The Jewish Community in Prague
Annual Report 2015
Contents
I. A Word of Introduction by the Chairman
II. Basic Information about the JCP
Mission
Subsidised Groups
Lauder Schools
Members of the JCP Statutory Organs and Management
Synagogues Administered by JCP Visited By Tourists
III. Community News
IV. Cultural and Social Events, Celebration of Jewish Holidays, Commemorative Acts
V. Report on the Activities of the Separate Departments of the JCP
1. The Rabbinate and the New Jewish Cemetery
2. Social and Health Care Departments
3. Library and Information Centre, Centre of Pre-Archival Care
4. Shalom Restaurant
5. Programme of the Lauder Kindergarten in Prague
6. Financial Department
7. Security Department
VI. Matana, a. s.
VII. JCP Website
VIII. Grants, Subsidies and Donations Granted to JCP in 2015
IX. JCP Financial Results in 2015
X. Auditor’s Report
I. A Word of Introduction by the Chairman
A Look Back at Recent Years
At the end of this year, we once again look forward to elections to the Jewish Community in Prague’s various bodies, and I would therefore like to take advantage of my position to take a look back at this election period that is coming to a close. I’d like to recall some of the things we struggled with, as well as attempt to formulate the issues that I see now. The new Community leadership and Representation will face these issues.
Significant changes took place in the life of the Community. After the resignation of Rabbi Karol Efraim Sidon, Rabbi David Peter was appointed Chief Rabbi of Prague. The Hagibor SCF also underwent a change in management. Martin Roth took over from the original director, Elena Jaroševská, in April 2015. Our high level of care for our clients has remained steady, and we’ve improved our cooperation with Bejachad, which cares for the youngest children.
The post of director of Ezra Home Care has also seen a change. Director Eva Jelínková leads an extremely successful team, has secured a larger number of grants, and together with an increased Claims Conference grant, continues to expand and improve services for survivors. Based on the JCP social department’s plans, the Becalel workshop was established, the successful Balcony Café opened, more programmes for seniors are being offered, as well as events and camps for children, and volunteer activities.
A great deal of our work over the past years has been in the area of monument care. The Federation of Jewish Communities’ “Revitalisation of Jewish Monuments - 10 Stars” project was brought to a close. As part of this project, the synagogues in Brandýs nad Labem, Březnice, Jičín, and Nová Cerekev, all owned by the JCP, were restored There is no doubt as to the success of this project. Its continuation was, however, marred by less-then-honest dealings of one construction company. Nonetheless, activities in the area of monument care achieved significant success. The Old Jewish Cemetery in Žižkov was taken into our care, and thanks to Norway Grants and other sources, progress was made in restoring the New Jewish Cemetery. The Jerusalem Synagogue has become a popular destination for both tourists and locals. The original organ was returned to a fully-working state, we held a successful series of organ concerts, and the unique sound of our organ was captured and can be heard on the enclosed CD. New permanent and temporary exhibitions are currently on display in the synagogue, and popular guided tours are held.
Significant changes also took place in the area of security. Activities in this area had to be reformulated in reaction to a worsening external security situation. The post of head of JCP security was established, and was filled by Jakub Král. In addition, the position of security analyst was created, and after long and difficult negotiations, a Memorandum of Cooperation between Jewish organisations and the Czech Republic was signed.
The difficult decision was made to sell a completely derelict building on Krakovská Street. The Representation finally agreed to sell the building on the condition that the funds would be deposited into the Large-Scale Reconstruction Fund (LSRF). Part of this money has already been used to renovate existing housing units that are administered by Matana, a.s. The remainder will go towards funding reconstruction of an architecturally valuable building owned by JCP at Dlouhá Street No. 37.
I could go on for quite a while, but there’s not enough room here to mention everything. Nonetheless, I firmly believe that from this short preview it is clear that there is nothing to be ashamed of. The Community is prospering, and will certainly continue to do so.
