The Jewish Quarter and Piano Dress

Greetings loved ones!!!

Hope this post finds you all well-it's Wednesday evening over here....it's been a busy week so far. But first-the weekend exploration run down. :)

This last weekend, Richard and I went to the Jewish Quarter. Catherine stayed behind this time to study her score...after all Isolde is big role. :) So off Richard and I went! We first made a stop at the Hilton Hotel in Old Town....I had done some research and found that they had a fitness center. I decided to go and state my case and beg that they let me use their facilities! It had been a few weeks since I had worked out and all my hard work was beginning to become a distant memory...they were so kind. For a very reasonable fee, I can work out there everyday from now until I leave! YAY! What a relief and small victory :)

After this, we continued on to the Jewish Quarter. What a sobering and amazing experience this was-we did the Museum tour...for 300 crowns (which is only about $15 US dollars) we got to tour 5 museums and the Old Jewish Cemetery. We were not allowed to take photos in any of the museums, so I will include a few links in this post so you can see what I am trying to describe. We were allowed to take photos of the Cemetery and I also got a couple of videos of that as well. You won't hear any talking on those videos...I didn't want to be chatting away while others were having an experience.

The Jewish Quarter was a walled in community back in the day (13th century and on) where Prague's Jews lived, studied, worked, worshipped...even buried their loved ones. They were restricted to this Quarter....and during World War II, many of the Synagogues were used as storage-to store all the valuables the Nazis had looted from the Jewish community....we got to see these Synagogues and the precious valuables...things like candlesticks and ceramics as well as Jewish rituals for burials.

Needless to say, it was a fascinating and sobering afternoon....we toured the Klausen Synagogue where the exhibition "Jewish Customs and Traditions" is housed. Here we were able to see prints and manuscripts about customs and such...it was constructed in 1694. One of the last Synagogues we went into before walking through the cemetery was the Pinkas Synagogue-where all the names of the victims are inscribed on the walls. Wall after wall-room after room of names. It was really emotional reading and seeing all these names....a moving testimony to their lineage. We also toured the Spanish Synagogue...and I WISH (and was SO tempted to) I could have taken pictures. My jaw just dropped open when we entered....this was Prague's first Jewish house of worship. I went to wikipedia and found a couple photos of the inside, so check out my facebook Prague pic folder and take a look. Absolutely awesome. After we saw the museums, we walked through the Old Jewish Cemetery....this was probably the most sobering of all the sights I saw that day....because the Jews were confined to this Quarter, they had to bury their dead layer upon layer. So the tombstones (as you will see in pics and videos) are literally one on top of another. They had to bring in more earth to add to the layers because they ran out. Can you even fathom??? The tombstones are exquisite-I took several photos so you all could get an idea of what they looked like.

We ended our afternoon by enjoying a lovely Italian dinner at a little restaurant not far from our sight seeing...I enjoyed a very tasty mushroom risotto :))))

On Monday, we had our piano/tech dress. I have included a video of my dressing room and I put pics up of my costume and my colleague Catherine...I will get more pics tomorrow as we have a pre-dress rehearsal tomorrow with orchestra. The piano/tech went well! Long day-we started at 3pm and went until 9pm....but it was exciting to see the set and be in costume...it's really all coming together and I think we are gonna have one fantastic show!!!!! Yesterday and today were orchestra rehearsals again-tomorrow is a full run of the whole opera (5 hours....cough cough) and then a three day weekend!

I have so much to look forward to this next week-Gabe is coming, the show opens and Gabe and I go to Italy for the first time!!!!! It's been so amazing being here....I do miss home, but I have to remind myself about this opportunity and the fact that I am getting to see Europe....:)))

So some shout outs.....Happy Birthday to sweet Addie...I forgot to post that last week. My best friend Erika's daughter turned one on the 1st of this month....I got to be there for her birth!!!! :) And Happy Mom's Day to all of my friends....but especially to my amazing and constant mother. What a blessed and spoiled child I am to have the mom I have-she is supportive, encouraging, loving, positive-the list goes on and on and I couldn't ask for a better mom!!! I love you, MOM!!!!!!

I will blog again after the weekend....final dress rehearsal is on Tuesday and then opening is the 20th! Wow-time really flew by!!!!

Love you all-enjoy the videos!!!!

Amber