My roommate and I, Rabbi Zvi Engel, received an early wakeup call from the front desk, and after joining the group for Shacharit we then grabbed breakfast at one of the two kosher restaurants in Prague (not only is it special to be in a European city with kosher restaurants, but the food is pretty good as well).
It was time to begin what was no doubt going to be a heavy day in Prague. It has been snowing lightly on and off, not too different than the weather in Skokie this time of year.
By 8:00 am we had departed for Terezin, a concentration camp also known as Theresienstadt.
Once a military fortress between the years 1780 and 1790, it was constructed by the orders of the Austrian emperor Joseph II in the north-west region of Bohemia. It was designed to be a component of a projected but never fully realized fort system of the monarchy. Terezín took its name from the mother of the emperor, Maria Theresa of Austria who reigned 1740–1780. By the end of the 18th century, the facility was obsolete as a fort; in the 19th century, the fort was being used to accommodate military and political prisoners.
During the dark era of the Holocaust – Jews from Prague, Austria, some areas in Germany were brought to Terezin, thus becoming a concentration camp. Some of the parts were kept in “nice” condition as it was used as a display camp in order for the Nazi’s to model for the Red Cross the way they care for the inhabitants. They went so far as to print up a currency, and frequently featured plays and musical recitals as well. We met with a survivor of the camp, named Elsa Levitska, who showed us around the different quarters and offered us a complete history of the Terezin. Like most of the Jews who passed through her walls, Elsa eventually was transferred to Auschwitz, where she spent only a number of days at the end of the war.
As I mentioned, much of Terezin was a façade, so much so, that most of the prisoners were unaware of what was going on the outside. As a few transfers of Polish children came to the camp, they quickly spread the word… “they were murdering Jews in Auschwitz”. So sheltered were the inmates by the lies of the SS, that this was simply unacceptable to many. Upon exiting the camp we realized how true the stories were first hand. Though Jews were not murdered en-mass in Terezin, and most were shipped off to death camps, still, 33,000 died of starvation and disease, their bodies burnt in a crematorium built outside Terezin’s walls.
Most impressionable was the fact that there were several hidden synagogues that existed, nestled in little hidden attics and basements. We entered one such synagogue, together sang a song or two. The synagogue was built in a dark cave-like structure under a building, remarkably there were Jewish verses of hope, faith and connection to God crudely painted on the walls and ceiling.
It was time to begin what was no doubt going to be a heavy day in Prague. It has been snowing lightly on and off, not too different than the weather in Skokie this time of year.
By 8:00 am we had departed for Terezin, a concentration camp also known as Theresienstadt.
Once a military fortress between the years 1780 and 1790, it was constructed by the orders of the Austrian emperor Joseph II in the north-west region of Bohemia. It was designed to be a component of a projected but never fully realized fort system of the monarchy. Terezín took its name from the mother of the emperor, Maria Theresa of Austria who reigned 1740–1780. By the end of the 18th century, the facility was obsolete as a fort; in the 19th century, the fort was being used to accommodate military and political prisoners.
During the dark era of the Holocaust – Jews from Prague, Austria, some areas in Germany were brought to Terezin, thus becoming a concentration camp. Some of the parts were kept in “nice” condition as it was used as a display camp in order for the Nazi’s to model for the Red Cross the way they care for the inhabitants. They went so far as to print up a currency, and frequently featured plays and musical recitals as well. We met with a survivor of the camp, named Elsa Levitska, who showed us around the different quarters and offered us a complete history of the Terezin. Like most of the Jews who passed through her walls, Elsa eventually was transferred to Auschwitz, where she spent only a number of days at the end of the war.
As I mentioned, much of Terezin was a façade, so much so, that most of the prisoners were unaware of what was going on the outside. As a few transfers of Polish children came to the camp, they quickly spread the word… “they were murdering Jews in Auschwitz”. So sheltered were the inmates by the lies of the SS, that this was simply unacceptable to many. Upon exiting the camp we realized how true the stories were first hand. Though Jews were not murdered en-mass in Terezin, and most were shipped off to death camps, still, 33,000 died of starvation and disease, their bodies burnt in a crematorium built outside Terezin’s walls.
Most impressionable was the fact that there were several hidden synagogues that existed, nestled in little hidden attics and basements. We entered one such synagogue, together sang a song or two. The synagogue was built in a dark cave-like structure under a building, remarkably there were Jewish verses of hope, faith and connection to God crudely painted on the walls and ceiling.
Among the other stops of the day were the Charles Bridge, and the Old Town Square, two locations that tell a tale of woe and persecution towards our brethren. I will share with you these fascinating yet painful tales from the middle age upon my return.
Thoroughly exhausted… have a great night,
Rabbi Gelman
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