DK Travel : Prague : Features in the Old-New Synagogue

Top 10 Features in the Old-New Synagogue

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1. Rabbi Loew’s Chair

Topped with a Star of David, the tall chair found by the eastern wall has been reserved for Prague’s chief rabbis throughout the synagogue’s history.
2. Jewish Standard

Prague’s Jewish community was permitted a banner in the 15th century as a symbol of its autonomy. The copy hanging above the Bimah replicates a 1716 original, featuring a Jewish hat within a six-pointed star and the legend “Shema Yisroel ”.
3. Nave

Twelve narrow windows, evoking the 12 tribes of Israel, line the perimeter walls, which are unadorned, save for the abbreviation of Biblical verses. Two central pillars are modelled on the façade columns of the Temple of Jerusalem.
4. Ark

Behind the curtain on the eastern wall are the Torah scrolls, which are kept in the holy ark. The tympanum features foliage and grape motifs, also found in nearby St Agnes’s Convent, and date from the synagogue’s construction in the late 13th century.
5. Entrance

The Biblical inscription “Revere God and observe His commandments! For this applies to all mankind” admonished worshippers entering and leaving the synagogue.
6. Vaulting

To avoid the sign of the cross, a fifth rib was added to the nave’s vaulting, decorated with vine leaves and ivy.
7. Women’s Windows

Women were not permitted in the nave of the synagogue, but sat in the vestibule. Narrow openings in the wall allowed them to follow the services.
8. Bimah

A pulpit stands on this dais in the centre. From here the rabbi reads the Torah and performs wedding ceremonies.
9. Attic

Legend has it that Rabbi Loew stashed the remains of (see The Golem) under the synagogue’s large saddle roof.
10. Josefov Town Hall

Adjacent to the synagogue is the Jewish Town Hall. The façade clock’s hands run counter-clockwise – or clockwise, if you read Hebrew (see Jewish Town Hall).