History in short
Jews have lived
in the territory of the today’s Czech
Republic for more than 1.000 years. The Old-New Synagogue was
build around 1270 and is the oldest functioning synagogue of
Europe. Important was the school of Rabbi Jehuda Löw ben
Bezalel, the famous “Maharal mi Prag”, one of the
greatest figures in Judaic and Cabalistic sciences who appears
in many legends including the one of the Golem. He is buries
in the Old Jewish Cemetery in Prague together with other famous
Rabbis and other Jewish personalities of their time, as Avigdor
Kara, David Gans, Mordechai Maisel, the treasurer of the Emperor
Rudolph II., David Oppenheim etc. Prague was also famous for
its medieval Jewish publishing house founded by the Gersonides
family. Other Czech and Moravian towns were also significant
- Kolín, Mikulov (Nikolsburg), Trebíc, Holešov,
Boskovice etc. where many rabbis and scholars resided. In medieval
times the Jews lived safely under the protection of the King
who often used them as a good source of income (taxes). This
peaceful and productive coexistence came to an end - as anywhere
in Europe - by the crusades. The worst pogrom in Prague was
in 1389 (the elegy by Avigdor Kara describing it is read in
the Old-New Synagogue every year until today) and the Jews
had to face several expulsions, like in 1745 - 1748 by Maria
Theresia. Only the reforms by Emperor Joseph II. meant for
the community a beginning of freedom which was afterwards fully
granted in 1848. Then the Jews were able to integrate into
all spheres of public life and played a significant role in
the commercial, cultural and scientific life of the Austro-Hungarian
Empire.
Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk who became the first President
of Czechoslovakia in 1918distinguished himself in early times
of his professional career as philosophy professor during the
so called Hilsner trial (a blood-liable trial which arose sentiments
similar to Dreyfuss affair) for his condemnation of anti-Semitism.
Later he was also the first President of a State to visit Palestine.
During the existence of the so called First Czechoslovak Republic
(1918 - 1938) the Jews enjoyed unprecedented freedom, equality
and safety. Czechoslovakia’s Jewish population numbered
350.000 by 1930 of which 120.000 lived in Bohemia and Moravia,
120.000 in Slovakia and the rest resided in sub-Carpathian
Ruthenia, a region being today a part of Ukraine. After 1933
the Jewish population rose to more than 400.000 due to the
influx of German Jews who escaped after Hitler took power and
viewed rightfully Czechoslovakia as the island of democracy
in at-that-time Europe.
The Holocaust meant for the Czech Jewry an absolute disaster.
It started as first in Europe by expelling the Jewish population
from the Sudeten-German regions after Munich Appeasement in
1938 and it ended as last by disclosing the Terezín
concentration camp only in fall 1945 after the typhoid epidemic.
Only about 30.000 Jews started to recreate Jewish life in Bohemia
and Moravia by 1945/1946. Only a few years later they had to
face another challenge when Communists took power in February
1948. Those who stayed in the country (immigration to Israel
was possible for some time) went through anti-Semitic period
marked by the so called Slánský trial in early
50ies, they enjoyed some freedom in late 60ies which ended
by the Soviet led invasion in August 1968 (again many Jews
left the country) to be completely downed by the Communist
so called normalisation led by the Husák régime.
It was the Velvet revolution in November 1989 which brought
freedom to Czech society and its Jewish Community.
Jewish Prague
Today, there are 1.400 registered Jews and 3
regularly functioning synagogues in Prague: Old-New Synagogue
(orthodox) High Synagogue
(modern orthodox) and the “Jubilee” Synagogue on
Jeruzalémská Street (neologue). There are regular
Kabalat Shabbat services of Beit Praha in the Jewish Town-Hall
as well as its High Holiday services organised in one of Prague’s
synagogues. The main High Holiday services are held at the “Jubilee” Synagogue.
The Prague Jewish Community is operating a kosher restaurant,
a home of elderly named after Charles Jordan, there is also
a Jewish kindergarten, a Jewish elementary school and since
1998 the Jewish High School The Chief Rabbi of Prague and the
country is Rav Ephraim Karol Sidon (orthodox).
Tomas Krauis
Federation of Jewish Communities
July 2001
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