Jewish heritage in the Czech republic
Between the legendary figure of Rabbi Löw of Prague with his fabled Golem and the unimaginable suffering of Jews in Terezín's Little Fortress lies several centuries' worth of Czech, German and Jewish co-existence in Bohemia and Moravia. The Prague Jewish community dates as far back as the 10th century. Many Czech and Moravian cities contain Jewish quarters (sometimes mere alleys simply called the "Jewish Lane"), as well as autonomous enclaves and ghettos sometimes linked to the rest of the town by a single side street (as in, for example, Březnice).This co-existence has not passed unnoticed. Left behind are synagogues, cemeteries, books, manuscripts, and numerous pieces of art. Although the events of World War II and the Holocaust destroyed much of what had been created by the Jews over many centuries, there is still something left to be kept and shared with the generations to come.




