Our day began with Milan, our bus driver, taking us up to the hills overlooking the beautiful city of Prague to Prague Castle, the largest castle complex in Europe.
We started by driving through a residential – non-touristy – section of the city where Kamila pointed out a typical school, the church where the resistance fighters who had assassinated Heydrich hid and were ultimately killed, and a famous building designed by architect Frank Gehry which he called “Dancing House” and which the locals call “Fred and Ginger”. One part of the building (with the dome) is supposed to be the male and the other part with the fan skirt is the female.
As we began the ride, our local guide Kamila told us some of the history of the Czech people and the city of Prague. Empress Maria Theresa was the only female ruler of the Hapsburg empire and she and her husband had sixteen children, including one son, Emperor Joseph II, who would build, in her honor, the fortress of Terezin [became the concentration camp of Theresienstadt under the Nazis] which we will be visiting on Monday, and the youngest, Marie Antoinette, who would marry Louis XVI and be executed during the French Revolution. She spoke to us of the independence of the new state of Czechoslovakia following the breakup of the German Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire and how, under Jan Masaryk, Czechoslovakia had the eighth largest economy in the world 1918-1938. Kamila talked of the Munich Conference in which the Allies dismembered Czechoslovakia in what would later be called a policy of appeasement by the Allies, giving Hitler the Sudetenland, while not inviting Czechoslovakia to be present at this conference. Kamila said Czechs refer to this as “Politics about us without us!”
Kamila also told us a little about the geographical layout of the city as well as some of the demographics. The capital city of the Czech Republic has a little more than one million residents, and is called Praha, which means ‘threshhold’ because as she told us, one never knows when they are crossing the threshold from history to mythology in this city. We were to learn that from several of the stories we would hear throughout the day.
We started at the Strahov Monastery manned by Norbertine friars who came to Prague in the 12th century from France, selling their services as bibliophiles (librarians) and scribes (copiers of books). Strahov means “guard” and the beautiful Strahov Monastery, overlooking the city of Prague, was the spiritual and physical guard of the city and castle. A special VIP tour had been arranged for us by Dana our iextraordinary travel agent in Europe and good friend, and we were able to physically enter the two beautiful halls of their library, one for theological works and one for philosophical works. The library contains over 45,000 volumes of working dating back to the 10th century.
The church institutions were the depositories and guardians of much of the European culture. In the Hall of Theology, which held 20,000 books stacked two deep, we learned how the friars would determine whether a book was acceptable to the church or needed to be archived as a forbidden book because of the content, which was anything which challenged the teachings of the Church, such as Copernicus and Galileo’s theories. Kamila also impressed upon us the value of a single book to people in this time period by showing us a statue in one of the halls. The man is carrying his book around in a pouch, because having a book was like having a diamond, she said, and one did not leave it behind.
Kamila also showed us one of Mr. Barmore’s favorite pieces of furniture: a book wheel. Researchers could open a book and be reading one text and then need to reference a different passage from another book, so put that book on the wheel, until they needed to refer to yet another passage from an additional book which could be opened and placed on the wheel, etc. In this way, the researcher could turn the wheel and read different relevant passages. This was a precursor of what we would call in our digital age, hypertext, whereby we are linked in one document to an additional document which can add additional information or clarify something in the original document.
Mr. Barmore talked about how libraries save people’s knowledge and their civilization. European civilization was Christian versus Jewish in this era. Who wrote these books? Priests, who were literate, and as a result, the education of the people was done through “vision”. Take a religious painting in the ceiling of the Hall and the priest would bring the people in and explain it and relate it to the people’s lives. Jewish civilization shies away from vision. In Judaism [and this is also true of Islam] one cannot create religious statues or icons. Judaism is about the law. Jews don’t ask about “Do you believe in God”?” or “Do you love God?”. The law comes from the Torah, the commandments. Judaism doesn’t want you to love God but to fear God and live according to his laws. And what do you do when laws need to be interpreted in light of changing society? This was the role of the Talmud. So Jewish life is about learning the law with all its interpretations. Judaism is about a book – learning it, interpreting it and living with it. And this means that forever – Jews, at least Jewish males – from the age of 3, are taught to read. This would greatly impact their existence.
In the Hall of the Philosophers, which held 48,000 books, Kamila explained the beautiful paintings which adorned the ceilings and showed us the hidden staircases to the second floor. There was also a piece of furniture created in the 1780’s which was three pieces in one. Part of the table would pull out to reveal a chair and the top of the table could be opened to create a ladder. So one could open the table, use the table ladder to select a book, then close it and pull out the chair to read.
Mr. Barmore asked if we could connect this room to something we had seen in Berlin. The book-burning memorial came to our minds with the rows of empty bookshelves. A new regime comes in and fights some of the ideas which challenge its Nazi racial ideology and books it finds subversive.