PhDr. Jan Munk
II. Basic Information About the JCP
Mission
The Jewish Community in Prague unites people from more than forty percent of the territory of the Czech Republic who declare themselves to be Jewish either by religion, nation, or origin and who do not belong to other churches or religious societies of other Jewish communities in the Czech Republic, and have been granted membership. It provides a religious and cultural life for its members; through its social and medical care department, it provides support in social and psycho-social areas to members of the Jewish Community and their family members who find themselves in difficult life situations. It supports the education of its members in Jewish traditions and contributes to comprehensive education in Judaism and Jewish history, working especially with youths. It actively condemns all expressions of anti-Semitism, racism, xenophobia, Nazism, fascism, discrimination, and intolerance, and protects the memory of Jewish victims.
As at 31 December 2015, a total of 1,534 regular members were registered (of which 685 were men and 849 women), 191 special status holders (of which 89 were men and 102 women), and 11 guests (of which 6 men and 5 women).
The average age of members has stabilised over the past few years, if anything showing a falling tendency at 51 years old for men (special status holders 47 and guests 40), and 56 for women (special status holders 51 and guests 35).
In comparison with 2014, there was no significant change in the total number of members and special status holders. The decrease in membership by 20 people was compensated for by an increase in special status holders (an additional 17) and guests (1). The decrease in recent years was caused by the fact that those who have not participated in the Community for a longer period of time and have not paid their dues for more than four years have been stricken from the membership list. We anticipate that the number of active members will gradually increase in 2016.
In 2015, the Public Nonprofit Organisation to Support People Affected by the Holocaust was established.
Members’ Meetings
The annual general meeting of the JCP was held on Sunday, 8 November 2015 in the main hall of the Jewish Town Hall. The agenda was standard, all materials and the meeting itself were prepared in advance. It was attended by 147 regular JCP members and 17 special status holders, so the assembly was quorate. Israeli Ambassador Gary Koren addressed the meeting.
Subsidised Groups
In 2015, the JCP contributed to the activities of the following associations, organisations, and groups:
§ Children’s Theatre,
§ Mišpacha,
§ Hidden Child,
§
§ Besamim,
§ The Terezín Initiative,
§ The Terezín Initiative Institute,
§ The Rafael Institute,
§ Bejachad,
§ Chinuch,
§ Moishe House.
JCP Lauder Schools
In 2015, JCP continued to subsidise the activities of the Lauder Schools considerably (34% of the school budget). The Lauder Schools are a unique educational project intended for children, pupils, and students who wish to be educated in the spirit of Judaism. The primary school was founded in 1997, a four-year grammar school has been operating since 1999, and an eight-year grammar school as well as a kindergarten have been in existence since 2009. Tuition at all levels of education proceeds according to the school’s own educational programme, L’Chaim, based on framework educational programmes for pre-school, primary and grammar-school level education, enriched with a Jewish element – Jewish Religion and Culture and Hebrew. At the end of 2015, 277 pupils were studying at all three levels of the Lauder Schools.
Members of the JCP Statutory Organs and Management
The following persons were active in the supreme bodies of the JCP in 2015:
Chairman – statutory representative of the Community
PhDr. Jan Munk
Management – perform the role of general executive
Jan Munk, chairman
Eva Lorencová, first vice-chairwoman
František Bányai, second vice-chairman
David Peter, Chief Rabbi of Prague
Jiří Pacovský
Tomáš Pasternak
Barbora Rappaport
Michal Borges, secretary
The management met at ten ordinary meetings during 2015.
Representation – is elected once every four years, after the general meeting of members it is the highest Community body and performs the role of Community parliament. The meetings are open to Community members.
In 2015, the Representation comprised the following members:
František Bányai
Marek Bouda
Jozef Braun
Jiří Daníček
Ivana Hrubá
Ivana Jurečková
Pavol Kolan
Eva Kosáková
Pavel Král
Tomáš Kraus
Petr Kučera
Eva Lorencová
Marta Malá
Jan Munk
Vida Neuwirthová
Jiří Pacovský
Tomáš Pasternak
Leo Pavlát
Zuzana Peterová
Barbora Rappaport
Jan Roubínek
Tomáš Schäfer
Michaela Vidláková
Sylvie Wittmannová
Ex oficio members:
Michal Borges, secretary
David Peter, Chief Rabbi of Prague
Review Committee
In 2015, the JCP Review Committee comprised the following members:
Jaroslav Němec, chairman
Michal Dostál
Otto Herman
Petr Horák
Petra Jurečková
Tomáš Taussig
Nine regular Representation meetings were held with the attendance of members of the Review Committee in 2015.
