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Friday June 16, 2000

Future of Prague cemetery incites Jewish protests

PRAGUE (JTA) -- Two organizations are warning of renewed demonstrations against construction of an office building above one of
The U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad and the Committee for the Preservation of Jewish Cemeterie

The compromise ended months of speculation over the cemetery's fate, a site unearthed two years ago during building construction for a Czech insurance company, Ceska pojistovna.

The agreement followed heavy pressure from Orthodox Jewish groups from the United States and Europe, whose protests over the fate of the cemetery included demonstrations March 1 outside the Czech embassies in London and Brussels.

In a letter to the insurance company, the Committee for the Preservation of Jewish Cemeteries in Europe criticized the fact that the removed remains had not yet been returned.

The group also claimed that the insurance company still intends "to violate the sacred ground by digging below the level of the graves, in total violation of Jewish law and tradition and against the assurance we received from the Czech government." They also threatened to organize more protests at Czech embassies and Ceska pojistovna offices.

Rabbi Edgar Gluck, of the U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad, expressed similar concerns in a recent letter to the insurance company.

"I am quite concerned that world Orthodox Jewry will consider demonstrations and picketing unless these matters can be rectified," Gluck wrote.

Both the government and the insurance company appear unfazed by the protest threats.

"No one will tell us what we can do and what not. I know the contents of these ultimatum letters but nothing has changed in the government's position," said Pavel Dostal, Czech minister of culture.

Ceska pojistovna spokesman Michal Urban said his company is acting according to the decision announced by the government in March and that "everything is going to plan."

Jiri Danicek, a Prague Jewish leader said, "We agree with the decision reached in March. All sides were happy with it," adding that there was no reason at the moment for foreign Jewish groups to demonstrate.

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