Narrated by Claire Bloom, HOUSE OF LIFE: THE OLD JEWISH CEMETERY IN PRAGUE chronicles the story of this historic burial ground, rich in lore, mysticism, tradition and philosophy, and the site of layer upon layer of buried members of the once-vibrant Jewish community of the Ghetto. The 12,000 stones on the surface of the Old Jewish Cemetery may be covering as many as 100,000 members of Prague's historic Jewish community. Under the German occupation in World War II, the cemetery was the only place where Jewish children were allowed to play. Later, under the communists, lovers met there for trysts. Today the neighborhood that was formerly the Ghetto is quite fashionable. The cemetery serves, as does the film, as a reminder of the indomitable spirit of a people compelled to honor their past and preserve the lessons of history.