Synagogues and Other Tourist Centres Administered by JCP and Visited by Tourists
The Old-New Synagogue
The Old-New Synagogue is today the oldest monument to Prague’s Jewish Town and the oldest surviving functioning synagogue in Central Europe. It was declared a National Cultural Monument in 1995. Regular services and other religious ceremonies are held here. The continuing trend of slight growth in visitor numbers continued in 2015, with a total of 215,629 paying visitors coming to see the synagogue.
Jerusalem Synagogue
In 2015 as every year, the Jerusalem Synagogue was open to the public only during the summer months (April to October) and concerts for the public were held here. The synagogue’s visitor numbers rose 17% in 2015 compared to the previous year, with a total of 22,366 paying visitors. Tours with a commentary were given one Sunday per month and attracted a good deal of interest, and also every first Wednesday in the month evening tours with commentary were given, accompanied by an unusual musical bonus in the shape of an organ intermezzo performed by organist Václav Peter.
2015 saw the third year of a series of organ concerts where a plethora of Czech organists performed: Přemysl Kšica, Jitka Chaloupková, Josef Rafaja, Václav Uhlíř, Vladimír Roubal, and Václav Peter. The concert series took place with the financial support of the Ministry of Culture of the CR. The concerts began each time at 6 p.m. and the programme lasted no longer than 70 minutes. As against the first year, audience numbers rose, with on average up to 160 attending. The project was purely for edification, with no entrance fee.
Temporary exhibitions were primarily of photographs - David Kummerman presented his works from Israel from 12 April to 21 June; Jaroslav Fišer showed photographs of Jewish monuments and his own work from 25 June to 11 September; and Vladimír Železný introduced visitors to the world of Hasidic Jews from 18 September to 31 October.
Restoration work also continued - light fixtures were exchanged for energy saving models, replicas of the original chandeliers were installed on the ground floor, and repairs to the courtyard stairs on the left-hand side commenced.
Old Jewish Cemetery in Žižkov
The Old Jewish Cemetery in Žižkov, officially named the First Jewish Cemetery in Olšany, was established in 1680 as a plague burial ground for the Jewish community of Prague. Since 1 January 2014, the JCP has administered the preserved part of the cemetery, which until 1999 had been administered by the Jewish Museum in Prague, which was able to open it to the public in September 2001 once essential construction and basic restoration work had been completed.
Despite severe devastation suffered in the second half of the 20th century, the graveyard is a significant artistic and historical monument. Prominent Jewish figures and representatives of the Jewish community in Prague are buried here - Rabbis Ezechiel Landau, Eleazar Fleckeles, and the families of the first industrialists – the Jonases, the Jeiteleses, the Pribrams, and the Dormitzers.
During the 2015 season, 8,076 people visited the Old Jewish Cemetery in Žižkov.
The graveyard is open every day except Saturdays and Jewish holidays from Sunday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (from November to March from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.), and on Fridays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Entrance to the cemetery is free of charge.
Historical Mikveh
This unique ritual bathing complex dating to the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries was discovered during an archaeological survey connected with damp proofing works for the synagogue in 1968. This area has been open to the public since 2014. The electrical system in the historical mikveh was modernised in 2015, and new lighting was installed.
During the 2015 season, the mikveh was open on a provisional basis, in which tickets could be purchased on the spot. Over the course of the entire 2015 season, 1,768 people visited the historical mikveh’s underground complex. The proceeds of the entrance fee were used towards the operation of a modern mikveh housed in the same building.
Concerts and Cultural Events at the Jerusalem Synagogue
2015 saw the third year of an organ concert series where a plethora of Czech organists performed: Přemysl Kšica (27 May), Jitka Chaloupková (24 June), Josef Rafaja (29 July), Václav Uhlíř (12 August), Vladimír Roubal (9 September), and Václav Peter (7 October).
From 12 April to 21 June 2016, an exhibition of photographs by David Kummermann entitled “Israel” was on display.
From 26 June to 11 September, Jaroslav Fišer exhibited his photographs of “Jewish Monuments and Free Creation”.
From 18 September to 31 October 2015, a photographic exhibition by Vladimír Železný, entitled “The World That Should Have Disappeared”, was on display from 18 September to 31 October 2015.