Through the Labyrinth of Normalization: The Jewish Community as a Mirror for the Majority Society

Currently on display at the Robert Guttmann Gallery (until 28 January 2018) is an exhibition that was produced by the Jewish Museum in Prague in co-operation with the Security Services Archive and the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes for the 40th anniversary of the founding of Charter 77.
The exhibition focuses on concrete cases of Czechoslovak secret police operations against Jewish communities, the dilemmas faced by community members, and the involvement of several members in dissident and other activities outside the official scope of Jewish communities. Brought together from a number of archives, the majority of the unique documents and photographs are being exhibited for the very first time.
The exhibition is being held with the support of the State Cultural Fund of the Czech Republic and the City of Prague.
 
A Czech and English-language catalogue was written for the exhibition by the curator Martin Šmok. The catalogue can be purchased at the Jewish Museum’s e-shop at http://www.jewishmuseum.cz/e-shop/publikace/labyrintem-normalizace/ or at the Robert Guttmann Gallery (address: U Staré školy 3, Prague 1). Basic entry price to the gallery: CZK 40.  
 

The Faces of Victims of the Shoah
 
As of 16 October 2017, people walking along Široká Street from the Charles University Philosophy Faculty in the evening hours can view a projection of photographs onto the gable wall of the mikveh building on the grounds of the Pinkas Synagogue. The photographs show victims of Nazi persecution from the Czech lands. This projection is part of the ongoing modernization of the permanent exhibition in the Pinkas Synagogue memorial, which is a symbolic gravestone for the more than 78,000 Jewish victims from Bohemia and Moravia.
The aim of this project is to give a face to at least some of the victims whose names are written on the walls inside the Pinkas Synagogue. Through the help of the general public and, above all, Shoah survivors and witnesses, the Jewish Museum in Prague has acquired photographs of family members, friends and acquaintances who perished or were murdered in the ghettos, concentration camps and death camps.
The first projection of photographs onto the gable wall of the mikveh building on the Pinkas Synagogue grounds began at 7 p.m. on 16 October. The projection takes place every evening, apart from Fridays and Jewish holidays. It lasts 2.5 hours in the winter months, but will be shortened to 45 minutes in the summer (due to later sunset times).
Use of the outdoor space as part of the exhibition area is central to the museum’s new approach to the exhibition in the Pinkas Synagogue, which will open to visitors in 2018. There will be material on display in the front courtyard of the synagogue and in Pinkas Street. Digital elements will also be incorporated into the new exhibition, which will provide access to the museum’s database of Shoah victims and give additional information. Visitors will be able to access exhibit-related information at an interactive kiosk or via their own mobile devices.
The project for the revitalization of the Pinkas Synagogue has been supported by the Foundation for Holocaust Victims.

Ruth Bondy passes away
 
On 15 November 2017 we received the sad news of the death of the Czech-born Israeli journalist, author and translator, Ruth Bondy. It was all the more sad for the Jewish Museum as Ruth was a frequent visitor to our library and we had the good fortune of being able to fulfil her wishes and requests concerning her literary work. Ruth’s approach was formal at the outset but our relations became closer and closer over time. We always admired the breadth of her knowledge, her vitality, her interest, and her concise sense of humour. Ruth’s translation work demonstrated how important it was for her that high-quality Czech literature should be available to readers in Israel. Ruth was always pleased to hear about the possibility of translating a Czech author’s work, and we were delighted to be able to contribute in any way we could. In conversations with Ruth, she also shared details of her private life. She loved swimming, an activity with which she started the day for many years. We will remember her as a petite but strong woman who experienced the Shoah at first hand. She will also be remembered for the many books she wrote. It is difficult to come to terms with the fact that she will no longer be visiting us.

Restoration of a sandstone tomb in the Old Jewish Cemetery

In 2017, the Foundation for Holocaust Victims supported a project for the restoration of the tomb of Joseph Solomon Delmedigo, dating from 1655, in Prague’s Old Jewish Cemetery. On account of its significance and the quality of its workmanship, this tomb is one of the most important in the cemetery. In addition, it is the only tomb there that is made of sandstone. In the past, many visitors have inquired about its state of repair. The aim of the restoration work was not only to protect the tomb and to prevent further deterioration, but also to ensure that it remains a dignified monument and to restore this area of the cemetery to its former state.

Support for the recording of interviews with Shoah survivors
 
In 2017 the Jewish Museum in Prague received another financial donation from Rob Fried, who for many years has been funding the project “From Generation To…”. This project focuses on the recording of interviews with Shoah survivors. We would like to extend our thanks for his generous support.

