The Jewish Museum founded in 1906 is the largest of its kind in Europe and contains a huge collection of sacred Jewish artefacts. The expositions of the Jewish Museum in Prague are located in six historic sites. The Old-New Synagogue (Straronova synagoga) is still used for religious services but the others are converted into memorials and exhibition halls. The Old-New Synagogues name represents the change from being a new, modern building to now the oldest synagogue in Josefov. The Old-New Synagogue is also Europe’s oldest synagogue still in use and the centre for Prague’s Orthodox Jews. Above the entrance there is an elaborate tympanum covered in the twisting branches of a vine tree, its twelve bunches of grapes representing the tribes of Israel. Inside the pulpit is surrounded by a 15th century wrought-iron grill and on the walls there are scriptures from the 7th century recovered from a later ‘restoration’. It is hard to take in this view without feeling you have been transported back in time to this place 500 years ago.
Admission: Full adult tickets cost 500 CZK, or you can buy a single ticket for the Old-New Synagogue for 200 CZK). The museum is closed on Jewish holidays otherwise it is open from 9am.
Jewish sights in Prague (all parts of Jewish Museum):
Jewish Cemetery – Europe’s oldest surviving cemetery
High Synagogue – High because its prayer hall is upstairs
Klaus Synagogue – Close to Jewish cemetery
Pinkas Synagogue – After WW2 converted to memorial
Spanish Synagogue – Exhibit on Jews in Czech R. until present day
Jewish Town Hall – Built in 1906, worth seeing
Year of Jewish Culture in Prague
In 2006 the Jewish Museum in Prague will celebrate 100th anniversary of its establishment. On the occasion of this remarkable event, with considerable support of other cultural institutions, artists, other Jewish museums and cultural centres, the Jewish Museum has organized a special project called Year of Jewish Culture – 100 Years of the Jewish Museum in Prague. Thanks to this new project you will be able to visit a museum, gallery, theatre and a film event and concerts all around the Czech Republic, as this project will last whole year and will take place in several parts of the Czech Republic. The main task of Year of Jewish Culture is to show public Jewish culture. It will present its visitors unique characteristics of the Jewish culture heritage, its attractions dedicated with Czech culture and society.
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