House of Life on AllMovie

Claire Bloom narrates this documentary about The Old Jewish Cemetery in Prague, the burial site that some claim houses up to 100,000 members of Prague's historic Jewish community. When the Germans occupied Prague in World War II, the cemetery was the only place that Jewish children were permitted to play. Later, when the communists took power, the same place was a popular rendezvous for lovers. Christened the "Westminster Abby of the Jewish people" The Old Jewish Cemetery is crowded with 12 layers of graves, and has been sited as the source of many legends, including that of Rabbi Loew's golem, which was constructed from clay to protect the Jewish people. Millions of people visit the cemetery every year, a fact that has no doubt fueled its reputation as a place steeped in mysticism, tradition, and philosophy.