Prague Day 1
Going through the Jewish quarter was very impactful. During our time, we sat in an Ashkenazi temple that was built in 1200. It gave us a view of the life that the Jews lived more than eight centuries ago. Traveling to another temple in a ghetto that the Jews were once kept, we walked into a synagogue that was revamped to honor the names of more than 70,000 recorded Jews murdered in Prague during the Holocaust.
After our time in the Jewish quarter, and in multiple synagogues, we headed towards the aqua park! All of us had loads of fun on water slides- we also had a yummy lunch and delicious cold treats. To end our daily adventures, we drove back to the hotel, excited for the night to come. At 5:30 PM, we took the tram towards Prague’s old city. We had dinner and then went to a magnificent concert. Lastly, we walked back to the tram, and then sleepily went to the hotel.
– Erin, Chloe, Noa, Sarah, and Sadie
Prague Day 2
Today we had a very meaningful experience as we walked into the Terezín Ghetto. You could feel history in every footstep. We started by walking into the front of the museum, and we watched a very haunting video about [life in Terezín that showed] propaganda versus real life, where we saw jarring images [drawings by artists imprisoned in the ghetto], and Nazi propaganda [that showed healthy and happy looking Jews playing sports, gardening, and living a decent life].
Then we saw the secret underground synagogue that the Jews fought for, and it was incredible standing in a room that somehow felt so holy though it was in the midst of terror. There were words and phrases about returning to Zion, and freeing all Jews surrounding the wall. Then we took a short bus to the barracks and saw what it was like sleeping in these terrible places. We saw the bags, the sheets, and the beds. Then we took a bus ride to one of the most meaningful parts [the Jewish cemetery and memorial] and saw where the girls of Terezín planted a tree [on Tu B’shevat 1942]. [The tree died in a flood in 2003 but it was preserved as a monument.]
It felt really powerful to think that we were there as Jewish kids from a Jewish school touching [the monument of] a tree planted over 80 years ago by Jewish kids who didn’t have the freedom that we have today.
– Zach
Prague Day 3
The kids are wiped out and so you get [Rabbi Sharon Clevenger’s] report today. We woke up for a delicious hotel breakfast and a drive to Prague Castle, the largest contiguous castle on the planet! We had a tour guide named Lydia, who filled us with the history of the city, including seeming to identify the architectural style and period of every building that we passed, and every building that we saw within the castle complex. It’s amazing how much these guides know!
Students loved seeing the cathedral (which is part of the castle), with one commenting that he’s ‘seen churches and temples before, but nothing like this.’ We also saw a room in a different part of the castle that was used for indoor jousting, and the old parliament room with a painting of a queen who had 16 children!
We walked from the castle to the area surrounding the famous Charles Bridge, where we broke for lunch. We walked across the bridge and learned about all of the statues, mostly Christian symbols and kings.
We returned to the hotel for some R&R. There’s a pool table, a foosball table, and lots of great spaces to hang out around the lobby, so kids took advantage of the time and the space. We ended the day with dinner at the hotel, followed by a historical overview with our educator, Dann. Using maps, he helped us see how and when the Jewish people came to be in this part of Europe.
Tomorrow we make the big drive to Budapest. We’re stopping at really cool and non-claustrophobic caves with massive stalactites/mites that require a stunningly beautiful downhill hike to get there and an equally beautiful and flat hike to get to the other end.
– Rabbi Sharon Clevenger, Dean of Jewish Life and Learning
Budapest Day 1
Today was our first full day in Budapest and wow what a day it was! We visited the main synagogue in Budapest [Dohány Street Synagogue], which was truly beautiful.
Built at the start of the Reform movement, the synagogue was designed after a church as part of assimilation. Instead of having the bima in the center with seating surrounding it, like the one we saw in Prague, the bima here is at the front of the room, facing a large wooden Ark. We learned a lot about the synagogue’s architecture as well as many interesting facts about the Jewish community in Budapest. For example, out of roughly 120,000 Jews living in Budapest today, fewer than 5,000 actively practice.
We then took a walk to the nearby Jewish quarter, where we had lunch and did some shopping. Afterward, we drove to the Danube river and reflected on the tragic history of the Jews who were shot and killed there [by Hungarian Nazi allies].
[This is the famous “Shoes on the Danube” memorial, which the kids found very powerful.]
After the Danube memorial, we returned to the bus and headed to Buda Castle, which was incredible. We saw statues of past kings and admired the breathtaking views and fountains. We also found an amazing photo spot, a pavilion high up on the rocks overlooking Pest, the other half of Budapest across the Danube river from Buda.
In addition, we learned that during World War II, many buildings in the castle were destroyed and later rebuilt. Some were patched rather than fully restored, which explains the mismatched coloring you can still see today.
Later, we had a baking lesson where we learned how to make a traditional Hungarian dessert called chimney cakes. These were AMAZING! They’re made from soft dough rolled into a long strip, wrapped around a cylinder, baked, and coated in cinnamon sugar. The name comes from the way steam rises from them like smoke from a chimney.
Budapest Day 2
We spent our morning at the Lauder Javneh Jewish Day School, the largest such school in Budapest (but not the only one). We met the rabbi of the school, who engaged with the kids as they asked great questions, ranging from demographics to whether they experience antisemitism. Rabbi Adam explained that there is “regular antisemitism,” but that Jews generally do not feel unsafe in Budapest, and that it is a city that Israelis often travel to because it is so welcoming to Jews.We were treated to a tour of the school and grounds by nine students who are doing a year of intensive English language studies. Our kids were deeply envious of the playgrounds and nearby soccer fields, and liked talking, albeit shyly, with their tour guides (who are in ninth grade). Everyone got to visit the school’s VR lab, where we donned goggles and hand controls and visited the ISS for a space walk.
We were treated to a tour of the school and grounds by nine students who are doing a year of intensive English language studies. Our kids were deeply envious of the playgrounds and nearby soccer fields, and liked talking, albeit shyly, with their tour guides (who are in ninth grade). Everyone got to visit the school’s VR lab, where we donned goggles and hand controls and visited the ISS for a space walk.
We also got to see a secret tunnel that some students discovered on school grounds 11 years ago. There is an orphanage next to the school, and the tunnel leads to it. During WWII, the orphanage was led by a Protestant minister. He housed and hid Jewish children. Though there are no records of the tunnel’s use, it is believed that it was used to protect/hide children when needed. The minister was never recognized as a “Righteous Among the Nations” individual, but I feel certain that he was. The school continues to support the orphanage. Each week, a Lauder School class does the grocery shopping for them so that they can have nutritious meals and snacks. It felt like something Rashi would do.
Some Grade 8 students showed the kids this tunnel and other parts of the school. We teachers did not go with them, which turned out to be the wise choice. By the time they all met back up in the library, they were talking noisily and laughing with each other. As Danny said when we arrived at the school, “When you’re Jewish, you always have friends.” I felt that at the school.
After lunch, we headed to Aqua World for an afternoon of pure fun.
As noted, one of the biggest goals of this trip is to help the kids feel deeply and lastingly connected to one another. Today we could truly say, “Mission accomplished.”
-Rabbi Sharon Clevenger, Dean of Jewish Life and Learning
