Ladies and Gentlemen, Distinguished Guests,
On behalf of Bejt Praha, the Prague open Jewish community, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the director of the House of Europe in Prague, Peter Pechan, for inviting me to share our views with you this evening.
Bejt Praha was established in 1994 as a civic non-profit organization, and became a member of the Federation of the Jewish Commby providing social, educational, and cultural programming, without regard to their religious background (from Reform to Orthodox) or nationality. In Hebrew "Bajit" means both physical "house" and spiritual "home." We have chosen this name because it reflects our desire to be open to all people who are interested in learning about our culture, history, philosophy, and customs. Therefore if youitation to join us - you will find people from various corners of the world, with different backgrounds and beliefs, speaking in many languages, Jews and non-Jews alike, sitting together in one bajit – house.
I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to live in this beautiful city for the past four years. From every corner of Prague, one can feel the influences of the three main cultures whichultures, due to large numbers of tourists. In just walking across Old Town Square, which can take as few as five minutes, one is exposed to so many different languages, cultures, and nationalities. People walk peacefully together, not minding their differences, because they focus on the beauty of the city. A few square meters of land become something like a "House of Europe", wherein people tacceptance to the rest of this region, country, and the whole of Europe, in our everyday lives. At present, most of this region is completely homogeneous. Members of minority groups feel uncomfortable and are not fully accepted into society. One can find examples of this in daily life. It is time for the whole society and their civic, religious, and political leaders to make a bold statement very vogue to speak of creating a civic society wherein people take active roles in creating the environments in which they live. But somehow, these words do not translate to actions. Our society is skeptical of politicians who have inherited some of their manners from the old regime. They seem to enjoy their political power without taking personal responsibility for their words and actions. Md a strong foundation of leadership, individuals who will set the right example for the people. We cannot build such an unusual house in one day, and walk away satisfied. It requires constant care.
One of the main tools for building this house is education. We must constantly educate ourselves, and pass on what we learn to our friends, colleagues, families, and children. Once we are no longe must push our politicians to create new textbooks which are historically accurate. We have to bring our children together and educate them about each other. We need to develop in ourselves the desire to learn about other peoples, to tell ourselves that misunderstanding is not an option. It is only through these methods that we can overcome the ignorance which separates us.
I truly value thague, in Central-Eastern Europe, where there is so much need for reconciliation and such a huge potential for creating a modern, enlightened, European society.
Please allow me to conclude with a quote from Rabbi Hillel, a great Jewish leader and thinker, who taught "That is wise, who can learn from everyone." Although this quote is over 1000 years old, its message is as important today as it wature ahead, but only if all of us take personal and professional responsibility for building our "house" together.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Peter Gyori
Director , Bejt Praha