PRAGUE: JEWISH HISTORY

Exploring the old Jewish ghetto, synagogues, and cemetery was profoundly moving and likely the most impactful tour. Census data from the 1930s indicates there were about 300,000 Jews in Czechoslovakia before WWII; today, it's estimated that currently only 2,300 Jews reside in the country. Around 86,000 Jews were killed by the Nazis, while a significant number escaped and never returned.

The Jubilee Synagogue is also known as the Jerusalem Synagogue. It was built in 1906, designed by Wilhelm Stiassny and named in honor of the silver Jubilee of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria. The synagogue is designed in Moorish Revival form with Art Nouveau decoration, especially in the interior. It was lately renovated and still serves religious purposes. Since Czechoslovakia became independent in 1918, it has been called the Jerusalem Synagogue as the name Jubilee Synagogue referred to the anniversary of the rule of Franz Joseph I in the defeated Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. The facade and form of the synagogue are a hybridized blend of Moorish Revival and Art Nouveau, with horseshoe arches on the facade and on the interior columns supporting the women’s galleries in a three-bay building. The Mudéjar red-and-white coursing of the stone facade is particularly striking. Inside, the Moorish elements are overlaid with brilliantly painted Art Nouveau patterning.

Preserving these Jewish sites underscores their role as a reminder of the once-thriving community and highlights why the State of Israel became essential for the Jewish people to have a homeland where they could be safe from future pogroms.