The story of mankind
Finally we got to visit Josefov the jewish quarters.
As you walk up to the then settlement you know are getting close to the area because you'll pass by a fancy Nespresso boutique, series of designer shops and the closer you get the more jewellery stores you'll see.
But what lies behind these beautiful shop was a difficult and painful history to be told. We passed by one ...of the oldest synagogue in the world, built in 1200. It is a modest 2 floor building, separating area for man and woman. It's unfortunately closed to public.
Up the road was the old-new synagogue. The ticket lady had a bit of attitude towards us, my kind hearted husband assumed she have hearing problem. It brought me back to the time I travelled to Venice and happened to sit behind a Jewish lady, she heard me talking to stewardess I was late for connecting flight, she blocked my way out of the aisle and gave me the meanest look while half of the airplane emptied, 10 years later, here in Prague her face popped up in my mind, it's one of those thing you can't forget, it surprised me how the little acts of denying ones right even on the smallest scale really can resonates. I didn't say anything back then and now I decided to say nothing as I don't want to discourage my husband.
Once inside, the walls were printed with thousands of name of Jewish killed. It was difficult to just be there and reading. I can't even begin to imagine the suffering of this community.
My daughter Nabilah is good at mental math, quite clueless with the history was just doing the math of the age of death of these people on the small print. She was appalled and over and over again she asked me why was children killed mama.
To be honest I don't know why, which is why I was there. In the end I told her we human lost our humanity.
Upstairs there were display of paintings of children back in 1940s. Children was so oppressed that parents had to encourage art to help them cope. I had to fight my tear when I see a picture of 3 stick man on the floor in pool of black ink, a small stick man at corner watching while the black and much bigger stick man was holding an object. You cannot tell their gender, just size of evil man was bigger than the rest.
Finally I came to paintings around 1945, where children was painting image of hope. They painted pictures of people on camels, the beach, the sun, the olive trees. Here you can see man and woman in hijab, in hope you see humans personality and gender...But what strike me the most, the people on camel were headed for Palestine.
My eyes wells up as my thoughts raced to the children of Palestine who've lost their life and the survivors lived under similar oppression still until today, in a world we call civilised. My heart aches. I didn't finish looking at the rest of drawing because I just can't concentrate anymore.
History can be written in many ways but when it's scribbled by an innocent kid you know it's the truth. It's always been Palestine, even for the Jewish people back then, it was never Israel.
I happen to arrive at the same time with college students who were all Jewish, maybe 30 people or so. This place also acts as pilgrimage.
I wonder if they see all the history as I did in these children's art? Or do they feel so sorry for themselves that they fail to notice the twist of what their new society have become?
Outside was the cemetery, a small area but packed with tomb. I was told that the density is not just horizontal but also vertical. Jewish aren't allowed to remove old graves, so they just keep burying one on top of another, some up to 12 bodies.
Historically Jewish was wealthy traders mainly banking and jewellery. They came to Prague as early 10th century to trade.
Prior to Nazi, they were already under attack by the crusaders and eventually allowed to live in walled Ghetto. Later in 13th century they were allowed some self administration which they begin to prosper. By 16th century, the Jewish mayor become Minister of Finance. He became wealthy and used his money to developed the previously ghetto area. He was so rich he bought most of the land, a synagogue build only for him, his family and privileged 'elite' friends still stands today.
Eventually the rich Jews joins the society and leave behind the orthodox and poor Jewish community to live in the Ghetto area.
In another history it also said at this time the now richer Jewish community starts pushing out the Germanic tribe to become minority in the area.
But in the 18th century again their horrible fate returned, war ordered by Queen of Austria.
As the era of Austro-Hungarian ended in Prague, the Jewish community once again prosper until the arrival of Nazi, and the worlds nightmare begin.
Until now I don't get what triggered Nazi, the Queen of Austria or the crusaders before that? Was it because of Jews crucifixion of Jesus, Was it threats of success at trade or that capitalism world that they introduce, Was it power of religion or annoyed at their arrogance when successful? Or Was it simply race preservation in Central Europe? I'm almost afraid to google as you never know who wrote the history.
