10 Sights & Landmarks in Josefov That You Shouldn't Miss

**This place is temporarily closed** Permanent exhibitions: The History of the Jews in Bohemia and Moravia, Part 2 This exhibition deals with the history of the Jews in the Bohemian lands from the reforms of Joseph II in the 1780s to the period after the Second World War. It highlights the gradual advancement toward greater equality and emancipation for Jews in Austria-Hungary, describes the foundation of the Czech-Jewish and Zionist movements, and profiles the most important Jewish entrepreneurs, scientists, writers, musicians and artists (including Franz Kafka, Sigmund Freud and Gustav Mahler). It also deals with the redevelopment of the Prague Jewish Town, Jewish sites of Bohemia and Moravia, and the history of the Jewish Museum in Prague. Special focus is on the Shoah of Jews from Bohemia and Moravia, and the Terezin ghetto. Synagogue Silver from Bohemia and Moravia Located on the upper floor, this permanent exhibition features a representative selection of more than 200 of the most valuable silver artefacts from the museum's collections. Most space is given over to Torah ornaments - shields, pointers, finials and crowns. Also on display are charity boxes, pitcher and basin sets for hand washing, Shabbat spice boxes, Kiddush cups, Hanukkah and Shabbat candles, and charity collection trays. The Spanish Synagogue is part of the Jewsh museum in Prague. The Spanish Synagogue is the most recent synagogue in the Prague Jewish Town. Built in 1868 for the local Reform congregation on the site of the 12th-century Altschul, which was the oldest synagogue in the Prague ghetto. It was called the Spanish Synagogue for its impressive Moorish interior design, influenced by the famous Alhambra. The building was designed by Josef Niklas and Jan Bělský, the remarkable interior (from 1882–83) by Antonín Baum and Bedřich Münzberger. František Škroup, the composer of the Czech national anthem, served as organist here in 1836-45.

Permanent exhibition Children's Drawings from the Terezin Ghetto Located on the first floor, this exhibition focuses on the fate of Jewish children who were incarcerated in the Terezin ghetto during the Second World War. It is based on the now world famous children's drawings that were made in the ghetto between 1942 and 1944 under the supervision of the artist Friedl Dicker-Brandeis. These emotionally powerful drawings bear testimony to the persecution of Jews during the Nazi occupation of the Bohemian lands in 1939-45. They document the transports to Terezin and daily life in the ghetto, as well as the dreams of returning home and of life in the Jewish homeland of Palestine. The vast majority of the children perished in the gas chambers of Auschwitz-Birkenau. The Pinkas Synagogue is part of the Jewish Museum in Prague. The Pinkas Synagogue is the second oldest preserved synagogue in Prague. Bbuilt in the late Gothic style in 1535, it was founded by Aaron Meshulam Horowitz, a prominent member of the Prague Jewish Community, and probably named after his grandson, Rabbi Pinkas Horowitz. It was originally a place of prayer for the Horowitz family and was located near a ritual bath (mikveh). It was restored to its original form in 1950-54. Memorial to the Bohemian and Moravian Victims of the Shoah In 1955-60 the Pinkas Synagogue was turned into a memorial to the nearly 80,000 Jewish victims of the Shoah from Bohemia and Moravia. One of the earliest memorials of its kind in Europe, it is the work of two painters, Václav Boštík and Jiří John. After the Soviet invasion of 1968, the memorial was closed to the public for more than 20 years. It was fully reconstructed and reopened to the public in 1995 after the fall of the Communist regime.

There are about 12,000 tombstones in the cemetery, many decorated with animal and plant motifs. The most important figures buried here: the scholar and teacher, Rabbi Judah Loew Ben Bezalel, known as the Maharal (d. 1609) the scholar and poet Avigdor Kara (d. 1439) the founder of the Pinkas Synagogue, Aaron Meshulam Horowitz (d. 1545) the mayor and developer of the Prague Jewish Town, Mordecai Maisel (d. 1601) the Renaissance scholar, historian, mathematicians and astronomer, David Gans (d. 1613) the collector of Hebrew manuscripts and books, Rabbi David Oppenheim (d. 1736) The Old Jewish Cemetery is part of Jewish museum in Prague. The Old Jewish Cemetery is among the oldest surviving Jewish burial grounds in the world and along with the Old-New Synagogue, it is the most important site in the Prague Jewish Town. It was founded in the first half of the 15th century. The earliest tombstone dates back to 1439; the last burial took place 348 years later. Although the cemetery was expanded several times over the centuries, it was still not big enough to meet the needs of the Jewish Town. As space was scarce, bodies were buried on top of each other, with graves layered up to 10 deep.

Permanent exhibition Jewish Customs and Traditions, Part 1 The exhibition continues in the Ceremonial Hall This exhibition starts by acquainting you with the primary sources of Judaism - the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) and the Talmud. It also lets you see an unfurled Torah scroll and its ornaments - the pointer (used when reading from the scroll), binder, mantle, shield and finials. The exhibition focuses on the synagogue, explaining its significance and describing its interior furnishings. It also deals with Jewish worship, the Sabbath and other Jewish holidays and religious celebrations. In the gallery are exhibits relating to the daily life of a Jewish family. This part of the show deals with the customs associated with birth, circumcision, bar mitzvah, marriage and divorce. It also provides a glimpse into a Jewish household and kitchen with its typical items. KLAUSEN SYNAGOGUE The Klausen synagogue is the biggest synagogue in the Prague Jewish Town. “Klausen” was originally the name given to three smaller buildings from the 16th century that used to be on this site. These buildings included a yeshivah (Talmudic school) that was founded by the famous Rabbi Loew. After the ghetto fire of 1689, the Klausen Synagogue was erected on the site in 1694, in the early Baroque style. It was the Prague Jewish Community's second main synagogue and a number of its prominent rabbis served here. It was also used as a place of prayer by the Prague Burial Society.

The oldest surviving example of a medieval twin-nave synagogue, the early-Gothic structure was built during the 13th century.