Prague's Jewish quarter
Written: Sep 13 '03 (Updated Sep 13 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: An important center of Jewish history in full revival.
Cons: The "disneyesque" use of the Prague golem as a tourist emblem.
The Bottom Line: If you can overlook the hype, and learn a bit about what you'll see before you go, you'll be rewarded.
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| qwer5r's Full Review: Prague |
A good friend of mine has an interesting hobby: he traces his family roots. He has been able to find direct ancestors back to the 1400s, in England. I don't know anything about my family before the 1880s, even though my cultural heritage goes back some 3300 years. I am Jewish, and this is one of the consequences of the Holocaust. Since most of the records about individual Jews in Europe have been lost or destroyed, going on a family "roots" exploration isn't really possible. This summer, my wife and I went on cultural "roots" journey instead, covering Auschwitz, Krakow, Budapest, Vienna, Brataslava, and Prague.
At the beginning of the 18th century, Prague's Jewish community was the largest in the world, and represented about 25 percent of the city's population. Today, because of the calamity of the 1940s, only a few thousand Jews remain. While the nazis targeted the Jews of the Europe, for the most part, outside of their own borders, they left the Jewish infrastructure intact. The Jewish quarter of Prague (Josefov) is now a major tourist attraction. There are six synagogues that welcome visitors. Only one is still in use as a synagogue -- the others are part of a multi-site public museum of (former) Jewish life in Prague. This museum also includes the world-famous Jewish cemetery of Prague, resting place of rabbis, scholars, doctors, cobblers, and tailors. Altogether some 100,000 remains are crammed into a space of perhaps only 2-3 acres.
In the last decade or so, Europe has seen a revival of interest in all things Jewish -- audiences abound for klezmer concerts -- kosher restaurants are full of diners -- and Jewish-themed museums are packing them in. But, as gratifying as this might be, I have to confess there is also something creepy about it. For the first time in my life, I think I may begin to understand how a native American might feel on seeing the remnants of his or her civilization on display in American museums. While the nazis failed to totally destroy Judaism, they did succeed in wiping out a then-strong variant of Jewish culture: the Yiddish culture in central and eastern Europe. What is left is found in museums being run by the grandchildren of the people whose own culture "encouraged" my grandparents to emigrate (and whose culture later watched the culture of my grandparents be destroyed).
But, like a moth drawn to a flame, I found myself drawn to the artifacts of this now-departed culture.
The Old-New Synagogue is the oldest synagogue in Europe still being used. It was built around 1270, and has been in use ever since (except for the years 1939-1945). It looks like any other small gothic building you can find in Europe, except that it has an ark built into its eastern wall and a bimah in the center of the small main room.
The Pinkas Synagogue, which dates from the 1480s, was closed for renovations in August 2003 when I visited. It houses the main memorial to the 77 thousand victims of the Holocaust who had lived in what was then Czechoslovakia.
The Spanish Synagogue, built in the 1860s, serves as the main museum exhibit hall, and has a worthwhile collection of religious artifacts.
A single ticket will admit you to each of the sites I mentioned above, as well as the Klausen Synagogue (1694), the High Synagogue (16th century), and the Maisel Synagogue (17th century, and rebuilt in the 19th century). The ticket lists the times you are "required" to visit each of the sites covered. This schedule is very tight, and suitable for only a quick visit to each. Fortunately, no seemed to be checking for times, because we ran over at every place. The whole Jewish district borders (to the north of) the main section of the old city of Prague, and is less than a five minute walk from the main square of the old city.
Also recommended: visit the King Solomon restaurant (kosher) for a fine dinner at realistic prices. You'll find it just around the corner from the Maisel Synagogue.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Families
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime
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Epinions.com ID:
qwer5r
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Location: Fairfield County, Connecticut, USA
Reviews written: 2
Trusted by: 0 members
About Me:
Fifty-ish year-old guy from Connecticut with an antique house and 3 grown kids.
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