From the top of Castle Hill we had wonderful panoramic views of the city of Prague and nice spring weather to enjoy the walk down the hill into the Lesser Town. During our walk we were able to see the Schwarzenberg Palace, the Archbishop’s Palace and the Sternberk Palace. We visited the former Royal Palace dating from the 12th century where Mr. Barmore told us the story of how horse manure and an event in this building called defenestration, led to the disastrous Thirty Years War in Europe. Continuing down towards Lesser Town, we walked through the Golden Lane, which students felt looked like something from Harry Potter stories and marveled at how short the doors were at the time.
Arriving in Lesser Town, we changed currency into Czech crowns [Czech Republic is party of EU but not part of the single currency, the Euro] and then ate lunch at Pizza Calzone, before continuing our walk. We stopped at the John Lennon Wall which is a memorial to freedom of expression in Prague. Kamila told us how under Communism, people would write messages on the wall in violation of the law, and then the government would constantly be painting over the graffiti. Yet in no time, new statements and art appeared, and this wall continues to represent free speech. We also saw the site where people in love have attached locks to the bridge as in many other cities. Again, our travel agent Dana had a surprise for us. A driver had brought cans of spray paint for us to leave our own message on the wall and for the next half hour students became street artists!
Kamila showed us the memorial by the Charles Bridge to the firefighters of 9/11 in New York.
We then climbed the stairs from Lesser Town to the Charles Bridge which connects the two sides of Prague: Castle District / Lesser Town and Old Town / New Town / Jewish Quarter. Walking over the bridge provided us with incredible views of this beautiful city and Kamila told us several stories connected with the statues and the bridge. She told us the story of King Wenceslas, whose wife had bared her soul to the Confessor. When asked what his wife had said to him, the Confessor refused to betray the sanctity of the confession, so he was taken to the Charles Bridge, his tongue was cut out and he was thrown to his death from the bridge. 500 years later, the tongue was found in the river, Kamila said, and it is now buried in a huge silver statue in the Cathedral. The site where the Confessor was thrown from the bridge also has a statue and people make a wish, rub the statue, and their wish will come true – but they cannot reveal the wish! . Remember the meaning of Praha – threshold between myth and reality.
We stopped in the Market Square for a short while where we could purchase some souvenirs, before heading back to the hotel to get ready for dinner which would be with in the Market Square at U Prince Restaurant.
Read student comments on Padlet at the following link:
Sounds like a fantastic day. Sleep well!
It was a busy week at NMHS; we were ALL looking forward to hearing from you on Thursday evening. I realize that it is past 2 am there, but I had to respond to last night's Skype session. You may not have been able to tell through the camera, but we had a wonderful turn out in the auditorium. The majority of them were there to hear from all of you! (Maybe a few were trying to win the Ipad, hehe). Your presence was powerful! Your tired and passionate eyes revealed a tenderness that your voices alone couldn't have done, moving, telling, emotional, just awesome. Tonight, I came home and shared your blog with my 9 year old daughter. She hasn't learned about the Holocaust in school yet, but she, too, is very intrigued with your blog and the history. We look forward to following you on the rest of your journey, and reading more from you tomorrow. Sleep well. Take care of each other; you will be forever connected by this experience.
It was great to see you for the skype session. Your posting are providing a wonderful overview of what you are experiencing. Tomorrow should be a very meaningful day with Pavel Stransky. It is so important that a new generation learns not just what happened but how and why. Your blog has been great way for us to share in the experience. Have fun too!!
I keep looking back at the picture of Pinkas cemetary. It's an awesome photo. 12 to 14 layers of graves? It's hard to fathom. Enjoy your time in Prague. Imagine living in one of the beautiful castles! Take lot's of pictures everyone( especially Ash)
A very informative journey , great pictures, and expressions on students.Thank you for sharing. Keep up the good work. Missing you ,Delia
Hi everybody!You were a hit on the Skype session Thursday night! So glad that you've been enjoying Prague and getting ready to meet another survivor. I can only imagine how moving that experience will be.I will be thinking of you this week as I, too, will be in Europe, just a bit away in Italy. Wish we could meet somewhere in the middle!Keep learning and growing! Can't wait to see you all when we return.Love,Mrs. D.
