Monday, our last day.

On our last day in Prague, we ventured outside the city to visit Terezin. I do not need to give you any of the details.  Our students did an unbelievable job reflecting on the events of the day, and I will not even attempt to match the power of their words.

A poem by Douglas

A moat surrounds this overarching

maze work of brick that paints a

historic blue sky with a stroke of

near-black gray.  Within it grows scarce

plots of pathetic green blades, ignorant

of all that has happened here, impartial

to the history of pain that has been

invaded.  As people wander out, the gold

stars around their necks, gleaming

triangles of gold across the now-dusk

sky.  As they stumble forth, their emotions

dissipate outwards, a dark cover over a once-blue sky,

as if they have just visited their own funeral

Hannah F:  Today was, out of all the days we’ve spent in Prague, out of all the things we’ve done, the most powerful and moving by far.  We visited Terezin, a concentration camp.  The first things we did were the usual; toured the bunks, saw pictures and literature and walked through a never-ending (500 meter) tunnel.  Okay, so maybe that last one wasn’t so normal, but we did it because the tunnel was made so soldiers could fight from a safe location.  It wasn’t used during WWII, I don’t think – that’s what our tour guide said.  But then again, I couldn’t really understand his accent all the time – I kept thinking he was saying “president” when he was saying “prisoner”.  Anyway, after lunch and a (short) bus ride, we visited a cemetery near the crematorium.  That, out of everything, was the most moving experience.  The grave stones were slabs of marble (I think) with Jewish stars.  No names.  Everything I’d read, seen or heard about the Holocaust came together with the image of the cemetery and I gained a new level of understanding about what happened.  However awful it may sound on paper, nothing can compare to the overload of emotions I felt while walking around the cemetery.  We were told to put stones on the graves because, unlike flowers, stones can’t die.  They last forever.  Of all the things that really got to me was that there were no memories of these people because we didn’t know who they were.  We had a short memorial service, which only reinforced my thoughts.  No family was coming to say prayers – for all they knew, their family member could be ashes.  Or there could be no family left.  Visiting the crematorium was heart-wrenching.  Shlomo, our guide, told us that , before the Jews were cremated, the Nazi’s went through their mouths to find any gold teeth.  The idea that anyone could desecrate a body like that was just unbelievable.  I definitely now have stronger feelings about Hitler and the Holocaust, and even thought it was painful to witness, I’m glad we went to Terezin.

Zach R (student):  Today we visited Terezin, a ghetto an hour away from Praha.  It was my first time at any time of Nazi camp.  The first thing that struck me was how normal the town’s exterior seemed.  The reality that I was standing in the place where thousands of people suffered and died in Terezin set in once we reached the bunk house.  As the docent described the living conditions I felt a pain in my stomach – not of hunger, but of sickness.  He described how entire families shared one bed only covered with hay, packed in like sardines.  No one had lived in the shack for more than half a century, and there was still a stench.  I tried to imagine the smell of the bunk magnified a hundred times.  Simply the thought of people having to sleep in this type of cabin was horrible.

Raquel K:  Going through the first part of the town was an extremely moving experience.  Seeing where all of these prominent political prisoners were living and even the torture chambers they occubied made the crazy things the Nazis did even more real.  While we were in one of the holding cells where the tour guide described the experience that 60 peipole had to endure of standing in a cold, dark, small room with no toilet made me cringe.  Even after seeing the place that all these horrible stories emerged from, its still hard to wrap my mind around the factuality of it.  My absolute favorite part of the day was walking through the underground military tunnel.  It was dark and extremely spooky but at the same time such a fun adventure.

Phil S:  Today we went to Terezin, one of the concentration camps which rounded up Jews and political prisoners until they were sent to one of the death camps.  It was my first time at a concentration camp and it was heart-breaking to see what transpired there 70 years ago.  However, it was still a beautiful place, made more than just an echo of the garrison, its original purpose.  Truthfully, I was not that moved when I saw the dwelling places of the Jews and how they were at risk of disease and death every day.  I knew these facts already; we have been taught since we were very young about the cruelty and inhumanity of Hitler and the Nazis.  Even the crematorium did not really affect me.  Only when I came to the cemetery, and saw the mass of unnamed graved dedicated to ashes of the Jews whose lives were erased did I finally feel something and connected it to my own history.

