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News: | 01.06.2010 | | Although we have succeeded at even two projects of the ministry, only 343,000 crowns is confirmed so far.(!!) We are still waiting for the results from the region. In May the restoring research was made. As soon as the region results will be known we are going to start with the reconstruction of the women gallery, the beams of which are damaged with mould; another thing that is necessary is than to remove the moister from the north part of the building. Unfortunately, this is all we are able to provide this year. It is really urgent to get finance for the inside propject for the next year, as almost all that was possible has been done so far. We also have taken advantage of a very good bargain and bought a piano (from the beginning of the last century), and another piece offered is a harmonium, even much older. Finance for both these instruments are collected at the subaccount called HARMONIUM. The Synagogue is from the year 1828, that is we try to renovate the interiers in the origin way. Any other possibilities how to gain similar articles please let us known, and help to obtain them! With many thanks Jindra Bromova |
News: | 10.10.2009 | | After quite a couple of years of effort we have been accepted for the Ministry of Culture Programme that helps with the preservation of the cultural landmarks. We were granted with 550 thousand crowns from the ministry, 120 thousand from the district and 400 thousand we share with the municipality; 20 thousand crowns is an only donation from the private sphere - Mr. Loeffler has been supporting us from the beginning. For the future we would be exceptionally grateful for any help you can offer, it is up to us how long the reconstruction will last. |
News: | 22.03.2009 | | AVOTAYNU Volume XXIV, Number 4 Winter 2008 1
A 180th Birthday Celebration
by Alexander Woodle
n 1828 in the small South Bohemian town of Ckyne, a
businessman offered to build a new synagogue for the
Jewish community if they would sell him the land on which
their shul (synagogue) stood. The community agreed, and
the new shul was constructed in a simple classic style. Today,
it is one of the oldest, surviving Jewish shrines in all of
South Bohemia. A main sanctuary is on the first floor, a
winter sanctuary upstairs. A Jewish school was also run
within classrooms in the building. Religious services were
held here up until World War I. Most of the Jews from this
town had moved to the cities by this time, and the synagogue
became a craftsman shop and later a warehouse. The
synagogue was abandoned and fell into disrepair following
World War II.
My great-grandfather, David Wudl, born in Ckyne in
1843, immigrated to the United States in the middle of the
19th century. Eventually, I went to see where my ancestor
was born. I first visited the town, about a two-hour drive
south of Prague, in 2001. Here I found a tremendous local
effort being undertaken to remember the Jews who had
lived in the village for centuries. Volunteers, led by Jan
Podlesak, a professor from a nearby university, had lovingly
restored the Jewish cemetery. Contributing his own
funds, Podlesak had turned the cemetery’s ohel (structure
built over a grave) into a Holocaust memorial for the local
victims of Naziism. Similarly, an effort was afoot to restore
the synagogue and turn it into a regional Jewish museum,
an art gallery, and a multi-use cultural hall. A synagogue
restoration corporation had been formed in 1990 to raise
awareness and the funding to begin this project. A new roof
and windows have been installed to preserve the interior
from further deterioration. The corporation consists of a
diverse group of supporters including business leaders,
Catholic and Protestant church leaders, and private citizens.
Ms. Jindra Bromova chairs this group. She is always helpful
to foreigners who arrive in Ckyne unannounced looking
for traces of their families.
Since that first visit, I have wanted to help this community
fulfill their good efforts by making a monetary contribution
towards the synagogue’s restoration. In 2008, I was
able to do so and planned a trip to Ckyne to present the gift.
My niece, Rebecca, who had never visited the Czech Republic
and who is interested in our family history, accompanied
me. We spent a few days in Prague, a city of which
one can never see enough. I called Ms. Bromova to tell her
that we were in Prague and would reach Ckyne on Saturday
morning. She said she had a surprise; my researcher and
friend, Julius Muller, was kind enough to drive us to Ckyne
for a weekend that Rebecca and I will never forget.
A small hotel had opened since my last visit to Ckyne,
and Jindra had booked us in for the weekend. It was the
first time a member of our family had spent the night in this
village in more than a century. Jindra met us at the hotel at
noon and told us our first stop would be a welcoming ceremony
at the town hall at 2:30 p.m. The town hall, the original
home of the noble who owned the village hundreds of
years ago, is situated directly across the street from where
my great-great-grandfather, Jeremias Wudl, lived and
where David Wudl was born. As we approached town hall,
we noticed a number of people lined up waiting for the
“special guests” (us!) to arrive! They followed us into a
formal room where the young mayor of Ckyne warmly
welcomed our visit and publicly thanked us for our gift.
Rebecca and I were presented with flowers. Everyone
walked to the synagogue, where Jindra had invited Michal
Forst, the cantor of the Leberec Jewish community, to lead
us in an afternoon prayer service.
Cantor Forst is one of the most energetic and charismatic
men I have ever met. We climbed the stairs to the winter
sanctuary, where the original aron kodesh (Torah ark) can
be seen. Michal gave a sermon about how all men are created
equal under God. He then brought out a borrowed Torah
and, with the help of Mr. Muller, prepared it for reading.
I was given the honor of reading, and with the help of
Julius Muller, who had a prayer book that contained the
Hebrew prayers phonetically transliterated, I was able to
read without embarrassing myself. Michal then honored my
niece, and Jindra Bromova, and Dr. Jan Podlesak by also
inviting them to participate in the reading of the Torah. After
the Torah was returned to the ark, the leader of the Prot-
I
Michal Forst (right), cantor of the Leberec Jewish community,
assists Jindra Bromova, Jan Podlesak in the reading
of the Torah.
2 AVOTAYNU Volume XXIV, Number 4 Winter 2008
estant community gave a short sermon on the commonality
of all mankind no matter their race or religion. Michal, accompanied
on the accordion by a colleague from the Czech
Philharmonic Orchestra, performed a number of songs, his
beautiful voice penetrating every inch of the sanctuary. A
reception followed outside on the synagogue’s grounds.
On Sunday morning, Julius took my niece and me to
visit a restored synagogue in Hartmanice cz> about an hour’s drive away. This building’s
restoration had been greatly helped by the discovery of its
original plans in the archives. I have asked Julius Muller to
search for the plans for the Ckyne synagogue to aid in its
planned restoration as well.
We reconvened in the winter sanctuary where Dr. Podlesak
gave a presentation on the history of the Ckyne synagogue.
I thanked the community for its support in memorializing
and preserving the culture and history of the Jewish
people who had lived in Ckyne. The group then walked to
the Jewish cemetery where Dr. Podlesak read the names of
the Jewish citizens of Ckyne who were deported by the
Nazis to the death camps in Poland.
Back at the synagogue, hugs and handshakes, ended a
memorable weekend, but the events of those two days have
lingered for months afterward. Interested readers can read
more about this trip and see a photo slideshow at
. Scroll to
Celebration in Ckyne and click on the word “Link.”
Alexander Woodle is a member of the Jewish Genealogical
Society of Greater Boston and former director of the New
England Historic Genealogical Society’s (NEHGS) circulating
library. He has published articles on Jewish genealogy
for NEHGS, AVOTAYNU, and Mass-Pocha and presented
talks at local, regional and international genealogical
conferences. He currently is a professional genealogist.
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News: | 22.03.2009 | | Let me tell you a message, we have been waiting for last 18 years!
Our synagogue WAS accepted into the program Preservation of the Architectural Heritage - finally!!!!!!!!!!!!
On the other hand, it is half of a milion of crowns only, but the program means every year - as long as the project IS finished :) Thanks god!
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