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Long ago, in the 16th century, maps of Europe were created depicting the continent as a queen—the so-called *Europa Regina*—in which the Kingdom of Bohemia was symbolized as the heart of Europe. Later, this designation came to be applied to Prague. In Czech, when one says of someone that they “have a heart,” it implies not merely that they are alive, but that they are sensitive and perceptive, and that they strive for understanding and compassion.Two totalitarian regimes swept through the “Heart of Europe” like a whirlwind, destroying many families and—in the case of Jewish communities—inflicting unimaginable cruelty and bringing them to the brink of extermination. That is why it is essential to preserve old Jewish cemeteries and other memorials to these “vanished neighbors,” and never to forget.

Long ago, in the 16th century, maps of Europe were created depicting the continent as a queen—the so-called *Europa Regina*—in which the Kingdom of Bohemia was symbolized as the heart of Europe. Later, this designation came to be applied to Prague. In Czech, when one says of someone that they “have a heart,” it implies not merely that they are alive, but that they are sensitive and perceptive, and that they strive for understanding and compassion.Two totalitarian regimes swept through the “Heart of Europe” like a whirlwind, destroying many families and—in the case of Jewish communities—inflicting unimaginable cruelty and bringing them to the brink of extermination. That is why it is essential to preserve old Jewish cemeteries and other memorials to these “vanished neighbors,” and never to forget.

Edita Machova