Leaving Israel, a country that represents hope and freedom
for Jews everywhere, for Prague and Poland, a region of the world which has
seen numerous atrocities committed upon the Jews, was somewhat of a bittersweet
feeling. We arrived in the Czech Republic’s capital quite late, consumed some
rather sub-par kosher dinner and headed off to our accommodation, the 4 star Duo
Hotel; most were lucky to record 6 hours sleep for the night. All awoke bright
and early the following morn, ready to take in the famous landmarks which
Prague had to offer. Our first stop of the day was the Prague’s Jewish Quarter,
which used to be the home of tens of thousands of Jews prior to the holocaust but
today houses a community of just 1200. We visited the old-new synagogue of
Prague which is famous for being the supposed birthplace and home of the
mythical Golem, a legend which Jared and Toby informed us of at the site. Next
up was the adjacent cemetery which was eerily reminiscent of graveyards
featured in cinema thanks to the close proximity of it gravestones. We were
reliably informed by our permanent guide Mark and Czech specialist guide Tom
that the cemetery actually features as many as 12 layers of graves in some
places… only adding to the uncomfortable occult vibe being felt by much of the
group. It was an amazing site, certainly something you don’t see just anywhere
in the world and for me a symbol of the deep roots of Jewish culture in Europe which
go back thousands of years.
We were just getting started, we next headed to a synagogue
which had been converted into a museum showcasing Jewish ritual and culture in
a simplistic fashion; this was planned by Hitler and the Nazis to be a museum
of the extinct race, showing how the Jews lived once they were wiped out.
Whilst being a chilling reminder of Hitler’s plans to eliminate our entire
race, it was somewhat of an odd museum for most, considering it featured items
which we would just find in our own homes and which represent the majority of
our Jewish identity. Following this we visited a synagogue which had been
turned into a memorial featuring 80,000 names of those who perished in the holocaust.
This place shook me more than any other we saw on this day; the names just didn’t
stop, they filled every wall of the entire synagogue. And what’s more, as I
examined the surnames on the wall I found one which stood out to me particularly,
my own. This shook me greatly, I stared at the ‘Rosengarten’ for a number of
minutes and the gravity of where I was and the journey I was undertaking began to
set in. There were just too many names on these walls, however each was an individual,
with a story, something which can too easily be overlooked when statistics
inform memory.
The Spanish synagogue, built to house Prague’s growing
reform community in the 19th century, was our next stop, and it’s exquisite
architecture and artefacts suitably impressed all. It featured a museum about
the history of the Jews of the Czech Republic, detailing their grapples with anti-Semitism,
experiences during the holocaust, as well as their struggles with assimilation.
The history of this place grabbed me, whilst I believed I already had a fairly
ample knowledge of both Jewish and holocaust history, it showed me that there
is always another perspective, always more to know. We did not stay for long as
our busy schedule dictated we keep on the move in order to see the entirety of
the cultural and historical riches offered by the amazing city of Prague.
This was the extent of our Jewish landmarks for the day,
next we headed up to the castle compound which featured a residence of the
Czech president as well as the most unbelievably aesthetically pleasing church
I have ever laid eyes on. St Vitus Cathedral was simply jaw dropping, the beautiful
stain glassed windows coupled with the hand sculpted gargoyles and ridiculously
high ceilings made the photographers of the group thank their lucky stars… of
course this was the day I forgot my camera at the hotel. Our next stop was
Prague’s love lock bridge, a symbol of love throughout Europe, and just up the
road from it we visited the John Lennon Wall where people graffiti various
messages of freedom. We also engaged in a song or two with a man who busks
there almost every day of the year, it was a beautiful sight to watch the
entirety of Aviv croon along to Wonderwall with the busker. We soon crossed the famous St Charles Bridge,
where we witnessed Klezmer music, various street vendors as well as amazing
monuments dedicated to Jesus and other religious symbols. Quickly arriving at
the town centre in which we were afforded an hour’s free time to do what we
wished.
Following this hour we reconvened and headed to the Jewish
Community Centre at which we engaged in a delicious kosher meal before retiring
back to our hotel for the night. Tomorrow sees the really emotional and
difficult sights begin to appear on our itinerary, we visit Terezin, a
holocaust ghetto and camp, as well as making our way to Krakow where we will
spend the next few nights. Only time will tell how we all respond to such heavy
topics.
Jake
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