In our first “Have Your Say” personal essay of 2021, cultural activist Emil Majuk describes the new permanent exhibit he curated in the former synagogue of the small town of Wojsławice in southeastern Poland and how past, present, and future converge in the narrative it tells and questions it addresses.
Wojsławice for centuries was home to three religious communities – Catholic, Jewish, and Orthodox Christian. Its multi-ethnic, multi-cultural character was destroyed during and after World War II, with the depredations of the Shoah and the forced resettlement of the Orthodox population after new post-WW2 state borders were drawn; both the synagogue and the Orthodox church were desecrated.
As we reported when it opened, the new permanent exhibit installed in the former synagogue focuses on the pre-WW2 multicultural tradition.
In his essay, Emil — who was born in Wojsławice — guides us through the exhibition and tells its the back story. He also recounts his own personal involvement with the synagogue.
He raises questions that are basic but also complex – including what should, could, or can be the role of a post-Holocaust synagogue building in a town devoid of Jews.
Click here to read Emil’s essay