Jami M:  Today we went to Terezin, located about an hour outside of Prague.  Our first stop was in the main part of town.  We went to the school building to start our tour & there we sang our morning prayers.  I liked that we started our day in the school because it showed us that the Jewish people had hope & they tried as best they could to continue living their lives.  Being there singing was proof that we have withstood so much & are still here.  For me, the most powerful & most emotional part of the day was when we sang all together in the secret synagogue & in the cemetery.  I felt so connected to our whole group, the Jewish people & history.

Noah S:  Today we went to a place called Terezin, it was divided into two main parts.  The first was a small fortress that was used as a prison for political prisoners and Jews.  I found this place interesting because we were taking a tour around the ruins of an old abandoned prison and seeing how the prisoners lived and what they did to survive.  The second part was used as a ghetto to house Jews that were on the way to other concentration camps.  I found this area interesting because it showed me that even though the Jews were in such terrible conditions, they still built a synagogue and put on plays in defiance of the Nazi regime.

Jacqueline F:  I was surprised with today’s experience at Terezin.  Whenever I go to Holocaust related things, I always feel slightly disconnected, because my family wasn’t affected at all.  but today I walked out of the concentration camp inspired just like the rest of my friends – some who have family that survived and some that don’t.  In Terezin, Jewish culture was able to grow, as we saw today from the art, music, theater, and a small synagogue.  Even while oppressed, the Jewish spirit survived.  Now, Terezin is an actual town that people live in proving that live was able to continue not only during, but after the war.  Seeing the live in Terezin, rather than just the death, was a testament to the resilience of the Jews and of all humanity.  When we were walking along the train tracks as well as when we were leaving the cemetery, I couldn’t help but feel grateful that I was a party of the generation that could leave that place alive.  Looking back, I feel empowered.  The victims of the Holocaust are a reason for me to live.  They took advantage of the smallest opportunities in the worst of circumstances to try and assure continuity of their people and I feel that its our responsibility to honor that.  What bothered me was the way the camp had been restored.  There was a gift shop in the columbarium that made me particularly angry.  I think it’s so imappropriate to have a tourist attraction nadjacent to where the ashes of thousands of people used to be stored.  There’s apparently a shirt sold that says “I survived Terezin” which I find disgusting as well.  I was offended that the people who supposedly care the most would even think of commercializing one of the darkest events in history.

The train tracks that were used to transport people living in Terezin to other concentration or death camps

The entrance to the political prison located just outside the boundaries of the Terezin ghetto -- "Work will set you free" -- the same words over the entrance to Auschwitz.

A shower room in the political prison -- no gassing took place here

The 500 meter long dark tunnel we walked through

Shlomo educating us in the central square of the Terezin ghetto

The ceiling of the secret synagogue in Terezin

The walls of the secret synagogue in Terezin

Sunday Funday

Today (Sunday) was dedicated to touring the Jewish part of the city.  A big thank you to Jacqueline for saving the day and letting me use her camera after my camera battery died immediately after breakfast!  It was a jam-packed, partially snowy day!  One of places that stuck out to me most was the Jewish Cemetery.  If you look at the pictures you will see why.  In the 15^th Century, Jews were not given a tremendous amount of land to bury their dead.  The cemetery quickly filled up and no more land was granted.  Rather than finding other places (which may not have existed), the Jewish community began to bury the deceased literally in layers.  By the time the cemetery closed, there were thousands of headstones – oftentimes falling over on each other, relying on others to keep them up.  This creative solution to a Jewish problem was very impactful for everyone in the group.  The ground level of the cemetery is easily fifteen feet above the original ground level, walled on all sides.  The metaphorical images of generations being built upon previous generations, and acting as support for others, was just another illustration of the challenges that Jews have faced and how we have shown great resiliency.  Another highlight of the day for us, as staff, took place in the preparation for tomorrow’s trip to Terezin.  We all read some poetry together – some written by children while living in the Terezin ghetto.  The maturity, thoughtfulness, and honesty that this group of students has shown throughout this trip have been so impressive to everyone who has come into contact with them.  We are continuously amazed with their contributions to discussions, their ability to reflect on their experiences, and the amazing sense of community that has grown to new levels during this journey together.  We are truly blessed to share in this with them. – Zach

Below are a couple of reflections and pictures – more to come tomorrow. 

