Synagogue De Lesko
The synagogue in Lesko ( Poland ), built in the seventeenth century , was badly damaged by the Nazis during the Second World War. Renovated during the 1960 , 1970 and 1980 , it now houses the Museum of Jews from Galicia.
Summary |
Lesko is a city in south-eastern Poland in the voivodship Podkarpackie. Founded in the fifteenth century , it currently has 5,855 inhabitants ( census of 2004 ). Lesko in Yiddish or Linsk Lisk said.
The Jewish community Lesko
The first Jews to arrive Lesko the late fifteenth century, probably expelled from Spain. In the census of 1580 , reference is made to a rabbi and a Jewish school. In the sixteenth century the development of the city attracts many Jews whose more than half are craftsmen. A rarity at that time, many own and operate land. From the eighteenth century , the Jews are a majority in the city and the mid- nineteenth century , they may be members of the council.
In the year 1930 , after the independence of Poland, member - Mayor Alter Mller and five other Jews Lesko, are members of the municipal government. The Jewish population of the city is then about 2500 people and there are over 15,000 Jews to the villages nearby.
At the beginning of the Second World War, Lesko password-controlled Soviet under the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and the rich Jews were persecuted and deported by the Soviets mainly to Siberia. Lesko is taken by Nazi troops on 24 June 1941 at the outset of the invasion of the Soviet zone by the Germans. The Jews of Lesko and surrounding areas are grouped first in a ghetto interim, before being transferred to Zaslaw where most were exterminated. A few thousand are sent to Belzec before being in turn shot in the woods "Malinki".
The history of the synagogue
Until the Second World War, many synagogues and place of prayer exist Lesko. The main synagogue is in the street now called Joselewicz Berek , named after a hero of Jewish Polish Army in the time of Napoleon.
The main synagogue was built in 1626 to 1654 on the site of an ancient synagogue in the Jewish quarter of Lesko. It is covered in 1838 a thorough renovation, both of its roof as its interiors.
During World War II, Nazi troops vandalize the entire interior of the synagogue. For almost 20 years after the war ended, the building was neglected and in 1957 , part of the roof threatening to collapse. Not until early 1960 that the municipal authorities are aware of the interest of the building and decide to proceed with renovations performed over time. These were held in 1960 - 1,963 for the shell , then in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
After renovation, the building becomes an art gallery for artists from the mountains of Bieszczady (Podkarpackie). Since 1995 , it also houses the Museum of Jews from Galicia.
The architecture of the synagogue
Exterior
The building is built on a rectangular, Renaissance and the interior after its renovation in 1838 is of a mannerist - Baroque. At the same time, the gables were added and the roof completely redone. The building is constructed of pebbles from river in stone and partly brick , all covered with plaster.
The tops of the gables were ornamented with vases of stone. The recent restoration has restored their original appearance.
A tour round is located in its southwest corner with a staircase and a stone dungeon. This tower was originally used as a prison for the Jewish community enjoyed autonomous judiciary. The tower was raised during the restoration after the war and gives a defensive building.
On the facade of the synagogue, under the Tables of the Law , is carved an inscription in Hebrew from the Torah ( Genesis 28:17):
"He was afraid, and said, this place is awesome! This is the house of God, this is the gate of heaven."
Interior
The synagogue has a single nave forming the main hall and on the wall west , originally an annex room for prayer for women. Later the women will gather at the floor and will have an overview of the main prayer hall with windows special.
The interior of the synagogue is not original. The bimah (altar) is a simplified reproduction of that of the famous synagogue "Zlota Roza" (Golden Rose) from Lviv. The Holy Ark is flanked by half columns surmounted by a triangular roof. Before the Ark, shone the Ner Tamid (eternal light).
The walls are divided into three vertical sections by cornices. Between them, in semicircular arched recesses are painted with quotations from the Torah. The wall sections located between the windows above the second cornice were probably painted with biblical scenes.
Doors wrought iron dating from the nineteenth century separates the vestibule of the prayer hall.
The cemetery
Not far from the synagogue, on a small hill covered with oak trees , lies the largest cemetery of the Jewish Podkarpackie, a nostalgic beauty, with more than 2,000 gravestones , many of which are covered with moss. Some, perfectly preserved and readable date from the sixteenth or seventeenth century. The oldest epitaph date of 1548 and declares: "Here lies one who feared God , Eliezer, son of Rabbi Meszulem. Blessed be the memory of the righteous. "
The cemetery is currently the subject of studies and remediation by historians and conservators.
Gallery
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See also
References
- (Pl) This article is partially or entirely from the article in Polish entitled " Synagoga w Lesku "(see the list of authors )
- (In): [1] Website of the Polish Jewish community
- (In) [2] International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies
- (Pl): [3] Photos of the cemetery.
- (Pl): [4] History of the Synagogue
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