Early on in my Prague voyage, I did a small tour through Josefov (also known as the Jewish Quarter). In the 13th century, Jewish people were ordered to vacate their homes and settle in this one area. Jews were banned from living anywhere else in Prague. The monuments here even survived the Nazi occupation. Hitler decided to preserve the Jewish Quarter as a “Museum of an Extinct Race”.
This is the exterior of the Spanish Synagogue.
Maisel Synagogue was erected in 1592. It burned down in the ghetto fire of 1689 and was rebuilt several times.
On display at the Maisel Synagogue is a rare collection of objects. The interior was warm and beautiful.
Pinkas Synagogue has names of the Holocaust victims from Czech lands covering the inner wall. I didn’t take a photo of the names with my camera, because I wanted to be respectful.
The Old Jewish Cemetery is one of the most important Jewish historical monuments in Prague.
It ran from the first half of 15th century until 1786 and is now among the oldest surviving Jewish burial grounds in the world.
There are about 12,000 tombstones in the cemetery, many decorated with animal and plant motifs.
As space was scarce, bodies were buried on top of each other, with graves layered.
Walking through the cemetery alone in the crisp fall weather was an important moment in my life, and I carry the sensation with me. I felt the power of my culture and the wisdom of my ancestors.
