k2ok

I'll be in Prague during the Jewish High Holy Days and have gotten a variety of different anwers to questions about attending services. An employee of Wittmann Tours told me to just show up at the synagogue of my choice with my passport as ID. Does anyone know if this is true? K2

lucy_d

I don't have first hand knowledge, but I would consider information given by Whittman tours to be accurate. I would certainly rely on their knowledge.

risab

A few years ago we went to Shabbat services at the Spanish Synagogue right before Passover with a Reform congregation - I believe called Beit Praha. You can google "jewish congregations in Prague" and you should get it. We contacted them prior to Passover and were told about the services as well as a community seder. It was really a great experience. Security is tight so yes, you do need to bring your passport and it is better to email the congregation prior to your visit so you will be known.

Wittman does great tours of the Jewish area and Terezin - I highly recommend them. Prague's Jewish history is really amazing. Please also consider a trip to Terezin.

Shana Tova.

k2ok

Thanks for the replies. With a bit more diligent web searching, I was able to contact the Spanish Synagogue, the Old-New Synagogue and the Jubilee Synagogue directly. I was told the same as Wittman Tours told me. Just show up with ID - passport - and you are welcome. So we are able to be in shul for Rosh Hashanah, and we are very much looking forward to the services for the New Year. L'shana Tova to all. k2

Jed

Are you interested in Chabad? We went there for Simchat Torah, and it was an experience.

http://www.chabadprague.cz/

Gardyloo

We attended Rosh Hashanah services at the Spanish Synagogue a couple of years ago. Beit Praha brings in an English-speaking rabbi for the holidays; the service is in both English and Czech. I would put residents/expats and visitors at around 50-50. The service was sort of conservative/reform in tenor. (I believe other high holy days services in Prague are all Orthodox.)

It was quite wonderful sitting in the beautiful Spanish Synagogue, but the ghosts are all around you. It can be pretty emotional if you let it.

FWIW, we stayed at the Hotel Maximilian - http://www.maximilianhotel.com/ which is not only a very nice place, but which is a 5-min. walk from the Spanish Synagogue. Highly recommended.

tower

K2 and Jed:

One thing is for certain...your welcome at any Chabad shul will be a warm one...as I wrote in another thread a few days ago regarding synagogues in Spain, there are over 1800 Chabad locations worldwide. I'm sure that your welcome at any of the Praha shuls will be a warm one also.

I do recall on our first visit to Prague in 1983, during Shavuoth, we had no problem just walking into the Spanish synagogue(named thusly because of its Moorish design) without any identification...
nowadays, it's of course required everywhere.

To repeat from the other thread, Chabad = CHochmoh (wisdom),Binah
(understanding) and Daas (knowledge).

L'shana tova..hopefully a peaceful one..

Jed: were you able to download the synagogue list?

stu t.

Jed

What list?

tower

sorry, Jed, it was a request for my worldwide list of visited synagogues that I received from poster Jed20910..thought you were that Jed.

stu t.

k2ok

Thanks again for the replies to my question.
Risab- we will be touring Terezin with Wittman. We're very interested in the Jewish History of Prague, both beautiful and painful.

Jed & Tower - I knew we would be welcome at Chabad, but since the men and women sit separately in an Orthodox shul, we thought that Conservative or Reform services would be more comfortable for us, especially after learning that English is used in the service at the Spanish synagogue. I understand the building is beautiful and we're really looking forward to being part of the congregation, if only for the day.

Gardyloo - Since you were there for Rosh Hashanah services may I ask if women wore pants?

Thanks again. k2

Jed

Stu - On Yahoo, I am Jed 20910. Just got your emails, thanks.

Gardyloo

<i>Gardyloo - Since you were there for Rosh Hashanah services may I ask if women wore pants?</i>

I seem to recall my wife did. The services were not especially dressy - plenty of men without ties, for example.

The service was pretty hamisch, far less grand than the setting.

Gardyloo

And I assume you meant trousers - watch out for different usages.

k2ok

Hamisch is a wonderful word for someone who will be away from home. I did mean trousers for women, but decided to pack a skirt anyway, just in case. Once again, to all -- L'shana tova, peace, good health and happiness to everyone. k2

dmlove

Shana tova. Please let us know how it went on your return. Have a great trip.

risab

I wore pants to services for Shabbat and also for seder. The congregants at the Spanish Synagogue when I visited were a mix of ages and some were recently returning or exploring their Judiasm. My husband did bring his kipa for services. The seder was so interesting because it was led by an American Rabbi (married to a Jewish Czech woman) and was done in English, Czech and Hebrew.

Have a wonderful trip.

dmlove

Completely OT, risab, that's a very unusual and pretty name. Do you mind telling me where you grew up?