Attraction Archives | Page 9 of 33

The Jewish Town Hall

Like many other structures in Prague’s Jewish Quarter, the Jewish Town Hall (Židovská Radnice in Czech) was funded by Mordechai Maisel, the community leader, philanthropist and one of its richest citizens during the 16th century. The Hall was built by Panacius Roder in 1586, with a distinct Renaissance style. It was originally used as the main meeting point for the local Jewish community until it was destroyed by a fire in 1755. The building was then reconstructed by Josef Schlesinger, in a Late Baroque style. This historical landmark boasts two clocks on its façade, a feature that symbolizes the former Prague Ghetto. The clock which is higher up on the tower uses Roman numerals. Notably, the second clock uses Hebrew numerals and hands that move counterclockwise. Although the Town Hall is not open to the public, it is still worth seeking out when touring the Jewish Quarter.

Image attribution:
Jim, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons;
jerzy Strzelecki, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons;
Richard Mortel from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons;
hakkun, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons;
Yair Haklai, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

The Pletzl – Jewish Quarter of Paris

The Pletzl (“little place” in Yiddish) is the Jewish quarter in the 4th arrondissement of Paris, France. The Place Saint-Paul and the surrounding area were unofficially named the Pletzl when the neighborhood became predominantly Jewish after an influx of immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The area hosts a diverse Jewish community, assembling traditional Jewish families as well as many more who arrived through immigration from Eastern Europe and North Africa through the past centuries. The area is now characterised by its synagogues, butchers, delicatessens, and falafel vendors, which provide a social and cultural fabric for its inhabitants.

The darkest days for the Pletzl came during World War II, when Vichy France’s collaboration with the Nazis resulted in raids that saw many residents abducted and sent off to concentration camps. Today, the community is an extremely religious Orthodox one, and most citizens belong to one of the three local synagogues: one located at 17 Rue des Rosiers, another at 25 Rue des Rosiers, and the last one at 10 Rue Pavée; the latter is an art nouveau temple designed by Hector Guimard, famous for his work on the Paris Métro.

Kupa Synagogue

Built in 1643, this Baroque-style synagogue was made possible thanks to the contribution of local Kazimierz goldsmiths. The Kupa Synagogue’s interior is intricately decorated with stunning paintings on the walls and ceilings. Currently, the synagogue serves as Kraków’s Jewish center for religious and cultural ceremonies and festivities, including the annual Jewish Culture Festival in Kraków. It also holds regular Shabbat services and dinner for community members, as well as special ceremonies during the Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashanah, Simchat Torah, Pesach, Purim and Chanukah. Attend a holiday event at the Kupa Synagogue and you’ll be in for a cultural treat.

Although the original Kupa Synagogue was erected in 1643, it has undergone many renovations since then. The original square prayer hall was annexed with a second story and an entrance hall with washrooms, in 1834. Less than 30 years later, a western wing was added and by the end of the 19th century, the synagogue was annexed to an adjacent building. Although the synagogue was severely damaged during World War II, it was carefully restored in 2000, any many artefacts from before the war – like the wall murals – were uncovered.

Image attribution:
Zygmunt Put Zetpe0202, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
Jakub Hałun, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Galicia Jewish Museum

Before World War II, the museum building was used as a mill. The establishment of the museum is really attributed to its founding director, photojournalist Chris Schwarz, whose partnership with British anthropologist Jonathan Webber, led not only to the Traces of Memory exhibit, but the opening of the museum. Chris drove from the UK to Poland and utilized the help of local friends to transform the old warehouse into a stunning museum. The renovated site retained many of the building’s original characteristics, which are complemented by the addition of metals, glass and dark wood that give the museum a contemporary feel, while playing tribute to its industrial past. Chris passed away prematurely in 2007 and since then the museum has worked hard to grow into the values that Chris instilled in the museum’s purpose: to share the complicated and fascinating culture of Jewish Polish Galicia.