Ben D:  So far, Prague has been great.  We again visited the oldest active synagogue in Europe (Alt Neu), visited some inactive synagogues (that have been turned into museums) and a memorial for the Jews that died at Terezin.  After that we went to the old Jewish cemetery.  I’ve never seen anything like it.  Some graves had twelve bodies buried on top of each other.  Although I didn’t have my camera I was still able to capture the forest of gravestones with my pohne.  We then went to another museum and lunch.  After lunch I bought a hat for my Dadio.  Then we went to another synagogue.  Then we had free time then dinner and then an insane blacklight show, then back to the hotel, then snacks, then probably playing Apples 2 Apples.

Sam G:  Today was a day of synagogues.  We saw the Old-New Synagogue, Meisel Synagogue, the Pinchas Synagogue, and the Spanish Synagogue.  Only one of them is still in use.  This surprised me.  Despite the Holocaust, I had expected there to be more of a Jewish community living in Prague.  Instead, I saw the remnants of a Jewish community in Prague.  I did not expect it to be a happy day, but I did not expect so much death.  The empty synagogues, relics of the past, combined with the cemetery, gave the day an aura of death.  This was the impact of the Holocaust – entire communities wiped out.  It truly was one of the worst things that has happened in human history and I understand that now.  I also understand how amazing the Jewish people are.  We are still alive which I saw in the Old-New Synagogue.  We are here seeing this and learning about how these Jews lived.  That is what I came away with today.

The outside of the Alt-Neu (Old-New) Synagogue -- the oldest continuously used synagogue in Europe.

The chandelier hanging over the centrally-located bima inside the Alt Neu Synagogue

A view from the inside of the sanctuary of the holes that the girls relied on to see/hear the service -- literally 2 feet thick!

Packed headstones in the Jewish Cemetery

More from the Jewish Cemetery

The Pinchas Synagogue -- there is no furniture in the entire synagogue.  The walls are filled with names of community members who were affected by the Holocaust.

A close up of names.  Last names are in all red -- followed by the family members, their dates of birth and their dates of death (if known).

A shot from below the chandelier in the Spanish Synagogue.  A stunning sanctuary.

A statue inspired by writer Franz Kafka, outside the Spanish Synagogue

The kids followed the staff to a traditional Czech restaurant and experienced some delicious food -- Joe, Jason, Sydney, Hannah, Maddie, Sabrina, Ben, Jacqueline, and Sabrina.

More traditional restaurant patrons -- Abby, Phil, Zach, Jon, and Sam

Day 2

Today's summaries and reactions are brought to you by some more of our travelers.  Following the posts are pictures which show everything they are telling about, and more!

Sydney M:  Today was such an interesting day.  We got to see another congregation in action; we went to an Orthodox synagogue that was over 700 years old!  One thing that shocked me was how as a woman, I sat in a completely separate room, and had to peer through a tiny rectangular window in the wall (that I couldn’t see through when I was sitting) in order to see into the main sanctuary.  To be honest, I felt really separate from all the guys, and, in a way, I also felt excluded.  I tried going up to the “windows” to try to feel more like I was part of the service, but it didn’t really work.  Next, we went to the Castle District (we took a bus there, it’s FREEZING here!!!).  we got there and walked through a monastery (after we changed out of our synagogue clothes).  There was an amazing view of Prague (see the group shot in the picture section!) and the old city.  We then walked to the castle (by this pint we were basically popsicles!) and I saw the cathedral.  It was SO pretty!  Next, we walked to a square and were given free time for lunch.  My lunch group was me, Maddie, Sofia, and Jon (we went out for crepes, I got a strawberry banana and chocolate one).  We met back up and went to the John Lennon wall (again, awesome pictures at the bottom!) which was really cool.  It basically is a wall where a younger generation used graffiti to express their desire for freedom.  We wrote Beatles lyrics on the wall, before crossing the pedestrian bridge.  It was really weird to see the anti-Semitism in the statues that were on the bridge, seeing as how long Jews have lived in Prague.  I never have really experienced anti-Semitism personally before, which I think is why that surprised me.  We had some more free time before we went to a classical guitar concert.  Personally, I really enjoyed it, although I don’t think everyone did, because it was a bit on the longer side, and I tgripped and fell down some stairs (not surprising considering how clumsy I am!)  we had a Havdalah service outside, and it was really nice to feel the sense of community in our group.  We then had dinner.  A bunch of us went out together to an Italian restaurant.  We had some great pizza, and bonded.  Now we’re back at the hotel, discussing our day.  It’s really interesting to see how different people feel about the Shabbat morning service.  Overall, today was really fun, and I’m sure tomorrow will be even better!

