A free day in Prague, you ask? Well, yes and no. It was a bus free day, so we got to breath fresh air, get some exercise, and move at our own pace. We had a bit of free time to relax in one of Prague's beautiful public gardens, so that could also apply. But the title of this post is really meant to reflect the fact that, woven throughout today's meanderings and adventures there was a definite theme: freedom.
As is the case with most of life's most foundational topics, more questions were raised than answers. What exactly do we mean when we use the word "freedom"? What does it mean to be free? Are any of us truly and completely free at all times and in all places? What are factors or forces that limit our freedom? And perhaps most relevant for today: Why have we, as a species, struggled to achieve freedom for so much of history?
In the case of Prague, the answer to many of these questions invariably circles back to the "C" word: Communism. For that reason, we started our day at a small but powerful museum called: Museum of Communism. Our four guides crafted a visit that helped us all understand the impact of communism on the people of Czechoslovakia. As you likely suspect, that impact was crushing, terrifying, and brutal. And as you likely also suspect, the journey from communism to democracy was a complicated and important one. Both of our local guides were teenagers when the communist regime ended in this region. Both recall life before, during, and after that time. In a way that makes sense to those of us who have family members who lived through significant historical events that shaped their lives, you can tell that our guides and their families witnessed and endured many things as a result of the failed experiment that is communism in 20th century Europe.
Emerging from the Museum of Communism into an absolutely beautiful spring morning in Prague was a very freeing experience. With our legs still fresh, we began a leisurely journey through Prague's icnonic city center. We joined the crowds of tourists and locals enjoying whatever measure of freedom each was afforded in the moment. We paused in a large public square to learn about the Prague Spring of 1968 that concluded with Soviet Tanks rolling through the city imposing communism by terror on the people. We learned that on the mountaintop where we'd enjoyed our first glimpse of Prague there had once stood a massive statue of Stalin. We listened to an Israeli pop song from the 1970's that poetically spoke of these events and showed yet another line of connection between our Jewish identity and our settting here. All of this before 11am.
I know exactly what we did before 11am because at 11am we gathered with every other tourist in Prague to witness the quirky and somewhat macabre Prague icon that is the Astrological Clock. At 11am the clock sprang to life, most notably as an ancient animatroic skeleton began ringing a bell to sound the top of the hour. Why a skeleton? Because of the fate that awaits each of us... Uplifting!
From there we crossed the Charles Bridge, lingering to take pictures, appreciate the unique artwork, and absorb the experience. And from there to lunch and the aforementioned free time.
After free time we broke into small groups for a scavenger hunt that led across even more of Prague. Each group was free to approach the scavenger hunt with whatever level of intensity they desired. Some groups took off running while other groups decided to go at a more relaxed pace. It's unclear if the winning team is the one that scored the most points or the one that decided to stop for an ice cream break along the way. This is probably a "yes and" scenario.
Post scavenger hunt we returned to the hotel to freshen up before heading to Prague's largest mall (located immediately next door to the hotel). Can you feel the excitement mounting? In all fairness, it was a nice mall, and who can blame our kids for being happy to be handing a generous stack of cash to go and get whatever they wanted for dinner? Isn't that also a taste of freedom?
We returned to the hotel exhausted and the kids were happy to retire to their rooms.
One of the things that makes our 8th grade trip so effective is the blend of meaning and fun. Today we had elements of both. Yishay asked some of our kids what they thought of the Museum of Communism, explaining that he really wanted to know because he had never taken a group there before. They unanimously agreed that it was a meaningful part of the day. Observing our kids in the museum, I can affirm that their behavior there and their level of interest was authentic. While no 14 year old craves a museum visit, our kids have a broad enough understanding of history that they are able to cultivate compassion and empathy when they learn more about a subject like the impact of communism on the people of the Czech Republic. I have no doubt that, whether they can articulate it or not, the rest of their day, spent freely enjoying the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and feeling of Prague, was made more meaningful because of their morning spent witnessing the historical atrocities that were inflicted on the people of this region, including their tour guides. I also have no doubt that it is in large part because of their Davis education that they were able to do so.
Right in the middle of our wanderings today we turned a corner and found ourselves standing in front of the John Lennon Wall. So named for its famous street art style depiction of John Lennon that was created immediately after John Lennon was killed (some would say assassinated) in 1980, the wall continues to evolve and change moment to moment. We joined with other tourists in appreciating the wall's "in your face" approach toward messaging (here a picture is worth at least a thousand words). Some of us paused to listen to John Lennon's timeless classic, "Imagine", while others immediately starting looking for pens and sharpies so that we could add our voice to the wall. A number of us were struck by the presence of Hebrew writing, including many comments and stickers raising awareness and in some cases memorializing the hostages. On that note, we were all overjoyed to hear of the freeing of Edan Alexander and I know all of us pray that the coming months bring him and his family much healing and gentleness. But again, freedom is a complicated subject. As a rabbi, I'm often asked what I think of the vision that John Lennon expresses in that song. I can literally feel eyes on me, wondering if I can sing the words, "And no religion too." I suspect that I feel the same way about Imagine that many people do-- I choose not only to imagine, but to believe that we can create a better world. I believe that helping kids learn and grow and yes, live their values every day, is part of what translates a beautiful dream into something that we might be able to know and touch and enjoy in our lifetimes.
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