Synagogue in Bobowa

The synagogue in Bobowa is a brick-built synagogue from 1756, standing at Żydowska 2, not far from the market square, along the line of the town's former defensive walls. It is entered in the heritage register and is among the best-preserved synagogues in Lesser Poland.

The building and interior

The synagogue is Baroque, built of stone on a rectangular plan measuring 14 by 12.5 m, with a wooden annexe on the western side. The main prayer hall has a nine-bay vault supported on four pillars. The most valuable feature is the stucco setting of the aron ha-kodesh (Torah ark), the cabinet for the Torah scrolls, from 1777-1778, with images of griffins in the role of cherubim, symbols of the Decalogue and plant motifs. Fragments of paintings showing a view of Jerusalem and musical instruments were also discovered on the walls.

In 1889 a fire destroyed the wooden part and the roof, but the brick interior survived. The reconstruction straight after the fire gave the building its present appearance.

The synagogue after 1939

During the German occupation the interior of the synagogue was devastated and the building was turned into a stable. The Holocaust destroyed the Jewish community of Bobowa, and the synagogue survived as one of the few traces of its existence. After the war it stood empty and fell into decay. In 1955 it was renovated and adapted as weaving workshops for a vocational school, and the bimah and part of the furnishings were removed at that time. The architecture and the polychromy around the aron ha-kodesh were, however, preserved, and today the latter is protected by glass.

Restoration and present use

In 1993 the synagogue was taken over by the Jewish Religious Community in Kraków, and the renovation was led by the Nissenbaum Family Foundation. Since 2003 it has again been an active place of worship, although services are held rarely, mainly during the pilgrimages of Hasidim to the graves of the Bobowa tzadikim. The building also houses a lace-making workshop and a museum of Judaica.

Nearby

In Stróże, about 4.4 km from Bobowa, there is the Beekeeping Museum. Those looking for views can go to the lookout tower in Bruśnik.

Practical information

• Address: ul. Żydowska 2, Bobowa.
• Heritage register: number A-374 of 1968.
• Visiting rules and hours depend on the custodian of the site; check them before your visit.