Provenance and restitution of Jewish assets still relevant 

The question of confiscated Jewish assets, research into the provenance of collections, and restitution remain an integral part of academic research across European cultural institutions.  International conferences are held each year for the sharing of knowledge and experience related to this field. In 2017, Michal Bušek (a member of the Jewish Museum’s library staff) gave presentations on this topic at three conferences. The first of these was held in Paris in March and was organized by École nationale supérieure des sciences de l'information et des bibliothèques (National Superior School of Information Science and Libraries). The main topic was the fate of institutional and private libraries during the Second World War with focus on tracing and returning them to their place of origin. For many years, this matter was overshadowed by the question of what happened to looted artefacts, but not for the Jewish Museum in Prague. Michal Bušek’s presentation focused on the history of the Jewish Museum’s library collection and on its long-term research into the provenance of its books. The second conference was held in Vienna in May and was organized by Universitätsbibliothek Universität Wien (Vienna University Library). Its focus was on the collections of cultural institutions. Bušek’s presentation at this meeting dealt mainly with the history of the Jewish Museum’s book collection and the transfers of library files in 1940-1950. The third conference was held in November at the Simon Dubnow Institute for Jewish History and Culture at Leipzig University, and it focused on the issue of restitution. At this meeting Bušek gave a paper on the restitution of Jewish property in post-war Czechoslovakia, changes after the Communist coup of 1948, and developments after the Velvet Revolution of 1989. He talked about the most important laws on the return of confiscated Jewish assets and about the Jewish Museum's restitution policy.

History of Jewish settlement
 
On 11 October 2017, two of the Jewish Museum’s experts in Jewish studies, Pavel Kocman and Daniel Polakovič, gave a presentation at the 36th international conference of the Prague City Archives (“The City and its Walls”), which was held at the Clam-Gallas Palace in Prague. The topic under discussion was the relationship of the Jewish population in the Bohemian lands to the city walls in the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period. On 20 October 2017, Daniel Polakovič gave a paper, entitled “Old Jewish Cemeteries in Prostějov”, at the international conference “Reframing Jewish Life: Moravian Jewry at the Turn of the 19th and the 20th Centuries”, which was held for the Days of Jewish Culture festival in Olomouc. Alexandr Putík and Daniel Polakovič attended the international conference “The Phenomenon of Rural Jews”. Their presentations were entitled “David Gans and the Beginnings of Jewish Rural Settlement in the Mělník District” and “The Jewry of Bohemia – Origin and Structure”. This conference was held on 22–23 November 2017 and was organized by the Society of Friends of the Dr. Simon Adler Museum in Sušice.  

Renovation work in the annex of the Smíchov Synagogue
 
In November 2017, renovation work was carried out on the shop and adjoining areas in the Functionalist-style annex of the Smíchov Synagogue in Stroupežnického Street, Prague. The aim of the renovation was to resolve the long-term problem of rising damp in this part of the building, which has caused damage to the brickwork and loose plaster with increased salinity. Prior to work on the project documentation, a technical survey was completed in September 2016 and proposals were made for optimal structural remediation and waterproofing work – with use made of technology that had been successfully applied during the renovation of the Maisel Synagogue (with the approval of the heritage protection authority). Pressure grouting was applied to the impacted masonry walls in order to prevent capillary action, and moisture-resistant plaster was then used. In addition, the air-conditioning system was altered and a heating system was installed in the rooms with the aim of providing sufficient ventilation and heat distribution. The total renovation costs, including project preparation and engineering costs, amounted to CZK 590,000 (including VAT). As of December 2017, the renovated shop is being sub-let to Chanut s.r.o., which sells gifts and souvenirs – mainly minerals and semi-precious stones, but also figurines, pendants, amulets, porcelain/ceramic vases, jewellery, aroma lamps and tea sets, etc. The operator of the store was selected from 18 applicants on the basis of who submitted the best proposal and terms for running the retail area. We wish the store operator every success and hope that the renovated space will remain fit for purpose for a long time to come. 

New museum tickets 

On 1 December 2017, the Jewish Museum in Prague introduced new tickets for its exhibitions. The new tickets are colourful and are thermal printed. For a one-year period, an ad for the museum’s current business partner, Hotel King David, is featured at the bottom of the front of each ticket. We will be negotiating with other potential partners who would like to place their ads on our tickets.