Day of Jewish Monuments opened more than 60 synagogues and cemeteries

More than 60 synagogues and Jewish cemeteries across Czechia opened their doors on Sunday as part of the Day of Jewish Monuments. They could be visited free of charge or for a voluntary donation from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The ninth edition included several normally inaccessible or newly restored sites, including the synagogue in Neveklov, where the ceiling has been restored, as well as synagogues in Pacov and Čáslav.

In Prague, the event included the Jerusalem Synagogue, where two permanent exhibitions on the preservation of Jewish monuments are on display in the women’s gallery. Accompanying programmes, including guided tours, were also held in places such as Čáslav, Neveklov, Volyně and Žamberk, as well as at Jewish cemeteries in Slaný and Pardubice.

Around 200 synagogues and 370 Jewish cemeteries have survived in Czechia. During World War II, the Nazis burned, demolished or destroyed around 70 synagogues, while another 105 disappeared between 1948 and 1989. Many of the surviving monuments are now gradually being restored.