The Golden City The German writer and philosopher Goethe proclaimed Prague to be "the most precious
stone in the crown of the world." Prague stands at the crossroads of
Europe, where east meets west and history meets the excitement of a
post-communist country transitioning to EU membership. Rivaling Paris
as one of the most beautiful cities in the world, Prague invites
visitors and residents to wander through its fairytale-like cobblestone
streets and take in a thousand years of architectural and artistic
history.
Prague, the medieval seat of the
Hapsburg Empire, continued to strive as a sister city to Vienna into
modern times, always standing at the forefront of culture and industry.
Living in this dynamic city today, students encounter the challenges
that the Czech Republic faces in this period of transition between
Communism and the privatization of many political, social, and cultural
institutions. Here is the perfect environment in which to become
immersed in Czech culture and to explore the heritage of the Central
and Eastern European Jews.
The program is affiliated with the Charles University
Faculty of Humanities. Charles University is the oldest university in
Central Europe, founded in 1348 by King Charles the IV of Bohemia. Both
its students and faculty have played a leading role in the history of
the country from the rectorship of Jan Hus, one of the original
Reformation theologians, up to the present time with the active
involvement of students in the Velvet Revolution of 1989.
CET
students take classes in the CET center, right in the heart of Prague,
just steps from Wenceslas Square and Old Town. The neighborhood
features excellent public transportation, countless restaurants and
cafes, and numerous museums, movie theaters, and stores. The
CET Center features classroom spaces, offices for the Prague staff, a
small computer lab, and a library. The entire center has wifi Internet
access.
In the spring and fall, students have the option of enrolling in an elective course through one of our institutional partners, the Charles University Humanities Faculty or FAMU, the Film and TV Academy of the Performing Arts. Please visit the academics section for more information.
Students are housed with fellow CET students and local students in an
apartment in a Czech residential building. Each apartment has a full
kitchen, and is located close to the heart of Prague. Students should expect a commute of about 20 minutes to the CET center via public transportation. Students dine in Prague's many cafes and restaurants or
cook for themselves at home. Vegetarian cuisine and kosher food is
available in Prague.
Information for students with dietary restrictions will be included
into the post-acceptance materials, and guidance will be provided in
Prague by the Resident Director. Students who keep Kosher should also visit the Keeping Kosher section of this website.
Roommates
There is no better way to learn about a foreign culture than by immersing in it. In some semesters CET may invite Czech or Slovak students to live in our apartments. Living with Czech or Slovak flatmates can
provide valuable insight into the local culture and often leads to
close friendships. These local students are excited to interact with you--they have chosen to live in an English-speaking environment and some may even take courses through CET. Few study abroad programs offer their students the incredible opportunity to live as true Prague residents!
CET believes firmly that students should
integrate themselves into the host community as deeply as possible, and
that in doing so that they should have a positive impact on it. We urge
students to use the community service program as a means to create
"real" relationships with members of the Prague Jewish community. Ideally,
these friendships will mature and grow beyond the realm of the service
program.
Program Design
All
students participate in several group community
service projects throughout the semester. These day-long projects
benefit the local community and provide students with the opportunity to
become intimately involved. In the past, community service has included
building
restoration, cemetery weeding, tree planting, and teaching at an
after-school program for disadvantaged youth. Students gain insight
into issues facing the community today, and come away with the satisfaction
gained from making
a contribution on a personal level. Students wishing to pursue more
in-depth individual community service projects should take advantage of the Service-Learning Placement course. This course, for 1 recommended credit, is in addition to the five courses students already take and requires a minimum commitment of 3 hours/week. For more information about
this course, visit the Academics section.
A
wide variety of activities arranged by CET make Prague come alive.
Activities are designed to provide opportunities that students would not normally have on their own, such as special tours, religious and cultural events, Jewish and Czech film screenings, and social activities with Czech students. Past activities have included guided visits to Prague Castle, the Jewish Quarter, the Czech Parliament, and Radio Free Europe. CET students are also encouraged to participate in the activities in Prague's Jewish community, including
celebrations of the Jewish holidays.
CET students have the chance to meet and hear exclusive lectures from influential people in Prague's Jewish community and the Czech Republic. Lecturers may include the Israeli Ambassador, the President of the Federation of Czech and Moravian Jewish communities, the United States Ambassador to the Czech Republic, Rabbis from the Orthodox, Conservative, and Progressive movements in Prague, and the President of the Prague Jewish community.
Term after term, students cite the Traveling Seminar as one of the most exciting and enriching parts of the program. The itinerary varies each term and usually includes Krakow, Poland. Past trips have included meetings with Poles who rescued Jews during the Holocaust,
activities with various Jewish youth groups and discussions about issues facing modern day Central European Jewish communities. Rather than focusing on the grim past of the Holocaust, this traveling seminar also allows students a glimpse into current issues facing Jews and Poles. Expect this trip to be challenging and ultimately very rewarding. For more information, please read this reflective essay written by Jewish Studies alum Melissa Berman.
CET student with a student at the Lauder School in Warsaw Image courtesy of Melissa Berman, Jewish Studies alum, Muhlenberg College
CET students at Terezin Photo by Jennifer Chin, Central European Studies alum, Franklin & Marshall College
A trip to Terezin, a concentration camp
for Czechoslovak Jews during the war, challenges students'
understanding of the Holocaust. Students view the exhibition of artwork
created by children and adults living at the camp, tour the fortresses,
and learn about Jewish spiritual resistance in the "hidden" synagogue.
CET students explore Central Europe's largest Jewish community on a weekend trip to Hungary's capital. Learn about contemporary life and Budapest's
Jewish history. Past visits have included a typical Hungarian dinner
with the Jewish community and visits to Turkish baths, covered markets, and the Dohany Street Synagogue, the largest in use in all of Europe.
Each semester
includes a short overnight excursion to Cesky Krumlov, a beautiful
medieval/renaissance castle town on the Austrian boarder, featuring the world's best-preserved baroque theater. As part of the Sudeten Land, Cesky Krumlov is the perfect setting for investigating WWII history, contemporary Czech-German and Czech-Roma relations and life under communism. The castles, deserted German villages and natural beauty of Cesky Krumlov's surrounding region help students to internalize Czech history and culture.
Cesky Krumlov image taken by David Chorney, Central European Studies alum, Muhlenberg College
