Prague Jewish Quarter

One of the parts of Prague I was particularly looking forward to exploring was the Jewish Quarter, or Josefov as it is known locally. At the beginning of the 20th century, much of the old medieval quarter was demolished as Prague underwent a huge programme of urban redevelopment. Houses and synagogues disappeared, along with many of the tangible traces of 800 years of Jewish life. The destruction prompted members of Prague's Jewish community to establish the Jewish Museum in Prague in 1906. This year, the museum celebrates its 120th anniversary.
Today, the Jewish Museum is not a single building, but a collection of historic synagogues, the Old Jewish Cemetery and exhibitions spread throughout Josefov. Together, they tell the story of centuries of Jewish life in Prague. And, of course, no visit to the Jewish Quarter would be complete without the famous legend of the Golem of Prague, an artificial clay giant said to have been created by the 16th-century rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel, the Maharal of Prague, to protect the Jewish community from attacks. The Golem has become a symbol of faith, protection and the limits of human power.

We purchased tickets online which included a guided tour of Josefov and entry tickets to all the synagogues. Our tour of the Old Mikveh required a separate ticket.

The gorgeous Spanish Synagogue is one of the highlights of Prague's Jewish Quarter, with its spectacular Moorish Revival interior, richly decorated with intricate patterns, gilding and beautiful stained glass. We loved it so much that we returned that evening for a beautiful concert, "Hallelujah", which included songs from Fiddler on the Roof and even Bohemian Rhapsody. It was a very special way to experience this stunning building.

Just outside the synagogue is a rather unusual statue of Franz Kafka, below, depicting the writer sitting on the shoulders of a headless, handless figure. It is said to represent Kafka's departure from the Jewish Quarter and his sense of being caught between different worlds.

The Maisel Synagogue was built in the late 16th century by Mordechai Maisel, the mayor of Prague's Jewish Town and one of the wealthiest members of the Jewish community in 16th-century Prague. Originally built in Renaissance style, the synagogue was later rebuilt after a fire and today houses an exhibition about the history of Jews in Bohemia and Moravia.

The Pinkas Synagogue is the second oldest preserved synagogue in Prague and now serves as a profoundly moving memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. The walls are covered with the names of almost 80,000 Jewish victims from Bohemia and Moravia, making the scale of the Holocaust painfully real. I found it particularly moving.

Immediately next to the Pinkas Synagogue is the Old Jewish Cemetery, one of the most evocative historic burial sites in Prague. Established in the 15th century, it was in use for around 350 years and contains thousands of graves, including those of many prominent rabbis and scholars. It is surprisingly small and incredibly crowded, with more than 12,000 gravestones packed into a tiny space. Because there was so little land available and existing graves could not be disturbed, new layers of earth were added and burials took place above the earlier ones, creating the extraordinary jumble of stones we see today. The cemetery also suffered repeated flooding from the nearby Vltava, and part of it was later lost during the redevelopment of Josefov.
One of the most famous graves is that of Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel, the legendary creator of the Golem. The timing of our visit was particularly intriguing, as it happened to be his yahrzeit, the anniversary of his death, and prayers were being said over his grave. It was a fascinating and completely unexpected moment.

We also booked a separate private tour of the Old Mikveh, a historic ritual bath dating from the early 16th century, located in the basement of the building next to the Pinkas Synagogue. It was discovered during archaeological excavations in 1968 and is one of the oldest surviving physical traces of Jewish life in this part of Prague. The small, remarkably well-preserved bath is fed by spring water, and we were able to go down the original steps and see it for ourselves.

The Old-New Synagogue is the oldest surviving synagogue in Europe and has been the main synagogue of Prague's Jewish community for more than 700 years. Built in the late 13th century in an early Gothic style, with its characteristic pointed arches, it has survived fires, wars and the redevelopment of the Jewish Quarter. The tiny women's gallery was added later and is almost hidden from view, tucked away behind the thick walls of the building. Originally known as the New or Great Shul, it became known as the Old-New Synagogue (Altneuschul) after other synagogues were built in the 16th century.
Like so many places in Prague, it is surrounded by legends. One story says that angels brought its foundation stones from the Temple in Jerusalem, while another claims that the synagogue was protected from fire by angels disguised as doves. And, of course, there is the legend that the remains of the Golem lie hidden in its attic!

The Klausen Synagogue is the largest surviving synagogue of the former Prague Ghetto, built in the early Baroque style between 1689 and 1694. Baroque architecture is known for its elaborate decoration and dramatic details, although the interior of the Klausen Synagogue is rather more restrained than some of the grand Baroque churches you see around Prague. It wasn't included in our tour, but we visited afterwards and were lucky enough to see a wonderful exhibition of photographs of Israel by Czech documentary photographer Karel Cudlín. Called Burning Love: Israel Through the Lens of Karel Cudlín, it brought together almost 200 photographs taken over three decades. It was an unexpected connection with home and a lovely way to end our visit to the Jewish Quarter.

Though not in the Jewish Quarter, I wanted to share the beautiful Jerusalem Synagogue with you. Built in 1905–1906, it is a stunning example of Art Nouveau architecture, both inside and out.
The main synagogue hall and the ladies' gallery upstairs are now used for exhibitions, while regular services are held in a smaller prayer room. We saw a fascinating exhibition about historic Jewish communities and synagogues throughout the Czech Republic. Many of these communities and their synagogues were lost during the Holocaust. I was particularly interested to see the section about České Budějovice, where we were going to be staying later in our trip. The České Budějovice synagogue was blown up by the Nazis in 1942, and the remaining walls were demolished. Today, there is a memorial on the site, which was unveiled in 1992, exactly 50 years after the synagogue was destroyed.

When it opened, the Jerusalem Synagogue was called the Jubilee Temple of Emperor Franz Joseph, commemorating the 50th anniversary of his reign. After the First World War, the name Jerusalem Synagogue gradually came into use, taken from the name of the street where it stands. Interestingly, the street itself has nothing to do with the synagogue. It was named after the nearby Church of Jerusalem, formerly the Chapel of St. Henry.
The only time the synagogue was not used for services was during the Second World War, when it was used to store property confiscated from Jewish people by the Nazis.