The Przedbórz Synagogue was a

wooden synagogue Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin tha ...

Przedbórz Przedbórz is a town in Radomsko County, Łódź Voivodeship, Poland, with 3,458 inhabitants (2020). Przedbórz is situated on the Pilica River in the northwestern corner of the historic province of Lesser Poland. From its foundation until ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is divided into Voivodeships of Poland, sixteen voivodeships and is the fifth most populous member state of the European Union (EU), with over 38 mill ...

History

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

community is documented to have been established in Przedbórz by 1570.Maria and Kazimierz Piechotka, ''Heaven's Gate: Wooden Synagogues in the Territory of the Former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth'', Institute of Art, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wydawnnictwo Krupski I S-ka, Warsaw, 2004, p. 328 At the beginning of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, the town was 60% Jewish.Margie Mason (January 26, 2002)
"Berkeley Congregation Plans to Re-Create 17th Century Temple"
''Los Angeles Times''. The building was erected after the previous synagogue burnt down in 1754, but completed by 1760, the date given on a wall painting. It was destroyed in 1939.

Architecture

The synagogue of Przedbórz, regarded as one of Poland's "most beautiful" wooden synagogues, once drew tourists to the small town. The synagogue, built on a stone foundation, featured a main hall 14.20 meters long with a women's balcony above a large vestibule or side hall. The barrel vaulted main hall rose to a height of 8.80 meters. The wooden, barrel vaulted ceiling was paneled in wood in an intricate lunette and star motif that gave something of the impression of an intricate, curved lattice work. An elaborate, octagonal, Baroque Bimah rose in three tiers almost to the ceiling, but ended in a decorative finial topped by an eagle with wings outspread, and did not touch or support the roof. The Baroque

Torah Ark A Torah ark (also known as the ''Heikhal'', or the ''Aron Kodesh'') refers to an ornamental chamber in the synagogue that houses the Torah scrolls. History The ark, also known as the ''ark of law'', or in Hebrew the ''Aron Kodesh'' or ''aron h ...

was elaborately carved with lions rampant, floral decorations, and animals.Maria and Kazimierz Piechotka, ''Heaven's Gate: Wooden Synagogues in the Territory of the Former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth'', Institute of Art, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wydawnnictwo Krupski I S-ka, Warsaw, 2004, pp. 322-8 The walls were elaborately painted with a menorah, an illustration of

Psalm 137 Psalm 137 is the 137th psalm of the Book of Psalms in the Tanakh. In English it is generally known as "By the rivers of Babylon", which is how its first words are translated in the King James Version of the Bible. Its Latin title is "Super flum ...

featuring trees beside the river of Babylon with musical instruments hanging form the branches, landscapes of towns, the texts of prayers surrounded by garlands of leaves and flowers, and other motifs. High on the north wall a painted legend read, "This is the work of Yehuda Leb's own hands, 1760."

Reconstruction project

In 2002, Congregation Beth Israel of Berkeley, California, in need of a new building, began a campaign to construct a replica of the Przedbórz Synagogue. The project had to be abandoned when fundraising fell short.June Bell (March 21, 2003
"Wooden Synagogue Project Abandoned"
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The Forward ''The Forward'' ( yi, פֿאָרווערטס, Forverts), formerly known as ''The Jewish Daily Forward'', is an American news media organization for a Jewish American audience. Founded in 1897 as a Yiddish-language daily socialist newspaper, ...

Gallery

Przedbórz, synagogue (North side).jpg, North side Przedbórz, synagogue seen from the river Pilica.jpg, Synagogue as seen from the river Pilica Przedbórz, synagogue seen from the river Pilica 2.jpg, Synagogue as seen from the river Pilica Przedbórz, synagogue - entrance door.jpg, Entrance doors Przedbórz, synagogue - Tsedakah box.jpg, Tzedakah box near the entrance door Przedbórz, synagogue - Torah ark.jpg, The Torah Ark Przedbórz, synagogue - Parochet - Torah Ark curtain.jpg, Torah Ark curtain - parochet Przedbórz, synagogue - Wall and ceiling.jpg, A portion of the wall and ceiling Przedbórz, synagogue - painted ceiling.jpg, A portion of the painted ceiling Przedbórz, synagogue - Torah shields.jpg, Torah shields Przedbórz, synagogue - Torah crown and Torah shields.jpg, Torah crown and Torah shields Przedbórz,_synagogue_-_ceiling.jpg, Ceiling Przedbórz,_synagogue_-_Bimah.jpg, Bimah

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Przedborz Synagogue Former synagogues in Poland Wooden synagogues Baroque synagogues in Poland 18th-century synagogues Radomsko County Buildings and structures in Łódź Voivodeship Wooden buildings and structures in Poland