Old Jewish Cemetery, Holocaust Remembrance Day

A moving, unexpected, and emotional tour of the Old Jewish Cemetery at Pinkas Synagogue in Praque. Now a Holocaust museum, the synagogue has not held religious services since World War II and the Nazi occupation.

Imagine a completely white interior; pale stone flooring, linen-colored walls and warm wooden beams providing symmetry and structure to the space. Covering every surface—from the floor to ceiling, in black and red, inscribe the names of 80,000 man, woman, and child murdered in Prague during the Holocaust, part of the systematic genocide that claimed six million Jews across German-occupied Europe.

‘Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and will rebuild them as they were before. Jeremiah 33:6-7

In the upper chamber, a haunting exhibition displays of drawings created by children during World War II. These crayon images depicting life in the ghettos and camps, offering a glimpses into their experience through their own eyes.

After leaving the synagogue, a small courtyard leads into the Old Jewish Cemetery. The cemetery pre-dates the synagogue; the earliest grave dates to 1429, and remained in use until 1787. For over 300 years, Jews in Prague were forbidden to bury their dead anywhere else. Given the cemetery's limited size, new layers of earth were added repeatedly, creating layers of graves and raising the ground—moving the headstone to the top layer.

Today, about 12,000 headstones in this cemetery, but it is believed that as many as 100,000 people buried there—some sections containing up to twelve layers of graves or buried upright.

And it came to pass, after he had buried him, that he spake to his sons, saying, When I am dead, then bury me in the sepulchre wherein the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones. 1 Kings 13:31

The cemetery is the resting place of many prominent Jewish scholars and religious leaders. The headstones tightly packed, often leaning against or layered over one another. Many bear distinctive symbols—such as the Blessed Hands, the Star of David, and images like the Horse or the Lion of Judah—each offering clues about the lives, families, faith, and heritage of those buried there.