Jewish Cemetery

As a part of my service learning project, the first cemetery I visited was the Old Jewish cemetery and museum in Prague, Czech Republic. It is located in the Josefov, which is the Jewish quarter of the city, and founded by Ottokar II of Bohemia. It dates all the way back to the 15^th century with the oldest grave dug in 1439 for Avigdor Kara. My friends and I were actually on vacation in Prague and after seeing many sights like the Castle, St. Vitus Cathedral and the John Lennon Wall, we all decided that we should see the cemetery to supplement our research for our project. It was at first startling to witness so many tombstones almost crammed and piled on top of each other. Many of the stones were deformed and cracked. It seemed as though nature and the progression of time took its toll on the grounds with weeds and vines stretching around some of the stones. They simply were not taken care of. It looked like something out of a horror film or a backdrop for a haunted mansion but I knew there was a deep history that lay behind the graveyard. It truly is unsettling. There are a variety symbols on the tombstones to remind the living who is buried because it is not allowed to depict dead people in Judaism. For example, the graves of musicians are marked with an inscription of a violin. Scissors indicate a tailor. A crown indicates a scholar.

 It was interesting to discover that the number of bodies buried in the cemetery is uncertain but it estimated to be 100,000 with over 12,000 visible tombstones. Over a dozen burial layers exist because it is against Jewish Law to destroy Jewish graves. New layers of soil were added on top of old gravestones to make more space available. It was depressing to learn that new space was not able to be purchased. One can sense this notion by just simply looking at the crowded and tight nature of the cemetery. Like what Talia Shay stated in her article Why Takes Care of the Loved Ones?, “There is not treatment subsequent to burial, except for placing a few small fieldstones on the grave for the memory of a loved one... Traditionally, Jewish burials are usually simple, egalitarian, and almost uniform.” It was a sign of disrespect for the dead if the stones were tampered with in any way. The tombstones ranged from those of black Gothic, 16 ^th century marble, Baroque and Renaissance decoration.

 After our visit, I decided to purchase a small clay souvenir figurine of a golem, an artificial, anthropomorphic conjured through magic in Jewish folklore. I did not make the connection until after our visit was over that Judah Loew ben Bezalel is buried on the grounds. He is the late 16^th century rabbi of Prague who, according to legend, created a golem out of clay to stand beside the Jewish people and defend the city from anti-Semitism and pogroms. The monster later became violent and was ordered to be destroyed.  It is one of the most famous, classic golem narratives where the creature can summon the dead and become invisible.  A great melancholy seemed to loom over the cemetery because I started to ponder about and pity the families who have not been able to see the graves of their ancestors buried deep beneath the other layers of soil. I suppose their spirits are there anyway. I would feel greatly deprived if I was not be able to see the grave of a relative honored, respected, or preserved.