Rabbi Low and the Golem: The Jewish Quarter.

Yesterday we decided to visit the Jewish Quarter. It was very impressive. We started out at the Pinkas Synagogue which was no longer used. Instead, the curators of the temple dedicated the whole building to the 77,000 Czech Jews who lost their lives during WWII. They had written all of their names on the walls in calligraphy. It was very humbling to see all the work put into remembering them.
We saw other synagogues as well, the Maisel, Spanish, Klaus and the Ceremonial Hall. Each synagogue was used as a museum to display information such as Jewish Cultures and historical information. There were people scoffing at the circumcision tools, which we found to be offensive - them vocalizing their disagreement with the idea.

In the Pinkas Synagogue, there was a display of the art works from the children in Terezin, a concentration camp in Czech Republic. They gave information on the child's age and what barracks they stayed in the camp. There is even a poetry book that is published to show the poems and artworks done by the kids. It is called "I Have Never Seen a Butterfly".
Adjacent to the Pinkas Synagogue is the oldest cemetery in all of Europe. There we found the resting place of one of the most interesting Rabbis we've come across. Rabbi Loew was famous for his knowledge and support of his community but most importantly for his Golem. Another interesting thing about the graveyard was that "between the 14th and 18th centuries, 20,000 graves were laid in 12 layers.". That is fascinating! We placed our stones for well wishes on Rabbi Loew's tombstone.
Other interesting things about the Jewish Quarters is that every year, 1,000 tombstones are chosen for repair and it costs aboout 1,000,0000 Czech Crowns yearly. This money comes in the form of donations and also the entrance fees to the museums and other sites.
The Spanish synagogue was the most breathtaking one, with ornate paintings all over all the surfaces, including the ceiling, which is the underside of the dome.
On the way home, we coem across another cemetery and it turns out that it is also a Jewish cemetery with a Jewish Museum adjacent to it.
We're looking forward to seeing the communist museum (actually we just like their ads).