What an awesome experience for all 22 of you to be going through together, As Mrs. T always says where else would you put such a diverse set of students together and have them become close friends in such a short peiod of time. Diane and I are proud of all of you. You have some incredible chaperones and the most knowledgable and caring guides. At a recent BOE meeting we had the book Salvaged Pages on our agenda for approval and on the same night we had a presentation on the new bullying legislation that was just passed in New Jersey. It really got me thinking how Hitler and the Nazi's bullied the rest of the world for quite some time before anyone stood up to him and said STOP this is not right. We all have the power to stop a bully by standing up and letting them know that we are not going to just watch it happen. When you see something tht just isnt right you must help others to correct the wrongs, if you dont then in effect you will be aiding the bullies, Inaction is as bad negative action.I am glad you are all well.Your expressions show that you \”get it\” you are all \”feeling\” this thip and this will now be a living part of you.I am a proud that you are repesenting your schools and communities so well.Love you the most CCTake care and talk soon!!
The memorial synagogue was really cool, it's amazing that they were able to put the towns where the Jews lived, their date of birth, and date of death on the wall. Sounds like you guys are having fun!
I'm so surprised about the cemetery. Who knew that they would place that many people in one place. It makes it seem as if no one is special. Then again this is something that happened long ago. And by the way it sounds like you guys are eating a lot. Hope you're enjoying it!!
It was wonderful to see all of you on Skype (especially Brenton) Dani missed you lots. The pictures tell a beautiful and sad story. The cemetary pictures were the most moving for me. Keep soaking in the knowledge, keep taking pictures (B) we miss you all . Love you pal.
Sounds like the trip is going great! The synagogue with the Gothic architecture sounds very fascinating. I can't believe that in the Old Jewish Cemetery graves were dug on top of each other. That's crazy that there are up to 14 layers of graves in some areas! Have fun the rest of the trip!
After going to Prague on HST2009, it became my favorite city in the world. I returned last summer and I still can't get enough of the city, and especially the Jewish history. Last semester at Ithaca I actually did a research project on ghost stories and legends of Prague, including the Jewish Quarter, and learned a bunch of more cool things about the Jewish Quarter that I didn't learn on the trip. I am glad to see that everything is going well.Zoë
I think it is amazing that people wouldn't just bury relatives outside of the city instead of layering them in a graveyard. Today that would not be at all acceptable and would probably lead to many problems and arguments. The pictures are very interesting but very sad because the cemetaries look like no one cares for them. Was it possible for wealthier Jews to get a plot where they did not have to layer the bodies?
When you saw all of those names in the Pinkas Synagogue on the walls with their city and date of birth and death, that must have been an amazing sight. It took up 3 floors of the museum to put up all of the names. Those were just the Jews that were murdered in Bohemia and Moravia. That gives you an idea about how many people were murdered in just two cities. I wonder how long it took to hand paint all of those names.It was also interesting to read and see pictures of the Jewish cemetery. It looks like a mess with the grave stones so close together. But it is really old plus they were in layers so it is understandable. -Dashawn Harden
I think the pictures with all the headstones is the most interesting. It amazes me how they are so close together and how are all stacked on top of one another. I remember seeing this picture in one of the movies we watched in class. Just by looking at the picture I can see the blatant disregard that they had for the Jews and their memories in the headstones. It's hard to imagine that this occurred in cemataries back then when now days the headstones ate separated and neat.
It is amazing for me to witness through this blog your experiences and how personal it makes it. Continue on your journey and looking forward to tomorrow's blog.
I find the story of the yellow hat to be inspirational. How many times in our lives are we confronted with something negative? Instead of shying away from the negativity, this story teaches us to take the power back from such a symbol of negativity and recast it in a spirit of unity and self empowerment. I remain enthralled with your journey. Continued safe travels!
I too am amazed with the story of the yellow hat.How brave the Jews were to walk with pride!
I find your faces throughout all the pictures and see in them listening, compassion, learning…being moved by history and its lessons.
WISHING ALL THE ENERGY TO CONTINUE YOURTRAVELS.
Wow the story of the yellow hat amazed me. I have such respect for the Jews.
After reading the last 3 days blogs, I can only hope the future will provide historians asknowledgeable as your guides. That future generations can learn as much as all of you. I thank you all for your continuued blogs. To Ms. Tambuscio, thank you as well for your inspiration and drive to continue to educate our students. Be safe to all!
Hi Everyone!I just want to let you all know that I'm following your blog, and that you guys are all part of an absolutely amazing experience. They started this trip when I was a Junior at NMHS, and although I've always been fascinated by the Holocaust, I wasn't able to attend this wonderful trip. You guys are all very lucky, (which I'm sure you know) and I think I speak for the entire NMHS when I say that we are so proud of you guys! Keep up the great work!Ms. Norton(Athletic Office)
Thanks you for sharing such a profoundly moving and personal experience. Your valuable and insightful commentaries are confirmation that this trip is changing each and every one of you. Being able to take this journey through your posts is enlightening for all of your readers. Thank you!
Thank you so much for sharing your experiences and reflections!
