Czech it out

Obama and Putin marionettes–the heads are the same, only the color is different

In a town that capitalizes on its now extinct Jewish population, and which is situated so close to Theresienstadt, it seems more than a little distasteful to see a concentration camper doll for sale.  However, he was half price, very Jew-friendly.

The old Jewish cemetery in Prague is small but contains almost 12,000 tombstones, and many more bodies–the area was not large enough to meet the demand of dead Jews so earth was brought in and layers were created on top of existing graves.  You can see the tops of some tombstones peaking out from under the ground suggesting the palimpsest buried beneath.

In Jewish cemeteries you’ll notice small stones atop graves.  This is one of the many ways in which Jews remember.  It shows that someone visited this grave and remembered this person.  The practice comes from a time before headstones when a small mound of stones marked the site of a grave.

Praha, 7 August – 10 August 2010

One Comment

  1. ben

    That graveyard is amazing.

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