Deliberately the Nazi destroyed most of Jewish heritage but preserved some in Josefov as museum to help the future generation understand why they did what they did. Nazi ordered a Jewish man to help with the preservation where he played the double game to preserve for the benefit of his own people, so to this end Hitler have failed his mission.
The only thing that is obvious to me is their capitalism world, and that is the root of all of our evil, it has never really been about religion nor race, but the more I read about this, the more apparent that the community that brought capitalism era. Our life is now bound by it, the modern world slavery.
City of Prague are lined with big designer boutiques, much more impressive that what I've seen in Dublin or Stockholm. It reminded me more of Italy or Paris. According to a local, that's not the shop for them.
I would've thought the same, so who is buying? Is it a symbolic reason for Jewish wealth....hmmm.
Financial institution that have clawed back their operations in other parts of Europe are scattered here in Prague, how and why they survived here?
Our era is full of hypocrisy. We wears our one religion but truly we have another layer which is the capitalism religion.
We enslaved ourself to our jobs to afford unaffordable mortgages, the fancy cars and designer handbags. We confuse all matters of war, money and religion so that we can pick and choose excuses as feel good factor.
A lifestyle that is not sustainable unless we are willing to step on somebody else head and to stab them on the back to achieve what we want.
Which is why today, we have excess in some parts of the world while others suffers poverty and starvation.
When capitalism becomes the new way of life, it becomes the new religion.
Later that day, I spend some time with my Nabilah in a cosy coffee shop and I try to help her understand why humanity is important, why no matter what others say...there is only two types of human being in this world that matters, a good one and a bad one. Why religion is important to human soul and how different that is to human behaviour of a religion and that history depends on the writer, of course all with analogies she could relate to.
Only then I felt a little relief. If its too late for my generation than let it be that my children will be part of generation for change. And so I pray.
#That's my final story before I board back to Stockholm
-fida.i-
Feb 11, 2013
Finally we got to visit Josefov the jewish quarters.
As you walk up to the then settlement you know are getting close to the area because you'll pass by a fancy Nespresso boutique, series of designer shops and the closer you get the more jewellery stores you'll see.
But what lies behind these beautiful shop was a difficult and painful history to be told. We passed by one ...of the oldest synagogue in the world, built in 1200. It is a modest 2 floor building, separating area for man and woman. It's unfortunately closed to public.
Up the road was the old-new synagogue. The ticket lady had a bit of attitude towards us, my kind hearted husband assumed she have hearing problem. It brought me back to the time I travelled to Venice and happened to sit behind a Jewish lady, she heard me talking to stewardess I was late for connecting flight, she blocked my way out of the aisle and gave me the meanest look while half of the airplane emptied, 10 years later, here in Prague her face popped up in my mind, it's one of those thing you can't forget, it surprised me how the little acts of denying ones right even on the smallest scale really can resonates. I didn't say anything back then and now I decided to say nothing as I don't want to discourage my husband.
Once inside, the walls were printed with thousands of name of Jewish killed. It was difficult to just be there and reading. I can't even begin to imagine the suffering of this community.
My daughter Nabilah is good at mental math, quite clueless with the history was just doing the math of the age of death of these people on the small print. She was appalled and over and over again she asked me why was children killed mama.
To be honest I don't know why, which is why I was there. In the end I told her we human lost our humanity.
Upstairs there were display of paintings of children back in 1940s. Children was so oppressed that parents had to encourage art to help them cope. I had to fight my tear when I see a picture of 3 stick man on the floor in pool of black ink, a small stick man at corner watching while the black and much bigger stick man was holding an object. You cannot tell their gender, just size of evil man was bigger than the rest.
Finally I came to paintings around 1945, where children was painting image of hope. They painted pictures of people on camels, the beach, the sun, the olive trees. Here you can see man and woman in hijab, in hope you see humans personality and gender...But what strike me the most, the people on camel were headed for Palestine.
