Re: not music, but important

[Ari Davidow <ari...>]

I'd love to know more, too, perhaps by private e-mail.

The message is unlikely (but obviously, not impossible). If the
reference is to the old Jewish cemetery in what was the Jewish
Quarter of Prague, that land is owned, and is part of, whatever
owns the Jewish museum. It would be hard to imagine redeveloping
that part of the city or why the city should even entertain the
notion to do so. Apart from the ties of the small, but very much
alive Prague Jewish community to the site, and nearby, actively-used
Jewish community center and AltNeushul (sp?) and the complications
that would face moving a graveyard, the area is a tourist mine
that would lose all value (and generate negative value) were 
such a thing entertained.

One presumes, and hopes for confirmation, that this is a misunderstanding.

ari

At 02:27 PM 12/17/99 -0500, you wrote:
>
>
>Can any of you confirm whether or not this is true?
>
>>
>>>> Pressure is being put on the Jewish community in Prague by the Czech
>>>> government to allow the Ceska Pojistovna insurance company to build
>>>> residential properties on the site currently occupied by the old Jewish
>>>> cemetery in the Jewish Quarter of Prague.   The cemetery is 800 years
>old
>>>> and, having survived the Nazi destruction of Jewish religious sites in
>>>> Central and Eastern Europe, is the last of its kind.  The cemetery
>>>> contains the grave of, amongst other great luminaries, the Maharal
>(Rabbi
>>>> Judah Loewe, scholar, kabbalist and creator of the Golem).  It is a site
>>>> of immense Jewish religious, historic and cultural value.
>>>> The Chief Rabbi of Prague, Rabbi Efraim Sidon, has asked for Jews
>>>> worldwide to take swift action to prevent the desecration of the
>>cemetery.
>>>> Please pass on your concerns to the following addressees, and also
>>>> circulate this note to anyone who will be interested. Many thanks.
>>>> (NB: The source of this message is a recent article in the Jewish
>Tribune
>>>> and a letter written by Rabbi Sidon to the London Committee for the
>>>> Preservation of Jewish Cemeteries in Europe.)
>>>>
>>>> ADDRESSEES:
>>>>
>>>> Mr. Pavel Dorstal, Minister of Culture
>>>> e-mail: minkult (at) mkcr(dot)cz <mailto:minkult (at) mkcr(dot)cz>
>>>> Tel: (+42) 2 57085111
>>>> Fax: (+42) 2 24323303
>>>> Address: Milady Horakove 139, 160 41 Praha 6, Czech Republic
>>>>
>>>> Ceska Pojistovna a.s.
>>>> e-mail: CPAS (at) CPOJ(dot)CZ
>>>> Tel: (+42) 2 24051111
>>>> Fax: (+42) 2 24241067/24052000
>>>> Address: Spalena 16, CZ-11304 Praha - Nove Mesto, Czech Republic
>
>

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