII, about 70 synagogues – many of them prominent, ornate buildings – were destroyed. Under the post-war communist regime, about another hundred synagogues in the remaining towns were also demolished. Most of the remaining structures were converted for other use (about 40 were turned into churches and an additional 48 converted into residences). Many were used as warehouses or stood empty and neglected throughout the communist period. Today, approximately 200 synagogue stand in the Czech Republic. Only a few are active houses of worship, but dozens have been beautifully restored and serve as museums or other cultural venues. In addition, there are more than 340 Jewish cemeteries. Many date back centuries, and some have been designated as cultural landmarks. Traces of former Jewish quarters still exist in 180 cities, towns and villages across the country. KRC‘s 10 Star Tour explores the rich Jewish history of the Czech Republic with visits to a dozen synagogues and other nearby buildings beautifully restored as part of the 10 Stars Revitalization project. This professionally guided Jewish tour includes day-trips to these important synagogues and their surrounding communities. According to the kosher cruise line, each stop will feature a historical and musical program created specially for that location, with speakers including Tomáš Kraus, Secretary of the Federation of Jewish Communities in the Czech Republic, and guests and leaders from the local community. It concludes with a private, guided tour of the Terezín camp led by a survivor, the annual Terezín Commemoration Ceremony followed by a performance of the music composed and performed in the camp. In Prague, tour guests will get to visit the beautiful Prague Castle complex and have stunning views of the city. We’ll visit St. Vitus Cathedral, a Gothic masterpiece and spiritual symbol of the Czech nation. Construction of the Cathedral began in 1344 and took almost six centuries to complete. From there,they will walk the cobble-stone lanes and passageways of colorful baroque houses of Lesser Town before crossing the 750 year-old gothic Charles Bridge stretching over the Vltava River and into the Old Town Square, with its famous Astronomical Clock from the 1400’s, Guests will tour around the world-famous Prague Jewish Town, known as Josefov. This part of Prague was an independent Jewish enclave from the 13th to 19th centuries. It was one of the largest and most important centers of Ashkenazi Jewish life in medieval Europe. Maharal, Kafka, Freud, Herzl and Einstein once lived, thought, taught, created and walked the streets of this district. Other stops include the Maisel, Pinkas, Klausen, Old-New and the Spanish Synagogues, Old Chevra Kadisha, Kafka’s Birthplace, and the Old Jewish Cemetery – the most remarkable of its kind in Europe. The tour will end with a glatt kosher farewell dinner cruise on the Vltava River with music and stunning views of the illuminated city. To learn more about this specialized tour, feel free to contact Kosher River Cruise. |
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