Ours or foreign? Czech Jews in the 20th century

This project was realized by the Jewish Museum in Prague and the Terezín Initiative Institute in years 2011-2013. Its objectives were to increase the quality of teaching modern Jewish history, to open new or little-known topics and to support education. The project sought to integrate Jewish history and history of Anti-Semitism into teaching instruction as an integral part of Czech history. For more information go to www.nasinebocizi.cz. 
 

Memorial in the Pinkas Synagogue

This project realized in 2014 by the Jewish Museum in Prague in cooperation with the USC Shoah Foundation was financed by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. Its objective was to expand awareness of the Pinkas Synagogue to professional and general public in the Czech Republic and to support research on the so-called Terezín family camp. A seminar for journalists was part of the project.

Methodologies for teachers were developed within the framework of the project and audio-visual materials about the so-called Terezín family camp were published.

• audiovisual materials
• ​materials for teachers

Jews, History and Culture

The Jewish Museum in Prague holds regular two two-day block seminars for teachers entitled "Jews, History, and Culture" in Prague and Brno. The project is supported by a grant from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MŠMT).
Seminars participants will be introduced to the following topics in detail:

·        History of the Jews
·         Jewish traditions and customs
·         Holocaust/Shoah
·         Anti-Semitism, the State of Israel and the present

The seminars can further serve as inspiration for teaching topics related to Judaism and Shoah, but also for more general topics of intercultural education. Teachers will be at the same time informed about programs they can attend in the museum together with their pupils and students. After completing each seminar block we issue a certificate of its completion (MŠMT accreditation no.: 44726/2012-201-882).  It is also possible to participate in only one block.

Sunday workshops for children

We offer regular workshops for your children from five years of age. The workshops take place in Prague and Brno once a month, on Sundays. The children are introduced to Jewish culture, traditions and customs in a playful way.

Crocus Project

The Crocus Project is realized together with the Irish Holocaust Education Trust Ireland (HETI) and the Department for Education and Culture of the Jewish Museum in Prague. Aimed at pupils who are over 11, the project has been operating for a number of years now at schools not only in Ireland, but around the world, with more and more schools participating every year. At many schools, it was successfully established as a long-term project.

HETI provides the schools with bulbs of yellow crocuses, which the project participants plant in fall to commemorate one and a half million Jewish children, and thousands of other children who perished in the Shoah. Participation in the project as well as the crocus bulbs are free of charge. The yellow color symbolizes the yellow star of David, which Jews were forced to wear during the Nazi era. Ideally, the bulbs blossom in the end of January or in the beginning of February - around the International Holocaust Remembrance Day (January 27th). While people admire flowers, the youth may explain what do the pretty yellow flowers actually symbolize.

The Crocus Project offers a concrete chance to introduce the topic of the Shoah to young people and to raise awareness of the dangers of discrimination, prejudice, and fanaticism. The Irish organization prepared methodological guidelines that may help teachers in this endeavor. These materials complement already existing teaching aids on education about multiculturalism and racism prevention. Involvement of young people in planting bulbs and observation of growing of the flowers, support the process of learning about the need for mutual tolerance and respect in society. In the past year, more than 55,000 students from Ireland and Europe participated in the project.
 
The Crocus Project is very popular with many reports, feedback and pictures received, documenting individual realizations of the project in schools across the country. For Facebook gallery dedicated to the project, please click here.