Yesterday we concluded the two-day seminar “Czech Jews – History and Culture, Coexistence of the Minority with the Majority Society, Legacy for Today” with a tour of the Spanish and Old Synagogue. At the beginning of the seminar, FJC Chairman Petr Papoušek welcomed the participants with the words … “monuments are an important element in education and conveying information about the Jewish community, history, culture, a call for respect and tolerance.” The seminar was intended for tour guides, monument managers and all those who care for or are interested in Jewish monuments, and we would like to thank them for their cooperation.

The seminar was organized by the Federation of Jewish Communities of the Czech Republic in cooperation with the Jewish Museum in Prague and thanks to the initiative and financial support of the European Association for the Preservation and Promotion of Jewish Culture within the NOA project.

On Day 1, the participants from different parts of Czech Republic learned about the history of the Jewish Museum in Prague and the educational programs that the museum has prepared for teachers, students and the public. Another lecture focused on the function of synagogues, historical building styles and artistic influences. The first day of the seminar ended with a tour of the Pinkas Synagogue and the Old Jewish cemetery.

Lectures on the second day were devoted to the problems of coexistence between Jews and the majority society, anti-Judaism and anti-Semitism, in general terms, the lecture was led by the director of the Jewish Museum in Prague L. Pavlát. The next lecture focused on similar topics and the history of Jews in the Czech lands. The second day ended with a guided tour of the Old Synagogue and the Spanish Synagogue.

The NOA seminars program will conclude next week in Cordoba, with the Conference on Judaism and Pluralism: Past, Present and Future, by Makom Sefarad, in collaboration with Cordoba University.