Well, it's been one week since you're gone and think of all you have learned already, enough for one school year!This \”hands-on\” experience of witnessing historical places and meeting people like authors is invaluable. Hope next week is just as enlightening.Miss you all, especially my students, Alyssa N, Alyssa S, and Sam, and, of course, my colleague, Mrs. T!Mrs. DePoto
I hope you all are having a memorable time. I cannot wait for when I have the chance to go on this trip. I'm sure you all have learned so much from this experience and I hope you are enjoying this amazing opportunity. Stay safe over there!
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I was just able to catch up on your blog. I love learning about about the lesser known people and stories through you-the yellow hats, the Jews that were in hiding for months, the families that hid them, the memorials built into the sidewalks and the sides of buildings. How insightful to comment on the fact that in order to read the memorials on the ground, one must bow before them.I look forward to following your travels and listening to your comments and feelings.Continue to have a safe and healthy trip!Liz Horgan
Wow, the story of the yellow hats is definitely an encouraging and inspiring way to show how you can take such a negative thing and turn it into something positive. It's an amazing opportunity to follow you all in your travels and experiences, and I wish you all the best!Nick Damiano
As a teacher of English and such a lover of books, I am impressed to hear of the value placed on education and literacy within the Jewish community. It is so valuable that religious customs are predicated on the ability and privilege of reading. What a blessing to be literate and even more of a blessing to be FREE to read whatever we want! Imagine living somewhere where your lives and your texts were restricted. Maybe you wouldn't have had access to Alexandra's book. Literacy set the Jews apart from other societies. How will your experiences set you apart? How will you be better for it. I'm loving your work. We miss you all. Take care of Mrs. T!
I am following your trip avidly and find it inspirational and moving. I look forward to talking with you on SKYPE on your return. You are learning so much which I am sure you will never forget. Pass this knowledge on to your children and grand children, so that it is not forgotten.
Thank you for your posts. As I read many of them, I keep thinking of a quote from Anne Frank. \”I don't believe that the big men, the politicians and the capitalists alone are guilty of the war. Oh, no, the little man is just as keen, otherwise the people of the world would have risen in revolt long ago! There is an urge and rage in people to destroy, to kill, to murder, and until all mankind, without exception, undergoes a great change, wars will be waged, everything that has been built up, cultivated and grown, will be destroyed and disfigured, after which mankind will have to begin all over again.\” (Anne Frank)I think many of the things you are witnessing prove Anne's point!
Wow, Alexandra Zapruder!The collection of unique diaries she put together in \”Salvaged Pages\” is incredible. With each one of the diaries, my understanding of everyday life during the Holocaust deepens. It's great that she gave all those diarists the chance to have their voices heard.
The trip to the Strahov Monastery looked amazing from the pictures taken. The well done paintings and thousands of books perfectly organized for centuries is something truly special; also being able to carefully preserve books dating back to the 10th century is remarkable.
Prague looks so beautiful – so glad you have such nice weather –
What a wonderful day! I find it very interesting how books were compared to diamonds. Why would people carry them around? What made them so valuable? Was it the knowledge that it contained? I look forward to continuing to follow you along on your trip.
Prague sounds like such a beautiful place full of rich history and culture! I found it interesting how important owning a book was. I thought it was cool that you guys visited the former royal palace and learned the story of how horse manure and an event in that building led to the Thirty Years War in Europe. I really wish I was on this trip, it sounds like so much fun!
Wow!!! I am so impressed with all that you did today. This blog is so educational and I love seeing it through all the students' eyes.(I can't believe you visited The St. Vitus Cathedral,Justin) Keep learning and posting! Thanks!!!!!
The US Ambassador's house was gorgeous, and you never would have gotten me out of the library. Enjoy your time there and cherish all you are experiencing.
As far as I can see..Prague is beautiful! Love the John Lennon wall 😘💘
Wonderful post and lovely photos. Thanks so much for sharing.
Wow! What amazing history. I also appreciate all the thoughtful reflections. It is amazing the history. As Chanila reflected, how knowledge withstands time even through evil. I appreciate all the wonderful information and photos on the blog. I look forward every day to reading.
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People with different religious believes have cost huge conflict ever seance the middle ages maybe even longer than that and it still goes on today across the world it is sad. I also really liked the back story of the star of Davis.
It looks as though you are having a wonderful time and learning a lot. I really like seeing your pictures.
I loved the John Lennon wall. I find it especially significant that you all saw the wall on the day that the first Nuremburg law was introduced (April 7th) which restricted the Jewish community from participating in the government. The combination of the laws restricted all the freedoms of the Jewish people so it is quite powerful to see such a large symbol of freedom on such a day.
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It is very cool that one of the dancing house has a male part and the fan skirt is the female.
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