Moravia, Czech Republic

The Foundation focuses its activities on documentation of history and culture of the former Jewish communities in towns of Lostice, Mohelnice, Usov and Olomouc as the principal method of the teaching Respect and Tolerance to the people and students of the Czech Republic. Main sources of information are archives, literature and oral history.
Newly acquired materials and information are regularly presented to public in exhibitions, publications, newspaper articles and educational programs. The growing collection of period photographs, documents, objects and the books from the Respect and Tolerance library are used to prepare new programs and exhibitions. In 2005 the symbolic monuments to the victims of the Holocaust was created there in cooperation with students. In June 2008 the permanent museum display was installed in the Usov synagogue and in March 2011 the new museum display and Otto Wolf Library was opened in the renovated Lostice synagogue.

History of Jewish settlement in our region goes back to the 15th century, but very little attention has been given to this subject so far. The project Respect and Tolerance is a small contribution to the process of filling in that absence. History of the Jewish communities in the Lostice area until the Nazi occupation is a story of peaceful coexistence of Jewish and Christian inhabitants. There is plenty of evidence that in the period before WWII, Jews were fully integrated into the society and took vital part in cultural and social life of their towns.

We believe the exhibition and publication regarding the history of Jewish communities in Lostice, Mohelnice and Usov can be used as evidence that tolerant coexistence of people with different religious and racial background was, and is, possible. In our divided world such a message is still essential and very important.

"... to remain silent and indifferent is the greatest sin of all..."
Elie Wiesel
Winner of Nobel Peace Prize and Honorary Member of the Foundation Respect and Tolerance