- Oświęcim Synagogue
-
Chevra Lomdei Mishnayot Synagogue 
Basic information Location Jan Skarbek square,
Oświęcim
PolandAffiliation Orthodox Judaism Rite Ashkenaz Status Active synagogue Architectural description Completed 1918 The Oświęcim Synagogue, also called the Auschwitz Synagogue, is the only active synagogue in the town of Oświęcim, Poland. The formal as well as pre-war name of the synagogue is Khevre Loymdei Mishnayos (English translation: Association of Those who Study Mishna). It is now part of a museum called the Auschwitz Jewish Center.
The Oświęcim synagogue was the first building restored to the Jewish community under the Polish government’s post-Communism law governing the restitution of Jewish communal property seized by the German occupiers during World War II, and retained by the Post-war Communist government.[1] The building was claimed by, and is now owned by, the Jewish community of nearby Bielsko-Biala.
History
The synagogue was built circa 1913. During World War II, the Nazis demolished its interior and used the building as a munitions depot. After the end of war, a small group of Jewish survivors restored the synagogue to its proper function. However, the custodians soon left Poland and the synagogue ceased to operate.[2] In the 1970s, under the Communist Poland, the empty building was used as a temporary carpet warehouse. The synagogue reopened in September 2000, completely restored to its pre-war condition by the Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation in New York, at the cost of one million dollars. It is an active synagogue, used for prayers by groups and individuals visiting Auschwitz. The adjoining house was purchased by the foundation and turned into a compelling contemporary museum called the Auschwitz Jewish Center (Żydowskie Centrum Edukacyjne). It depicts the life of Jews in pre-war Oświęcim. [3] Both, the Synagogue and the Center are affiliated with the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York.[4]
The Auschwitz synagogue was not the largest synagogue in Oświęcim. The better known Great Synagogue of Oświęcim was destroyed by the Nazis on November 29, 1939, and its remains were demolished. At the time of the Nazi invasion, more than half the population of Oświęcim was Jewish. The community was more than 400 years old and there were more than 20 synagogues in the city. The last native Jew of Oświęcim died in 2000. At present, a lone Jewish woman from Belgium lives near the camp, dedicating her life to memorializing the Shoah.[5] Oświęcim also has an old Jewish cemetery open to visitors.[6]
References
- ^ Synagogue Near Auschwitz Restored to Jews, March 12, 1998. New York Times
- ^ The Chevra Lomdei Mishnayot Synagogue history, at ajcf.org
- ^ "Synagogue Reopens Near Auschwitz After 60 Years." New York Times News Service, 18 February 2001
- ^ Museum of Jewish Heritage, at www.mjhnyc.org
- ^ "Jedyna Żydówka, która mieszka w Auschwitz." Gazeta.pl, 18 March 2007. See rough translation by Google: "The only Jewish woman who lives in Auschwitz." Google translate
- ^ Video presentation at ajcf.org
- Official Website, at www.ajcf.pl (Polish)
- Official English Language Website, at ajcf.org
- Collection of photographs, at www.scrapbookpages.com
Coordinates: 50°02′25″N 19°13′13″E / 50.040347°N 19.220406°E
Categories:- Jewish Polish history
- Holocaust museums
- Museums in Poland
- Synagogues in Poland
- Synagogues preserved as museums
- Religious buildings completed in 1918
- 20th-century synagogues
- Oświęcim
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
