Zamosc. Photo: cc/Mceurytos/wikipedia.orgIsrael’s ambassador to Poland, Mr Zvi Rav-Ner, took part in a ceremony today relaunching the 17th century synagogue in Zamosc, south east Poland.
The Jewish house of worship miraculously survived the war (the Germans used the interior as a carpentry workshop), and the building has now emerged from a 1.7 million euro restoration project, much of which came from EU and Norway funds.
Although chants and prayers echoed around the interior today, the synagogue will only occasionally be used for religious services, owing to the fact that the town’s Jewish population (formerly 12,500) was decimated during the Holocaust.
However, a cultural centre, taking in a multimedia exhibition of the history of Zamosc’s Jews, will now be open on the premises.
Israel’s ambassador said today that he hoped that the synagogue would be “a Jewish place that will serve the city, so that Jews and Poles can meet here, so that in some way the dialogue that we had for 900 years can be continued.”
He added that the Zamosc synagogue is “a kind of small bridge,”noting the positive current relations between Poland and Israel.
Zamosc is regarded by art historians as one of Europe’s most precious examples of the Renaissance ideal city. It was founded in 1580 by Chancellor Jan Zamoyski. Four years later, the first Jews settled there. Zamosc soon became a multi-cultural city, with Jews, Armenians, Ruthenians, Scots and Germans all represented.
Remarkably, Marcin Zamoyski, the heir of the founder, is the current mayor. He said earlier this week that he knew of only one current inhabitant of Jewish descent. However, he added that the lady in question only discovered her background in recent years. She had been given to a Catholic family during the German terror, and even today she does not know her real name.
A three day international conference began today exploring Jewish heritage in Zamosc. (nh/jb)
Source: PAP/AP