More Prague, More Jews

Today and yesterday we explored most of the Old Town Quarter of Prague. I am of two minds about this city-- on one hand, it is surely one of the most beautiful that we have visited, with twisty, cobblestone streets and lots of old, stately buildings; one the other hand, it is incredibly touristy and everyone here hates me.

Allow me to explain:

Prague is indeed beautiful. Zak and I strolled up and down along the river, walked in some of the island parks, got lost in the back allies, and have appreciated the lovely churches and bridges. We have eaten quite well so far-- there are ample ethnic restaurants (Lebanese, Indian, etc) with lots of vegetarian food (by the way, Zak has gone veg since finishing his program, so we are in the same boat as far as food.) The Jewish Quarter is amazing-- but more on that later.

Prague is touristy. The main boulevards and squares are seas of foreign tourists (like us) wearing tee-shirts that say things like "Prague Drinking Team" or "Prague: Czech it Out!" (unlike us.) We hear a lot of English here, and there are endless souvenir stands where there should be quaint and interesting shop fronts. That's a bit of a downside.

Prague hates me personally. I don't really know what it is-- but the people of Prague appear to despise me. I was cut in line three times at the train station, harassed by a cop who made me pick up someone else's dirty tissue which he insisted that I dropped, had my money refused at a gelato stand when it was clearly and obviously in the correct amount, and told that I am learning nonsense at school and consequently will never deserve to hold the title "rabbi" but the Chief Rabbi of Prague. Also, President Bush is here-- meaning that the Prague Castle has been closed for the past two days. It amazing-- even here Bush can make me sad.

All and all it is a mixed record and the jury is still out. However, this afternoon's tour of the Old Jewish Quarter was definitely a big strike in favor of this city.

We met up with a tour guide named Peter, who was recommended to us by Zak's friend Leo's parents. He was phenomenal-- he holds a Ph.d in Jewish history and knows everyone and everything about the Jewish community of Prague. The locations were also fantastic. Hitler personally decreed that the Prague Jewish Quarter would be preserved as a historical museum of the Extinct Jewish Race-- sick as that is, it means that the synagogues and cemeteries of the Jewish Quarter are perfectly intact.

We went into four different synagogues-- each of them were beautiful and understated, a nice contrast to the baroque gaudiness of the Great Synagogue in Budapest. The Spanish synagogue is done in a Moorish style-- resembling pictures of buildings I have seen from Southern Spain, with colorful geometric patterns and mosaics. One synagogue has been converted to a haunting Holocaust memorial-- the names of all known Prague Jewish victims of the Nazis cover the walls. Most interesting of all was the cemetery-- with its ancient (back to the 14th century) gravestones jutting out in all directions. The Maharal, the famous creator of the Golem, is buried there. It was an amazing tour and absolutely worth the splurge for a private tour.