Festival of Jewish Culture in the Czech Republic

The “Ha-Makom” festival of the Jewish culture started on July 28th in Holešov in the Moravian region of the Czech Republic. Important guests at the event include the President of the Czech Republic Miloš Zeman, H.E. Amb. Gary Koren, the Ambassador of the State of Israel to the Czech Republic, Mayor of the City of Holešov Rudolf Seifert, Minister of Culture Herman, and the members of the Czech Parliament. 

This year's program focuses on the 70th anniversary of the end of the World War II and visitors will have the opportunity to see Holešov’s Jewish monuments, attend lectures, discussions, and listen to the traditional Jewish music. The event will feature an open-air concert at the end of the festival.

This year the visitors can also look forward to tasting traditional Jewish specialties, such as traditional bread and kosher wine, which will be on offer throughout the week at the restaurant in the old brewery.

Since the 15th century, the Jewish community has been an integral part of Holešov, just like of many other cities and towns in the Czech Republic. The fate of the local Jewish population in Holešov, their customs and the centuries of peaceful coexistence are symbolized by the unique Synagogue and the Jewish cemetery, which is visited each year by hundreds of Orthodox Jews from all over the world.

The Jewish Synagogue in Holešov belongs to the most important monuments in the whole of Czech Republic. The synagogue is nowadays the only one of its kind – built in the so-called “Polish type”, it is preserved in its original form.