The Galicia Jewish Museum is located in the Jewish heart of Kraków, in the district of Kazimierz. This innovative institution celebrates the culture and history of Jewish Polish Galicia and serves as a remembrance to the victims of the Holocaust. The stunning interiors and historic past have made this a popular venue for local performers, artists and musicians and hosts many culture and social events, thanks to the versatility of the space. Furthermore, as a registered Polish charity, the museum aims to educate Jews and Poles about their combined histories and challenge the stereotypes of the intricate past of Jews in Poland.

The Pinto House

Huis De Pinto is a former Amsterdam city mansion on the Sint Antoniesbreestraat near the Rembrandthuis. It was originally built in 1605 but is named after a leading Amsterdam family dynasty of Portuguese-Jewish merchant bankers. The founder of this dynasty was Isaack de Pinto, from Antwerp, who moved to Rotterdam in 1647 but bought the house in 1651. His son commissioned the unusual facade, and his grandson Isaac de Pinto grew up there. It is now a public library owned by the Amsterdam Monuments Trust. Inside is well worth a look – there are striking old-master paintings on the ceiling and an impressive antique chimneypiece.

Ras al-Khaimah’s National Museum

The National Museum of Ras Al Khaimah is a museum located in the north of the United Arab Emirates, the museum contains archaeological collections and historical artifacts of the country. The emirate of Ras al-Khaimah’s National Museum holds a rare Judaic archaeological piece from the Arabian Gulf: a Jewish gravestone of a man named David, which is dated between 1507 and 1650. The limestone headstone has a Hebrew inscription that begins with: “This is the grave of the deceased David of blessed memory, son of Moses.” The tombstone was first discovered in 1998 in the Shamal area of Ras al-Khaimah.

The museum is located in the Dhayah Fort, which was built in the 16th century, and attacked by the British in 1819 due to allegations of pirate attacks. The fort was used as a ruler’s residence until 1964, then the fort was used as a police station and later a prison. In 1984, work began on converting the building into a museum, a project led by Jayanth Laxman. The museum opened for the first time in 1987. During the first year of opening, Merschel Schenkel donated a collection of shells to the museum. The museum’s fossils were donated by the Ecology Group of Dubai, which were collected between 1984 and 1986.

Jewish Community Center of UAE

Since the formation of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 1971, a small Jewish community grew and lived in the UAE for many years, but was mostly living in the shadows. Recently, as improved relations between Israel and the UAE, Jews in the UAE started coming out of the shadows and openly praying including for the welfare of the Emirati government and its armed forces. In June 2020, a message of love for the Jewish community in Dubai, Solly Wolf and the rulers of the Emirates from the famous Israeli singer Omer Adam was publicized through the official Twitter account in Arabic for the State of Israel.

The JCC (Jewish Community Center) of the UAE, is led by Chabad Rabbi Levi Duchman. A Jewish benediction is recited to the president of the UAE Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahyan as well as to the rest of the rulers of the UAE during Shabbat.

A supply of 1,000 kosher chickens per week is provided to the community by local Kosher Shechita. In May 2020, it was reported that the JCC of UAE has imported the largest meat shipment in the history of the community. Following the normalization agreement, Duchman opened an upscale kosher restaurant in the Burj Khalifa tower in Dubai, serving Mediterranean fare and wine and sporting a “sleek Asian decor.” A new Talmud Torah was reported in 2020 to have been recently established and now has around 40 pupils

Crossroads of Civilizations Museum

The Museum Group (TMG) is a historical center which includes: The Crossroads of Civilization Museum (CCM), Rare Books Manuscripts & Prints Museum, and The Armory Museum. Together, they reflect the best of each civilization that has passed through the region. Its artefacts, reflect the diversity & tolerance of cultures, beliefs & religions; personifying the legacy of Dubai and the UAE as a crossroad of global trade routes and cultural exchange between Europe, Africa and Asia. It weaves together a prolific tale of how the dynamism of Dubai and the UAE is a natural development of the historic interplay of world travelers, traders and Bedouin.

