Poland: Small synagogue reopens in Wrocław

We noted earlier that the Small Synagogue in the Jewish communal complex in Wrocław, Poland would be re-opening during Hanukkah following extensive renovation — which was co-financed by the Union of Jewish Religious Communities in Poland and the Wroclaw Branch of the Union; the Bente Kahan Foundation; the City of Wroclaw; and the Taube Foundation for Jewish Life & Culture.

The synagogue is a prayer room established in 1945 in a room on an upper floor of the Jewish community complex, which also includes the historic White Stork synagogue.

The ceremony took place last week, on December 10, and we are pleased to post some pictures of the event. As we reported in September, during the renovation, the original ceiling paintings by local Jewish architects, the Ehrlich brothers, were revealed and were restored.

Since the synagogue is used for services by Wrocław’s Jewish community, the ceremony included returning a Torah to the Ark.

As noted by Virtual Shtetl, the renovation work was extensive:

the Aron ha-Ḳodesh, the bimah, the amud and supplementary furniture have been restored and a stained glass has been fitted in the window. The synagogue now has better heating and air conditioning.

The synagogue’s ceiling paintings and all the elements of wooden decorations have been renovated. Heating, water and electricity systems have been replaced and the window and door frames have been renovated.  The floors have been replaced so that they fit the early 20th century style.

During the work, the Bente Kahan Foundation has gathered historical materials related to the Small Synagogue. Broad stratigraphic research has also been conducted to establish the chronology of the layers of mortar, primer and paint.

 

Watch a video about the synagogue and its renovation:

See a report on the Wrocław city web site