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Jewish Quarter is must-see for visitors Posted
July 15, 2004
By JENNIFER BOEHM PRAGUE— Over half a million visitors made the trip last year to Prague's Jewish Quarter. Wondering what you are missing? Only one of the most beautiful and historic museums the city has to offer! Johan Berlinchip, a recent visitor of the Quarter, says, "This is the third time I have been here and every time I come I see something new."
Offering around 40,000 Jewish artifacts in the Jewish Quarter, there is something for everyone. Linda Desrosiers, International Representative for the Jewish Museum, believes that the popularity of the Jewish Quarter lies in its vast history. "The Jewish history is closely connected to the history of Prague and the monuments are located in the heart of the city. Unlike many other European cities, the monuments were not destroyed during World War II and our museum is fortunate enough to be able to present them to visitors in a very undisturbed form," she said. Desrosiers also warns that while a history in the Jewish religion is not necessary, it will give you a greater appreciation for what you are seeing. So, here is a quick lesson:
In this period, civil rights granted to Jews were severely limited and they were forced to build their community on the right bank of the Vltava River. This limited their movements and helped to identify them as a minority group. This was the origin of the Jewish Ghetto. Named after the Emperor Joseph II, whose reforms helped to ease living conditions for the Jewish, the Jewish Quarter contains the remains of this ghetto. Joseph II gave Jews in Prague their civil rights when he issued the Toleration Edict in 1781. This edict rescinded the old law that required Jews to wear distinctive caps or yellow stars on their clothing. The Edict also allowed Jews to attend public schools with Christians for the first time and engage in occupations that had previously been forbidden. In 1852, the ghetto was abolished and Josefov became a district in Prague. In the 1890s the city authorities decided to demolish the Quarter because of the areas lack of sanitation. They left only six synagogues, the Old Jewish Cemetery (located at Siroka 3), the Ceremonial Hall, and the Old Jewish Town Hall (Maislova 18), which are collectively known as the Jewish Museum. These remaining buildings are a living testimony of the history of the Prague Jews, spanning centuries. While Prague has many beautiful historic synagogues, there
is sparse synagogue attendance and many synagogues are only open
on high holidays. Today, only about 1,000 people are associated with
the Jewish community in Prague, however, a revival of Jewish life
is occurring. Many Jews found it easier to be quiet and hide their
identity after the Communist era.
David Horowitz, a local member of the Jewish community, said, "I believe that the older generations of Jews are still plagued by the past --- understandably. It has taken many years, but I think the younger children of today are trying to attach a greater respect and understanding for what has happened and see a brighter future. They have a deep respect for those that went through the "hard times" and persecution and want to give them a taste of hope." One of the most impressive sights in Prague is the Old Jewish Cemetery. This cemetery was used from 1439 to 1787 and is the oldest existing Jewish cemetery in Europe. The Nazis made it a policy to destroy Jewish cemeteries using the tombstones as target practice, but Hitler ordered that this cemetery be left intact, since he was planning to build a Jewish museum in Prague after all the Jews in Europe had been exterminated according to his diabolical plans. Because of lack of space in the cemetery, people had to be buried on top of each other. There are 12 layers and over 12,000 gravestones. It is estimated that close to 100,000 people are buried at the cemetery. The oldest tombstone, which marks the grave of the poet and scholar Avigdor Kara, dates from the year 1439. The most prominent person buried in the Old Jewish Cemetery is the great religious scholar and teacher Rabbi Liwa ben Bezalel, known as Rabbi Low, who is associated with the legend of Golem.
Heather Gibby, a religion student at the University of Arkansas, was astonished by the sight of the cemetery: "It was unbelievable! There were tombstones piled on top of other tombstones. It seemed endless. I've never seen anything so old and beautiful before." The entrance to the Old Jewish Cemetery is through the courtyard in front of the Pinkas Synagogue. The cemetery opens at 9 a.m. and it is best to get there early since this is one of the leading tourist attractions in Prague. Men are required to cover their heads before entering
the cemetery. Any kind of head gear is fine, including baseball caps,
and paper hats are provided for those with bare heads. If you want
to visit the cemetery and not the synagogues, you can buy a single
ticket at any of the booths located at the synagogues or cemetery. The Jewish Museum tours include all or selected
attractions: The Maisel Synagogue (Maiselova 10), Spanish Synagogue
(Vezenska 1), Pinkas Synagogue (Siroka 3), Klaus Synagogue (U stareho
hrbitova 3a), Old-New Synagogue (Cervena 4) and the Ceremonial
Hall.
IF YOU GO . . . OPEN: April to October, 9 a.m.- 6 p.m. Sundays -Fridays; November to March: 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Sundays-Fridays. The museum in CLOSED on Saturdays and Jewish holidays.
Last admission is 30 minutes before closing.
Call 22 48 10 099. The Web address is http://www.jewishmuseum.cz for
more information and admission prices. Other popular attractions include:
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