Why we are concerning ourselves with the history of the Saaz jews

Why do we concern ourselves  at all with history?  Because without   knowledge of the past we cannot understand the present times. Historical records  supplement  our genetic memory and thereby enable us to form  our future  in a way not posssible to  animals.On the other hand  we find explanations in history as to why our present time is as it is. Before the war  ten percent of the population of Saaz were jews. Like everywhere in Europe they  contributed an important part  to the economy and culture which is missing today.  If we search for reasons  for the condition of the town as ist is today, this loss may be one of them.  However, people can learn for the future from the mistakes of the past.

PROJECTS

• Documentation concerning the jews of Saaz  based upon    documents  from the archives  and testimonies of surviving jews of Saaz, now living in the Czech Republic or in Israel.
• Setting up a website  with a data bank  for the project  “Jews in Saaz and aryanized houses of Saaz”.
• Exhibition “The Jews of Saaz” (Žatec): www.zatec-zide.eu
• Documentation commemorating the airlift Zatec-Saaz to Tel Aviv (Haifa), Nov. 2010
• Restoration of the Jewish  cemetery  and the buildings belonging  to it  in cooperation with he Jewish Community of Teplice
• Setting up of a memorial and an information centre for jewish culture and religion on the premises of the Jewish cemetery