jüdisch - jewish

the jewish quarter in prague survived WWII at the request of hitler. he wanted to have a museum dedicated to "an extinct race." it's an amazing neighborhood containing traditional czech-jewish restaurants, antique bookstores and about 5 synagogues. one of the most interesting parts is a cemetery with over 20,000 headstones. (before the holocaust jews in prague were only allowed one area to bury their dead so the bodies are 12 deep.)

dan has been told by co-workers that there are certain neighborhoods in berlin that he should avoid because of anti-semetism. everywhere you go there is at least a small reminder of the war, even if it is the sleek new architecture that has replaced the areas hardest hit by bombs.

a museum to an extinct race and neighborhoods that are off-limits make for a strange, awareness of the lack of judaism here. dan has said that he feels more jewish here - not more religious, but more culturally jewish. he has been in the minority as a jew in many places he has lived, but it is a very different, creepy feeling circumstance that makes it so. to me it is a little scary but he doesn't seem scared.

maybe because the rabbi that invented the story of the golem had the same family name as dan's ancestors. the golem was a large being that protected the jews of prague from those who wished them harm. this story brought comfort to jews in prague for decades. perhaps optimism in the face of discrimination runs in the family.