My eyes wells up as my thoughts raced to the children of Palestine who've lost their life and the survivors lived under similar oppression still until today, in a world we call civilised. My heart aches. I didn't finish looking at the rest of drawing because I just can't concentrate anymore.
History can be written in many ways but when it's scribbled by an innocent kid you know it's the truth. It's always been Palestine, even for the Jewish people back then, it was never Israel.
I happen to arrive at the same time with college students who were all Jewish, maybe 30 people or so. This place also acts as pilgrimage.
I wonder if they see all the history as I did in these children's art? Or do they feel so sorry for themselves that they fail to notice the twist of what their new society have become?
Outside was the cemetery, a small area but packed with tomb. I was told that the density is not just horizontal but also vertical. Jewish aren't allowed to remove old graves, so they just keep burying one on top of another, some up to 12 bodies.
Historically Jewish was wealthy traders mainly banking and jewellery. They came to Prague as early 10th century to trade.
Prior to Nazi, they were already under attack by the crusaders and eventually allowed to live in walled Ghetto. Later in 13th century they were allowed some self administration which they begin to prosper. By 16th century, the Jewish mayor become Minister of Finance. He became wealthy and used his money to developed the previously ghetto area. He was so rich he bought most of the land, a synagogue build only for him, his family and privileged 'elite' friends still stands today.
Eventually the rich Jews joins the society and leave behind the orthodox and poor Jewish community to live in the Ghetto area.
In another history it also said at this time the now richer Jewish community starts pushing out the Germanic tribe to become minority in the area.
But in the 18th century again their horrible fate returned, war ordered by Queen of Austria.
As the era of Austro-Hungarian ended in Prague, the Jewish community once again prosper until the arrival of Nazi, and the worlds nightmare begin.
Until now I don't get what triggered Nazi, the Queen of Austria or the crusaders before that? Was it because of Jews crucifixion of Jesus, Was it threats of success at trade or that capitalism world that they introduce, Was it power of religion or annoyed at their arrogance when successful? Or Was it simply race preservation in Central Europe? I'm almost afraid to google as you never know who wrote the history.
Deliberately the Nazi destroyed most of Jewish heritage but preserved some in Josefov as museum to help the future generation understand why they did what they did. Nazi ordered a Jewish man to help with the preservation where he played the double game to preserve for the benefit of his own people, so to this end Hitler have failed his mission.
The only thing that is obvious to me is their capitalism world, and that is the root of all of our evil, it has never really been about religion nor race, but the more I read about this, the more apparent that the community that brought capitalism era. Our life is now bound by it, the modern world slavery.
City of Prague are lined with big designer boutiques, much more impressive that what I've seen in Dublin or Stockholm. It reminded me more of Italy or Paris. According to a local, that's not the shop for them.
I would've thought the same, so who is buying? Is it a symbolic reason for Jewish wealth....hmmm.
Financial institution that have clawed back their operations in other parts of Europe are scattered here in Prague, how and why they survived here?
Our era is full of hypocrisy. We wears our one religion but truly we have another layer which is the capitalism religion.
We enslaved ourself to our jobs to afford unaffordable mortgages, the fancy cars and designer handbags. We confuse all matters of war, money and religion so that we can pick and choose excuses as feel good factor.
A lifestyle that is not sustainable unless we are willing to step on somebody else head and to stab them on the back to achieve what we want.
Which is why today, we have excess in some parts of the world while others suffers poverty and starvation.
When capitalism becomes the new way of life, it becomes the new religion.
Later that day, I spend some time with my Nabilah in a cosy coffee shop and I try to help her understand why humanity is important, why no matter what others say...there is only two types of human being in this world that matters, a good one and a bad one. Why religion is important to human soul and how different that is to human behaviour of a religion and that history depends on the writer, of course all with analogies she could relate to.
Only then I felt a little relief. If its too late for my generation than let it be that my children will be part of generation for change. And so I pray.
#That's my final story before I board back to Stockholm
-fida.i-
Feb 11, 2013
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