My
grandmother taught me that travel provides the best education. Her wisdom was evident a few weeks ago when a
number of your Lexington friends and neighbors ventured on a two week European
odyssey that took us to Hungary, Germany, Austria and The Czech Republic. Two of these countries were behind the former
Iron Curtain and I didn’t really know what to expect, but what I found was
exciting and dynamic.
I had
heard that Prague was one of Europe’s most beautiful cities and I was not
disappointed. It was the only Central
European capital to escape the bombing of the Second World War. The city is gorgeous, but even more
breathtaking was the joy and happiness that I found walking the streets. The history of Prague is one of
oppression. Hitler seized Prague in 1938
and the horrors of the Holocaust decimated the Jewish population. The Czechs acknowledge that they were
“liberated” by the Soviets in 1945, but the problem was that the Soviets
stayed. Prague went from the Nazi frying
pan into the Communist fire. It was not
until the student led “Velvet Revolution” of 1989 that freedom was finally realized
and the Czechs have been celebrating ever since.
The
streets were alive with music, laughter, and energy. Everywhere we went we were greeted with
smiles and heartfelt welcomes. The
blessing of freedom is alive in the Czech Republic because most of the people
remember life without it. One of the
lessons I learned is how precious freedom truly is. We talk about freedom. These people live it.
We
found this to also be true in Budapest, a stunning and enchanting city filled
with breathtaking beauty. They have
actually turned the former Nazi Gestapo and Communist Secret Police
headquarters building into a museum that documents the atrocities of Fascism
and Communism. While I was not able to
visit this museum I am told the experience is much like a Holocaust
Museum. It is called, “The House of
Terror.” They will never forget life
without freedom.
While
our trip was full of adventure, discovery, and beauty, the most powerful and
moving moments for me were visits to the Jewish Quarters of both Prague and
Budapest. The Jews of Prague had been
persecuted since the 12th century when the Pope ruled that Jews and
Christians should not live together.
Even so, there were over 120,000 Jews in Prague when Hitler invaded in
1938. Only 5% survived the
Holocaust.
The
Jews in Budapest were treated with more benevolence, at least at the beginning
of the war. The Budapest Jewish
community had built the largest Synagogue in Europe, a stunning edifice that we
visited. While they were restricted in
many ways, they had not been deported to Concentration Camps like the Jews in
Prague. But when Hungary started to show
signs of resistance to Hitler’s maddening ways, the Nazis invaded Hungary and
the full frenzy of Hitler’s rage was directed toward the Jews.
There
was a forced “death march” in which the sick, elderly and children were forced
to walk until they collapsed and then were shot. Over 2,000 Jews who were not deported died in
the winter of 1944-45 of starvation, exposure, or disease. The mass grave where they are buried is a
peaceful memorial garden today. Behind
the iconic Synagogue is a powerful sculpture called the “Tree of Life.” It is a Weeping Willow tree that forms an
upside-down menorah. There are over
4,000 metal branches, each containing the name of a Holocaust victim. The Hebrew inscription on the sculpture reads: “Is there a bigger pain than mine?”
I
cannot comprehend how human beings can inflict such
suffering and pain on other humans.
After visiting the two Jewish Quarters I felt much as I did after
visiting the Holocaust museums in Jerusalem and Washington—sick at my
stomach.
We
walked back from Prague’s Jewish Quarter to the historic Old Town Square. There in front of the Old Town Hall we found
27 crosses imbedded in the pavement.
They represent 27 Protestant leaders who were beheaded on that Square in
1621 for rebelling against the Catholic Habsburgs. Finding all of this almost too overwhelming
to process, we returned to our hotel.
I
turned on the television to hear what was going on in the civilized world. CNN was reporting the grisly execution of
American journalist, James Foley . . .
