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 Statue of Moses by littlesam1Leave a Comment
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 Old-New Synagogue by LoriPori
The entrance fee to the Old-New Synagogue was quite steep in my opinion. It was 290 CZK or about $15.00 CDN as compared to most of the churches which charged 50 CZK. Leave a Comment
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 Josefov by vesna04Leave a Comment
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For some reason, people love scary stories. Creepy tales about monsters and witches and creatures lurking in the dark seem to be part of every culture. The Abominable Snowman, the Loch Ness monster, Dracula, Baba Yaga, the Headless Horseman, Frankenstein – these are just a few that come to mind.
The Golem of Prague is one of these creatures. “Golem” means unformed in Hebrew. According to the legend, Rabbi Judah Loew (1520-1609), known by the Hebrew initials of his name as the “Maharal of Prague,” created a Frankenstein-like man that performed tasks for him. The Golem was a lump of clay that came alive when the name of God (the “Shem”) was inscribed on its forehead. Because all creatures are meant to rest on the Sabbath, Rabbi Loew turned the Golem back into clay every Friday afternoon by erasing the sacred letters on its brow.
One Friday he forgot. Towards evening, the Jews of Prague assembled for services at the Altneuschul (“Old-New Synagogue”) in the Jewish Quarter. Just as they finished reciting Psalm 92, a hymn welcoming the Sabbath, the Golem ran amok, threatening everything in its path. Rabbi Loew was summoned. The sun had not yet set, so technically, the
Sabbath had not begun. The rabbi confronted the monster he had made and wiped the letters off its forehead. The Golem crumbled to dust. The rabbi then ordered Psalm 92 to be sung a second time, which has been the custom in this synagogue ever since.
The Maharal never brought the Golem back to life again. He buried the remains in the attic of the synagogue – a strange looking Hansel and Gretel house with a brown pointy roof - where they lie to this day. Leave a Comment Phone: +420-224 819 456Directions: The Altneuschul is on a winding lane in the old Jewish Quarter, next to the Burial Society building and the Old Jewish Cemetery.Website: http://www.jewishmuseum.cz/
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 Old-New Synagogue by iwys
Inside, various motifs and symbols are repeated 12 times, to represent the 12 tribes of Israel.
The English name, Old-New, is a misinterpretation of the Hebrew, Al Tnay.
Male visitors must cover their heads before going inside. Leave a Comment Directions: In Josefov, near the old Jewish Cemetery. Metro: Starometska Tram: 17, 18
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The third stop on the Jewish Museum tour is the third oldest building in the Jewish Quarter. Originally founded by Rabbi Pinkas in the 11 Century, it was reconstructed by the wealthy Horowitz family beginning in 1535. The Horowitz family lost their influence after supporting the fraudulent Moschiach Shlomo Molko, but the synagogue remained active till the Nazi takeover in 1941. After the war, it was dedicated to the memory of the 80000 Jews from Bohemia and Moravia who perished in the Holocaust, first transferred to Terezin and then on to multiple extermination camps.
The walls are inscribed with the names of the victims, their towns, and dates of birth and death in 1 cm. letters, filling essentially all the inner walls of the building. As a memorial to those unknown, the names of the camps are written on both sides of the Holy Ark. The Communists whitewashed the walls with the pretense of repairing leaks in the building, but the very first act of Vaclav Havel as president of Czechoslovakia was to commission the rewriting of the names. It took 2 years and the synagogue was again opened in 1996 on Jewish Holocaust Memorial Day. In 2002, a flood obliterated the names which were again rewritten.
It takes the visitor only a few minutes to see this building, but the memories will last a lifetime. It so completely quantitates the Nazi evil - an unforgettable experience. Leave a Comment
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The Spanish Synagogue, last in the Jewish Museum tour, is unquestionably the most spectacular. The decor is inspired by Spanish and Moorish archictecure and decoration, most notably the Alhambra, as many of Prague's Jews were descendants of Spanish Jews expelled during the Inquisition. In keeping with Islamic tradition, only geometric figures are used - no human or animal forms. The ceilings are covered in bright red, green, and blue with gold margins, images of the Star of David. The walls are purple with gold trim. As this is a Reform synagogue, there is no central prayer stand. Horseshoe mudejar arches surround the torah arc and the organ. The exterior is similarly Moorish with a large central dome, smaller domes along the edges, and horeshoe mudejar arches.
Construction began in 1868 with the freedoms brought about by creation of the Hapsburg Austro-Hungarian Empire. This building is an example of the new freedom and the assimilation of the Jews into their milieu, which would last for 70 years prior to the Nazi takeover. It is on the site of Prague's first synagogue.
The historical displays are on the second floor with minimal signage - the museum here details life from the Mid-19th Century through the Nazi and Communist periods to the new freedoms and renovation of the buildings housing the museum. The synagogue was closed for 20 years and re-opened in 1998 on the 130th Anniversary of its construction.
The included images display the interior and exterior of this beautiful synagogue. Leave a Comment
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 Staronova Synagoga by bugulmaLeave a Comment
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 old new Synagogue
exterior by sandysmith
Why the strange name? Well when it was built there was already an Old Synagougew so this one was called the New Synagouge. Then in the 16th century another "New" Synagouge was built so this one was forced to change its name - hence the Old New Synagouge. Ironically enough in the slum clearance of 1900 both the Old and New Synagouges disappeared but the Old New one survived!
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