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Jacob Ries (1660–1751) of Prague first worked as a badchan (jester) for weddings. In 1710, he became court jester in Vienna under Charles VI. The artist of this portrait of Ries is not known. It…
The Klausen Synagogue in Prague gets its name from the kloyz (a complex of buildings used for religious purposes, including synagogues) that originally stood on its site, erected in the 1570s. The…
The process of ritual purification of a dead body, known as taharah, involves careful cleaning of the corpse. Prior to being dressed in a white cotton shroud, the body of the deceased is washed, the…
Women played key roles in preparing the deceased for burial. This painting shows women’s involvement in the ultimate act of generosity.
This medal was issued in the Netherlands to commemorate the repeal of the 1745 expulsion of the Jewish community of Prague. Responding to appeals from foreign leaders, Maria Theresa (1717–1780), the…
This beaker was used by the members of a burial society in Prague at their annual banquet, held on the day traditionally designated as the anniversary of Moses’ death. The painted scene depicts a…
This is an image of the tombstone of David Ganz, Prague. Born in Lippstadt (now North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany), Ganz (1541–1613) was a chronicler, mathematician, historian, astronomer, and…
This Haggadah from Prague, printed by Gershom and Grunim Katz with illustrations that are thought to be by Ḥayyim ben David Shaḥor, is one of the earliest Haggadahs ever printed. It was the first…
The gravestone of Judah Loew (known as the Maharal) and his wife, Pearl (1528–1610) is located in the Old Jewish Cemetery of the Jewish quarter in Prague. A prominent scholar and kabbalist, the…
The merchants’ and artisans’ guilds introduced into Eastern Europe beginning in the thirteenth century by German immigrants resembled those in Western Europe in their exclusion of Jews. Jews therefore…
