Pavel BateL's team
Our passionate team is dedicated to preserving history through academic research and engaging education. We specialize in sharing knowledge in a way that makes history both understandable and impactful. While our focus is on Jewish heritage, we also offer insights into the broader history and culture of the country, ensuring every visit is enriching and unforgettable.
Pavel Batel
Founder of Terezin Private Tours, Co-founder of Jewish Prague Tours
Pavel Batel is a renowned author, documentarian, and researcher whose work has taken him to archives around the world. He has collected rare survivor testimonies and conducted over thirty interviews with Holocaust survivors and witnesses across eight countries. His novels and historical fiction, based on these testimonies, ensure the stories reach a broader audience.
Pavel has lectured at esteemed institutions such as the Holocaust Museum of Los Angeles and trained guides for organizations like Yad Vashem, the Sydney Holocaust Museum, and the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York. His research and insights have been featured in both international and local media, including I24 News, the BBC, and academic publications. Through his mentorship, Pavel has built a team of historians dedicated to providing an authentic understanding of Terezín's history, preserving the voices of its survivors and witnesses for future generations.
Pavel has lectured at esteemed institutions such as the Holocaust Museum of Los Angeles and trained guides for organizations like Yad Vashem, the Sydney Holocaust Museum, and the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York. His research and insights have been featured in both international and local media, including I24 News, the BBC, and academic publications. Through his mentorship, Pavel has built a team of historians dedicated to providing an authentic understanding of Terezín's history, preserving the voices of its survivors and witnesses for future generations.
Yvonne Penkavova
Co-Founder of Jewish Prague Tours
Yvonne, a graduate in Hebrew Studies from the Department of Middle Eastern Studies, is currently pursuing a Master's in Political Science at Charles University. Her academic focus includes modern Jewish history and the evolving Jewish identity within the Czech lands prior to World War II, as well as the demolition of Prague's Jewish Quarter at the end of the 19th century. She actively educates and speaks at institutions across Europe and Israel, including the Centre du Judaïsme in Paris and the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York. She has participated in conferences alongside EU and USA dignitaries and her insights have been featured in publications such as The Jerusalem Post and The Wall Street Journal. In addition to her scholarly contributions, Yvonne plays a key role in shaping our social media and online presence, using her expertise to highlight the rich Jewish history and heritage and draw attention to its historical significance.
Julie Mauthauser
Educator at Jewish Prague Tours
Julie is a student at Charles University, where she is pursuing a degree in Jewish History and Hebrew. She has also studied Jewish Studies at the Hochschule für Jüdische Studien in Heidelberg, Germany. Julie’s academic interests are broad, including Jewish-Muslim relations, antisemitism, and synagogical liturgy, with a particular specialization in medieval Jewish liturgy.
A regular contributor of scholarly reviews, Julie focuses on works related to translations of medieval chronicles and the study of Liberal Judaism. She is deeply committed to advancing the understanding of Prague’s Jewish Quarter, drawing on her extensive knowledge to provide nuanced insights into its historical, cultural, and religious significance.
A regular contributor of scholarly reviews, Julie focuses on works related to translations of medieval chronicles and the study of Liberal Judaism. She is deeply committed to advancing the understanding of Prague’s Jewish Quarter, drawing on her extensive knowledge to provide nuanced insights into its historical, cultural, and religious significance.
Anthony
Educator at Jewish Prague Tours
Antony Roos is a researcher, translator, and journalist with expertise in Jewish history and Middle Eastern studies. He earned his degree in Jewish Studies from Charles University in Prague and further specialized in the Modern History of the Middle East at Ben Gurion University in Israel. His commentary on Jewish and Israeli affairs has been featured on CNN, where he gained prominence for his insightful coverage of the recent Amsterdam riots. His academic article was published in Judaica Bohemiae.
His professional experience also includes serving as a tour guide and translator across Israel and Jordan.
Antony’s research focuses on the history of the Jewish community in Prague, the Terezín ghetto during the Shoah, and the Jewish diaspora in Northern Europe.
His professional experience also includes serving as a tour guide and translator across Israel and Jordan.
Antony’s research focuses on the history of the Jewish community in Prague, the Terezín ghetto during the Shoah, and the Jewish diaspora in Northern Europe.
Anna Bendova
Educator at Jewish Prague Tours
Anna is a history teacher, journalist, and lecturer who specializes in religion, traditions and history of Prague's Jewish Quarter. She also educates schools through the Jewish Museum of Prague, offering insightful programs that engage students of various ages with Jewish culture and history.
In addition to her work in education, Anna plays an active role in shaping Jewish life in Prague through her involvement in youth organizations. Her professional journey includes an internship at the Czech House in Jerusalem and organizing cultural activities during her residency at Moishe House. Through her diverse contributions, Anna supports the preservation and growth of Jewish heritage in Prague.
In addition to her work in education, Anna plays an active role in shaping Jewish life in Prague through her involvement in youth organizations. Her professional journey includes an internship at the Czech House in Jerusalem and organizing cultural activities during her residency at Moishe House. Through her diverse contributions, Anna supports the preservation and growth of Jewish heritage in Prague.
Michaela
Educator at Jewish Prague Tours
Michala, one of the longest-serving team members and a trusted colleague of Pavel Batel, is an accomplished guide with expertise in Jewish history, Prague’s cultural landmarks, and the Czech countryside. A native of Prague, she holds a degree in Tourism, with her thesis focusing on promoting Holocaust education through increased tourism to Terezín.
Passionate about Czech history, Michala specializes in the Second World War, the Holocaust, and the communist era in Czechoslovakia. Her personal interactions with survivors and witnesses from these times have enabled her to document their stories, adding a deeply personal and unique perspective to her tours. Her dedication to her craft, profound knowledge, and love for her city make her tours both insightful and memorable.
Passionate about Czech history, Michala specializes in the Second World War, the Holocaust, and the communist era in Czechoslovakia. Her personal interactions with survivors and witnesses from these times have enabled her to document their stories, adding a deeply personal and unique perspective to her tours. Her dedication to her craft, profound knowledge, and love for her city make her tours both insightful and memorable.