On view at the privately owned Crossroads of Civilisations Museum, the show, organisers say, is the first exhibition centred on the Holocaust to be staged in the Gulf and there is no closing date confirmed, hopefully becoming a permanent exhibition. The exhibition includes historical sections that showcase rare items such as the facsimile of a Mahzor, a Jewish prayer book, from the city of Worms, Germany. Its significance is linked to the spiritual leaders of the Jewish community in Worms, including Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, a medieval French rabbi who helped write comprehensive commentary on the Talmud and the Hebrew Bible. The original prayer book was saved from the Kristallnacht, or the Night of Broken Glass, a pogrom against Jews, who were executed by Nazi forces in Germany in November 1938.

Another highlight of the exhibition is a tribute to Muslims who helped save Jewish lives during the Holocaust, including stories of Albanian Jews rescued by Albanian Muslims. Another account details the actions of Mohammed Helmy, an Egyptian doctor living in Berlin during the war. He not only provided a safe haven to Jews in a cabin he owned, but he also tended to their medical needs.

Capernaum

Capernaum, in the Galilee of northern Israel is a Biblical village. It sits not far from other important Christian sites in Israel. These include Bethsaida, the Mount of Beatitudes, and Tabgha, as well as the Jordan River and Tiberias on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Today the town of Kfar Nahum (Talhum in Arabic) stands where Capernaum once stood. The site attracts thousands of pilgrims and tourists from around the world every year.

In Biblical times Capernaum was one of the main trading villages in the Gennesaret area. It was a vibrant and prosperous part of Palestine, home to about 1,500 people many of whom were fishermen. Many travelers, caravans, and traders passed through Capernaum on the Via Maris. It was main trade route connecting Damascus in the north and Egypt in the south. There remains a Via Maris highway mile stone in Capernaum today. The village was thought to have prospered from the 2nd century BC to the 13th century AD when it reverted to a simple fishing village until the 1800’s.

The late establishment of the town explains why Capernaum is not in the Old Testament. The town is deeply significant to Christians as it features prominently in the New Testament. Jesus was born in Bethlehem, brought up in Nazareth, and preached in Jerusalem but it was the significant Galilean Ministry years which he spent in Capernaum and where he performed many of his miracles. Capernaum became his home and the Bible calls it Jesus’ “own city”. Matthew 4:13 tells us that Jesus left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum after meeting temptation in the wilderness. Here he met James, John, Peter, Andrew all fishermen and Matthew a tax collector, five of his future disciples.

Description from Tourist Israel

Old City Christian Quarter

The Christian Quarter is one of the four quarters of the walled Old City of Jerusalem, the other three being the Jewish Quarter, the Muslim Quarter and the Armenian Quarter. The Christian Quarter is situated in the northwestern corner of the Old City, extending from the New Gate in the north, along the western wall of the Old City as far as the Jaffa Gate, along the Jaffa Gate – Western Wall route in the south, bordering on the Jewish and Armenian Quarters, as far as the Damascus Gate in the east, where it borders on the Muslim Quarter. The Christian quarter contains about 40 Christian holy places. First among them is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Christianity’s holiest place. Most of its residents are Palestinian Christians, despite their dwindling numbers.

The Christian Quarter was built around the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which is the heart of the quarter. There is a cluster of churches and monasteries surrounding it. The quarter contains few residential houses, which are mostly concentrated in its southern-eastern part. Most buildings are religious, touristic, and educational in character, such as the Terra Sancta High School, the Lutheran School, the St. Pierre School, and the Collège des Frères at the New Gate.

The quarter contains souvenir shops, coffee houses, restaurants and hotels. The shops are concentrated in the west–east market street, the David Street, and along the north-south Christian Quarter Road, or simply Christian Road. Some of the hotels, such as the Casa Nova Hotel and the Greek Catholic hotel, were built by the churches as places for visitors to stay. Others are private hotels.

The quarter contains some small museums, such as the museum of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate. In the southwestern part of the quarter there is a pool called Hezekiah’s Pool or Patriarch’s Pool that was used to store water for the area.

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