Back to Prague

My first visit to Prague in January 2013 was magical.  Although it was winter, it wasn't that cold and there really wasn't any snow.  What made it special was that we got to wander a bit both in the center city and en route to the center city.  We got to see some things on that trip that weren't part of this trip's agenda.  One of my favorite sights in Winter 2013 was this statue of Freud:

"Man Hanging Out" by David Cerny

After my daughter's boyfriend had indicated his interest in seeing this sculpture, we happened upon it just as we were walking toward the city square.  I asked the tour guide of this year's visit to Jewish Quarter where I could see it again, and he told me it was probably temporary--it's not.  I mentioned in an earlier post that he wasn't a very good guide, this is just one more example of his limitations.

When we came in the Winter of 2013 we had wonderful accommodations.  My friend Kathryn had suggested a fantastic bed and breakfast (click on the link to see photos).

We were there just after Christmas and the New Year celebration, so a lot of the fuss had worn down.  There were still holiday booths on the square, but it was relatively quiet.

This time around we were at the peak of the summer season.  The whole town seemed geared up for the throngs of visitors.  There was an intensely commercial quality to the city which I hadn't perceived as intensely as when we had been there in the winter.

Photo by Sura Levine

As I reflect on what we saw then, it occurs to me that the real difference between the Prague of Winter 2013 and  the Prague of Summer 2014 is a matter of temperature and numbers.  The commercial nature of the city was certainly present when we visited last year, but I didn't "feel" it the same way.  The fact that it was winter meant there were fewer people milling about and those who were there were mostly inside the restaurants and stores.

We had one more chance to explore Prague after we returned from Terezin.  One of my bigger regrets from the previous visit was that I hadn't visited the Alte Neue Shul.  This was one of the places I really wanted to see on my previous visit so I convinced two of the other Jewish people on the trip to come with me and off we went.

Using public transportation in Prague is a snap.  The trams come frequently and are inexpensive.  I used the trams both times I visited Prague and found they got me wherever I wanted to go.

From the tram stop we took a brief walk straight to the Jewish Quarter to the Alte Neue Shul.

The official tours of "Jewish Prague" do not include a visit to the Alte Neue Shul; it's a separate experience.  The office is in the "Jewish Town Hall" building next door to the shul; the ticket office also sells tchotchkes.

We bought tickets and walked in where we saw a few guides speaking with groups.  We tried eavesdropping, but felt as though we were missing out on some useful information.  We went up the stairs to the street level (an official site for the Czech synagogues says "as a sign of humility, the floor level of the hall and main nave is several degrees below the surrounding terrain").  Just outside the door of the shul, we spoke with one of the guides we had seen.  She informed us that the guides were free of charge, we just had to ask for one.  We walked back down the stairs and the ticket takers didn't want to let us back in.  Fortunately, we prevailed.  We met a guide who gave us the complete spiel.

This synagogue is still active, so it's important to visit before sundown on Friday.  As was true in the other synagogues, photography was not permitted inside; fortunately,  I was able to find some images online.

This synagogue dates back to the 13th century.  The name refers to the fact that there had been an even older shul (demolished in 1867).  As additional synagogues were built in the Jewish quarter, this one took on the name "Old New" to distinguish it from the older one, i.e., the "Old Old".

The site I consulted also revealed that this shul withstood some very damaging pogroms, including one in the 14th century which led to the deaths of 3,000 Jews.

The only time the synagogue was not operational was during the Nazi years (1941-1945).

As an Orthodox shul, there are separate men's and women's sections.  The interior shown here is for men. 

The "apertures" in the wall in the center of this image show the means by which women look in on the service.  The women's section is along the outside walls of the shul. The circular images along the bottom third of the photo are brass plates which allowed for enhanced illumination of the candles.
Along the top of the walls were references to psalms.  A flag barely visible in the photo above, was  "a gift from Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand III to the Jews for their help in stopping an invasion by the Swedes in 1648 at the end of the Thirty Years War."


I went to an online source and learned that this was the shul Franz Kafka attended and where he had his bar mitzvah.

In addition to the Golem stories, there are other myths associated with the shul.  Two such myths involve angels.  One says angels brought the stones for the construction of the shul from King Solomon's Temple on condition that they be returned once the Temple in Jerusalem is re-established.  Another says the shul was protected from fire by the wings of angels which turned in to doves.  These angels are said to continue protecting the shul.

We strolled around the "old city" to complete errands for my companions.  Once we finished our tasks we had a delicious treat of strudel and cappucino at the same restaurant Cindy and I had visited in the Winter of 2013.

Following our treat, we made a point of seeing the Astronomical Clock at 5:00 o'clock.

I never get tired of seeing the mechanical movement of the four figures (two non-moving figures are seen above) at the top of the hour. 

We made it back to our hotel in time for a group dinner at a local restaurant. One of our colleagues talked about his longstanding relationship with the Holocaust Education Foundation and the opportunities the organization has provided for young students to experience history in this manner.  It was a very nice evening.

This was our last evening in Prague.  The next day we were on our way to Berlin.