Dear customers,

Over the years,  I have been lucky to meet thousands of different people because of this job, and many have expressed interest in hearing my personal story. I would be happy to introduce myself to you, and to share my story with you. If you would like to become familiar with who I am, please continue reading.

My family originated in the town of Odessa, in Ukraine, where a big Jewish community used to live. My grandfather (my mother’s father) was from a religious family from a little shtetl near Odessa called Bohemka. Czech Jews who were allowed by the Czar to settle the area first inhabited this small town. My grandfather used to tell me the story about his mother in Bohemka, who had nine children. At the age of forty, she began to develop what she thought were health problems. She was taken to a doctor in the city, where they learned that the problem might be cancer of her reproductive organs. Soon the family learned that the “cancer” would in fact be another baby. This was nearly unbelievable in those times, because it was extremely uncommon for a woman at the age of forty to be with child. The child who was born this time was my grandfather, who was the favorite child in the family. He lovingly taught me Jewish customs, traditions, and songs in Yiddish. He told me many other personal stories that I can share with you in person, perhaps on a tour, as the stories are too numerous to impart here.

During the Second World War, Stalin ordered that every healthy male had a mandatory obligation to join the army. So my grandfather became a soldier in the Russian army, and was deployed to liberate Prague with his division. It was in the woods of Prague that he was badly wounded during the fight. Luckily he survived, but unfortunately, he suffered some hearing loss for the rest of his life. My grandfather helped to raise me from childhood, and I remember many of his war stories. One of the precious photographs kept by my family is pictured here. You can see him in his uniform, decorated with a medal given to him for serving in the liberation of Prague.

When I gave birth to my son, I named him after my beloved grandfather. As you might know, it is a long cherished Jewish tradition to name a child after a dear, deceased relative. The photo of my son is also featured here (see photo).

Our family has strong connections with its Czech roots, through our family ties in Bohemka near our home in Odessa. We have strong connections with Prague in particular, because we had many relatives living in Prague. And so, when the communist regime changed, the whole family moved to Prague.

Being a Czech citizen, and having strong Jewish roots, my first steps in Prague were toward the Jewish Museum and into the Jewish Community of Prague. As a young girl I used to work in the archives of the Jewish Museum in Prague. My job was to sort documentary black-and-white photographs. This is when I fell in love with Jewish history and heritage. I decided when the communist regime ended in 1989 to become a student of Judaism. Religious and theological studies had not been allowed under communism.

My older sister is a piano player in the State Opera (see photo). (We can help you to obtain tickets if you would like!) She is married to a prestigious and well-known Czech lawyer (See photo). His father, Dr. Nosek, is a professor, curator, and Head of the Department of Judaism at Charles University. Dr. Nosek became my mentor and inspired me to pursue my studies in Judaism. (see photo)

My sister and her husband have three children, and my husband and I have two children. (See photo).

Here are my dear parents, who are almost 80-years-old. My mom loves to cook traditional Jewish cuisine and to invite the whole extended family to dinner. She has held onto recipes from her grandparents in Odessa until this day, for such treats as strudel and gefilte fish.

Here is my dad, who is an active senior member of the Prague Jewish Community. He is honoured with his own seat in the synagogue marked with his name, which I can show you on our tour of the Jewish Quarter. He is a very enthusiastic and fun-loving character, always joking. Believe it or not he is still working, although part-time. He is long retired, but for the pleasure of helping others he works in the Jewish Elderly home here in Prague as a Mashgiach (supervisor in a kosher kitchen).

Now you know a little bit about how strong and deep my relationship to Jewish history is. During the communist regime, people did not often visit our country - back then there weren't any nice hotels or shops. The tourist industry instantly began to flourish here when the regime changed and the borders were opened in 1989. Thousands of tourists were immediately drawn to the Jewish sites that are so fortunately preserved from the Nazis. I have studied the tourism industry, and have passed numerous tests and exams after extensive studies in Judaism. I have gone to Israel many times (see picture). A large number of customers have booked my guiding service, and one day I realized that I was fully booked for almost the whole year, and even over-booked with a long waiting list. I decided to create my own little Jewish tour agency and I now have a wonderful team of people working for me for a number of years (staff photo). The name “Precious Legacy Tours” is inspired by a travelling exhibition of Czech Judaca in the eighties (link to ABOUT US).

I would like to invite you to experience Prague and other wonderful and meaningful places with my staff and me. We would be happy to have you.

Entirely Yours,

Luba Poleva

Managing Director