This is a photograph of a flag that is displayed in the Altneuschul in Prague. The dark red flag is situated in the nave of the synagogue near the west pillar. The flag features a Magen David and a hat that was typically worn by Jews in the fifteenth century. These features are embroidered in gold alongside the text of “Shema Yisrael.”
The flag on display today (and photographed here) is a reproduction of the flag that was awarded to the Jewish community of Prague in the seventeenth century, in recognition of their services in the defence of Prague during the Thirty Years War (1618–1648). An earlier flag was granted in 1345 by Emperor Karl IV, and this too was red and included the six-pointed star, later called the Star of David or Magen David. These Prague flags are considered the predecessors of the Zionist and Israeli flags, since they are the first to include a Magen David.
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The Altneuschul - The Altneuschul was built in 1270 in Josefov, the Jewish quarter of Prague and is understood to be the oldest functioning Synagogue in Europe. The synagogue was originally called the New Synagogue but as years passed an others were built it was renamed the Old-New Synagogue. Another explanation of the name is based on a tradition the stones of the foundations of the synagogue were originally from the Temple in Jerusalem and are in Prague "al tnay" (the Hebrew word for "on condition') until they will again be needed when the Jewish Temple will be rebuilt.
The synagogue has many interesting features. There are nine steps descending from the street level to the synagogue floor that refer to the verse from Psalms “Out of the depths I call you, O Lord” (130:1). The main building is surrounded on three sides by low outer rooms added in later centuries which were used as the women’s gallery. The Altneuschul is also famous for its legend from the 16th century of the Golem, created by Rabbi Judah Ben Bezalel Loew (also known as the ‘Maharal’).
Connection to Parashat Bamidbar
In Parashat Bamidbar, the Torah details the Jewish People’s encampment in the desert. Having stayed at Mount Sinai for almost a year, it was now time for the Jewish People to begin their journey towards the Land of Israel. In addition to information about the number of people in each of the tribes, the Torah tells us that each tribe had its own flag, thus suggesting their independent status. Although the Jewish People are required to be one people, each of the tribes had their own role to play within the entirety of the nation. Although the Torah does not detail the colours of the flags, rabbinic literature goes into great detail linking the nature of the tribes to the colours which appeared on their respective flags.
