Study Abroad in Czech Republic: Jewish Studies in Prague – City & Daily Life

Prague, Czech Republic

Prague, a European gem, is renowned for its thousand years of Jewish history. But it is the city’s current resources that make it a requisite study abroad destination for Jewish Studies students. Prague’s claims to fame include a growing Jewish community and an award-winning Jewish Museum, complete with a library available to CET students. The Jewish Museum in Prague, started in 1906, is one of the oldest of its kind and has one of the richest collections of Judaica in Europe. There is also the Malach Visual History Centre, one of three European access points of the Shoah Foundation, launched by Steven Spielberg in 1994 after the filming of Schindler’s List. The Centre’s archives contain 52,000 video testimonies of people who survived the holocaust during World War II.

CET Jewish Studies students tap into every corner of Jewish Prague, embracing the city’s history, longevity and position at the center of the modern European Jewish renaissance.

Charles University Faculty of Humanities

The program is affiliated with the Charles University Faculty of Humanities. Charles University is the oldest university in Central Europe, founded in 1348. The university has played a leading role in shaping the history of the country, from the Reformation to the Velvet Revolution of 1989.

CET Center in Prague

The CET center is in the heart of Prague. The neighborhood features excellent public transportation, countless restaurants and cafés, and many museums, movie theaters and stores.

The CET center features classroom spaces, offices for program staff, a small computer lab and a library. The entire center has wi-fi internet access.

Jewish Studies Housing & Meals

Students share apartments with other CET students and Czech roommates. Each apartment has a full kitchen. Apartments are centrally located and typically a 20-minute commute to the CET center.

Meals are not included in the program fee. Students dine in Prague’s many cafés and restaurants, or cook for themselves at home. Vegetarian cuisine and kosher food are available in Prague.

Czech Roommates

Sharing a room with a local roommate is frequently cited by CET students as “one of the best parts of the program.” Many students become good friends with their roommates and remain close after the program ends.

Czech roommates come from local universities around Prague. They participate in the program alongside CET students, attending program excursions and enrolling in some courses. Roommates also design activities for the well-loved Český Stůl (Czech Table). Activities are all in Czech and might involve a cooking lesson, neighborhood walk or visit to the countryside.