The Day of Jewish Monuments today opens more than 60 synagogues and cemeteries in the Czech Republic

Prague – Today's Day of Jewish Monuments will open over 60 synagogues and cemeteries in the Czech Republic, which people can visit for free or for a voluntary admission fee. This year's ninth edition of the event will allow visitors to access renovated monuments and those that are not usually open from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Among them is, for example, the synagogue in Neveklov in the Benešov region after the restoration of its ceiling, or the gradually reconstructed synagogues in Pacov in the Pelhřimov region and in Čáslav, Pavel Veselý from the Jewish Community in Prague informed ČTK.

The list of open monuments can be found on the website of the project. In some locations, there is also an accompanying program planned. According to Veselý, there will be events in Čáslav, Neveklov, Volyně, or Žamberk, among others. Guided tours will take place at cemeteries in Slaný, Tučapy in the Táborsko region, Pardubice, and Nýrsko in the Klatovy region.

This year in Prague, the Jerusalem Synagogue in New Town is part of the project. Two permanent exhibitions on the care of Jewish monuments are on display in its women's gallery.

According to Veselý, the Jewish Community in Prague owns 30 synagogues and 175 Jewish cemeteries across three regions and is one of the most significant investors in their restoration. During World War II, the Nazis burned, demolished, or destroyed around 70 synagogues in the country, with another 105 synagogues disappearing between 1948 and 1989.

To this day, approximately 200 synagogues and 370 Jewish cemeteries have been preserved in the Czech Republic, owned by one of the nine Jewish communities or their federation. The monuments, usually protected by the state, also belong to the property of towns, churches, and private owners.