Kupa Synagogue

The Kupa Synagogue (Polish: Synagoga Kupa), also known as the Synagogue of the Poor (Polish: Synagoga Ubogich), is a former Jewish congregation and synagogue, that is located at 8 Warszauera Street, in the historic Kazimierz district of Kraków, in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship of Poland. The 17th-century former synagogue is located in a neighborhood earmarked in 1495 by King John I Albert for the Jewish community, that was transferred from the budding Old Town. Devastated by Nazis during World War II, the former synagogue was used for profane purposes until 1991; and has subsequently operated as a Jewish museum since 1996. The building served Kraków's Jewish community as one of the venues for religious ceremonies and cultural festivals, notably the annual Jewish Culture Festival in Kraków. History The former synagogue was founded in 1643 by the Kazimierz Jewish district's kehilla, as a foundation of the local qahal. A contribution of 200 zlotys by the Jewish goldsmiths' guild helped to bring the construction to its successful completion. The synagogue was built in a Baroque style with a square prayer hall inside. Many renovations occurred throughout the centuries. In 1830-1834 the two-storey annex was added with entrance hall and washrooms. In 1861 the western wing was built. At the end of the 19th century, the former synagogue was joined with the adjacent building. The former synagogue was burned down by a Polish mob during the Kraków pogrom, shortly after the end of World War II, and was subsequently meticulously restored. The northern wall of the former synagogue connected with the remnants of the medieval city-wall of Kazimerz, while its southern flank faced Warchauera Street. The colorful interior of the former synagogue served as an exhibition hall and the venue for musical events. The former synagogue was richly decorated with paintings from the 1920s featured on walls, the ceiling and in the women's section. The depictions included the holy places of Hebron, Tiberias, and Jerusalem. There were also Biblical scenes and illustrations to verses in Psalms, such as the painting showing people standing by the rivers of Babylon (Psalms 137:1–3), or musical instruments (Psalms 150:3–6). Another painting depicted Noah's Ark including the figure of Noah – quite unusual since the use of human images was very rare in Jewish art. The signs of the Zodiac are painted over the women's gallery. The artist is unidentified. There are also remnants of earlier paintings from the 17th to 18th centuries. The older drawings are ornamental, with leaves and fruit surrounding texts. A carved wood and stucco Torah Ark, from the early 17th century, adorned the interior. The Kupa Synagogue was entered into the register of historical monuments under the number A-700 on July 30, 1986. Gallery See also Chronology of Jewish Polish history Culture of Kraków History of the Jews in Poland List of active synagogues in Poland Synagogues of Kraków References Bibliography "Old Kleparz". Poland: What Where When. Archived from the original on January 16, 2006. Strzala, Marek. "Synagogues of the Kazimierz district". Krakow Information. Kalemba, Aneta (December 21, 2004). "Poland: Online presentation". Archived from the original on August 21, 2008. "Exploring the Synagogues of Poland". Steven Spielberg's Righteous Persons' Foundation. Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Archived from the original on February 26, 2007. "The Jewish Community of Krakow". Archived from the original on December 15, 2007. External links Media related to Kupa Synagogue of Kazimierz, Kraków at Wikimedia Commons Virtual tour at YouTube.com