Last week, I visited the old Jewish Cemetery in Prague.

During my exploration, I came across a pleasant suprise… a beautiful black cat sat comfortably on one of the graves – as if it was guarding the grave.

I wondered if this was a one-off occurrence, but a simple Google search suggested it wasn’t. It would seem the same cat as been photographed at the cemetery more or less around the same grave a few times over a few years now.

It would seem the cat may be actually living at the cemetery.

This got me thinking of the many beliefs held around seeing a black cat at a cemetery and its meaning, especially as this cemetery as its own legend of a Golem.

Generally, most stories and superstitions about black cats portray them as spiritual guardians and protectors of the dead.

However, some associate black cats with bad luck, witches, and omens. This belief started in the Middle Ages and continues in modern pop culture, which means black cats have, over the years, been mistreated and cruelly victimised because of this.

I did wonder at the time of visiting the cemetery and seeing the proud and contented black cat. what other visitors may be thinking around me who was witnessing the same sight. Were they seeing it as just a cat in a graveyard, or would they see it as some kind of spiritual sign/meaning or a bad omen?

This got me thinking, what connections is there between cats and Jewish tradition. Guess what, I found quite an interesting one.

Judaism forbids such beliefs that black cats are bad luck because it violates the prohibition against omens

It was common for synagogues to have a ‘synagogue cat’, also known as Shul Katze, to hunt rodents and protect the holy books from mice. I am not sure if this is a common practice to this date  but seeing as the cemetery is across the road from two synagogues it’s a plausible and possible explanation while it may be living in the graveyard or maybe the cat just feels more comfortable there..maybe protecting the dead.