The Jewish
Museum
in Prague

On Sunday, September 7, from 1:00 PM to 7:00 PM, the Klausen Synagogue – the largest Jewish sanctuary in Prague’s Josefov – will open its doors free of charge as part of European Heritage Days.

Located next to the Old Jewish Cemetery, the synagogue will be presented in its authentic, unfurnished form due to upcoming renovations. This rare opportunity allows visitors to fully appreciate its Baroque architecture and spiritual atmosphere.

Guided tours with Michaela Sidenberg, Chief Curator of the Jewish Museum in Prague, will take place at 2:00 PM, 3:30 PM, and 5:00 PM, offering insights into the building’s history and future plans. A playful program for children will run throughout the day, introducing Jewish traditions and culture.

“This is a unique chance to experience the atmosphere of early modern Prague and discover the story behind one of its most remarkable buildings,” says Michaela Sidenberg.

About the Klausen Synagogue

Built in 1694 after a fire destroyed the original 16th-century buildings, the Klausen Synagogue became the second main synagogue of Prague’s Jewish community. It served as a house of prayer and was home to the Prague Funeral Brotherhood. According to tradition, Rabbi Löw once taught at the yeshiva that stood on this site.

In the upcoming school year, schools can again take part in the international educational project Crocus, which commemorates the fate of children murdered during the Shoah.

The project is organized by our Department for Education and Culture, which provides participating schools with free yellow crocus bulbs. Pupils and students plant these bulbs in the autumn as a symbolic reminder of the one and a half million Jewish children and thousands of other young victims who perished during the Holocaust. The yellow color of the flowers symbolizes the Star of David that Jews were forced to wear under Nazi rule.

The flowers bloom in late January or early February – around International Holocaust Remembrance Day (January 27). The project can serve as a starting point for discussions on history, human rights, and tolerance.

Schools can register for the 2025/2026 school year via the online form by September 5.

Photo: Kindergarten, Česká Lípa

We would like to thank all those who responded to the call for lecture proposals for the Bohemian National Hall Annual Lecture on the History and Culture of Jews in the Czech and Slovak Lands, which was issued by the Jewish Museum in Prague, in association with the Society for the History of Czechoslovak Jews and the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in New York.
 

In total, we received 13 proposals from scholars from four different countries, all of which cover a wide range of interesting topics. We appreciate the level of interest generated and believe that the lecture will help to expand awareness of the history and culture of Czech, Moravian, and Slovak Jews.
 

The winning proposal has been selected by a committee of representatives from the Jewish Museum in Prague and the Society for the History of Czechoslovak Jews. And the winner is Dr. Zbyněk Tarant, whose lecture is titled: “Leo Herrmann: The Untold Story of a Man Who Rescued Max Brod and 2,500 Other Czechoslovak Jews from the Nazi Occupation. ” Congratulations!
 

“We are honored to continue this important tradition of fostering scholarship and public understanding of the rich Jewish heritage of the Czech and Slovak lands,” said Pavla Niklová, Director of the Jewish Museum
in Prague. “Dr. Tarant’s lecture will shed light on a remarkable yet lesser-known figure of the Holocaust era,
and we are proud to help bring his story to an international audience.”