Maddie P:  We started the day off today at 8:30am (2:30am NY time).  Our first destination was the Orthodox synagogue in the city.  In this synagogue, women were separated from the men by a 2 foot cement wall with 6 inch tall holes in the wall to hear the service.  Sitting in the women’s section, I felt a complete disconnect from the service.  When I was sitting down, I could only see the ceiling of the sanctuary through the hole.  When I was standing I was too tall to look through the hole.  The Rabbi and all the other congregants in the synagogue felt so far away from me, I did not even feel like I was praying.  The Rabbi’s voice was a faint mumble in the background, thus I felt as though I was merely sitting in a white, plaster room with no windows.  Nevertheless, it was interesting to see how other types of Jews pray.  When I could see the Rabbi, he was facing the ark,, not the people like how it is at Central, thus it felt as though he was praying to God rather than putting on a show for the congregation.  Additionally, he chanted in a more monotonous voice rather than the lavish singing at Central, again giving it a more sincere, wholesome feel.  Although I did not appreciate the separation of men and women, observing this new way of prayer was intriguing and fascinating.  Our next stop was the castle district and it was HUGE!  Inside it felt as though an entire town could fit in there.  Inside the district was an extraordinary cathedral.  The cathedral was tall with large stain glass windows surrounding the interior, yet it was dark inside.  After touring around the town for quite a while we got some crepes for lunch and then had free time to go shopping.  After buying some trinkets for the fam, we went to go watch two guitarists play classical music.  They were both amazing!  Then we gathered in a circle outside the concert and had Havdalah.  While Az held the candle we prayed while spices were being passed around.  We continued to dinner and then back to the hotel.

Sabrina K: This is my first time writing so I want to start off by saying thank you.  Thank you to my mother for sending me on this trip.  Thank you to everyone here who is making this an amazing trip so far; and thank you to Prague for bing so enriched in a culture completely foreign to me, and making me feel a part of it.  Today we went to an Orthodox synagogue for morning services.  We sat in an area completely cut off from the men with only a few small holes to look through and hear the Rabbi.  Being a Reform Jew, it was interesting to me that in a place I should have felt separate, I felt special.  I loved the fact that I got to experience something that generations before me previously have experienced.  In that synagogue I felt a presence that, though not really spiritual, was sacred.  When we exited, we took a walking tour.  The places we saw included a huge church.  It was an interesting contrast to the secluded synagogue.  Both were sacred in their own way.  Prague’s architecture is amazing, and though it reminds me somewhat of Amsterdam, many aspects of it are all its own.  Something that really struck a cord with me was this enormous clock (Astrological Clock) with skeletons on it.  Our guide, Shlomo, explained that the clock had this design because every time it rang it was supposed to be a wake up call to say that death’s door is always too close and to start living.  When I saw the clock I really realized I was in Prague.  I knew it before with the synagogue and even just waking up here.  However, it was more of a wake up call to soak up every experience in Prague because it is a city with so many experiences waiting to be had.  It completely exceeded my expectations!  (Including the weather, but I thought it would be warmer.  It was insanely cold today.  But it snowed a tiny bit so it’s ok J)

Jon C:  Our first day in Prague was amazing.  It was amazing seeing all these fascinating buildings I never knew existed.  I now have a somewhat better sense of how big our planet is, because I barely knew what Prague was before this trip, but it is such a fascinating city.  I felt like it should be as well known as cities like London and Venice.  There are probably 100 other cities like Prague and I want to see them all.  every building and bridge is so full of artwork and history that Shlomo could talk for hours about it.  If it wasn’t so could I wish he would have!  I find that of the old history about the kings and queens fascinating and I can’t wait to learn more about it.  It is amazing how the Jewish people, despite being small in numbers, had such an integral role in the growth and development of Prague.

Sabrina, Hannah, Jackie, Abby, and Maddie after dinner

The entrance to the Cathedral District

Zach, Ben, Joe, Jason, and Jon keeping warm

View overlooking the first old Jewish section of Prague

A group shot at the overview

The changing of the guard in front of the King's Palace

St. Vitus' Cathedral's rose window from the outside

St. Vitus' Cathedral from the back

Lovers Bridge -- couples write their names on locks and toss the keys into the river flowing underneath.

John Lennon Wall

Love, Love, Love

"You may say that I'm a dreamer."

"Love is all you need"

"All you need is love."

"We all live in a yellow submarine."

The Astrological Clock

Havdalah

Rabbi Friedman, Az, and Cantor Sacks