The Tempel Synagogue (Polish: Synagoga Tempel) is a Reform Jewish congregation and synagogue, located at 24 Miodowa Street, in the historic Kazimierz district of Kraków, in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship of Poland. Designed by Ignacy Hercok in the Moorish Revival and Rundbogenstil styles and completed in 1862, the synagogue is a major place of worship, and also a booming center of Jewish culture, which hosts numerous concerts and meetings, especially during the Kraków Jewish Culture Festival.
Tempel Synagogue | |
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Polish: Synagoga Tempel | |
![]() The synagogue in 2024 | |
Religion | |
Affiliation | Reform Judaism |
Rite | Nusach Ashkenaz |
Ecclesiastical or organisational status | Synagogue |
Status | Active |
Location | |
Location | 24 Miodowa Street, Kazimierz, Kraków, Lesser Poland Voivodeship |
Country | Poland |
Location of the synagogue in Lesser Poland Voivodeship | |
Geographic coordinates | 50°3′10.5″N 19°56′40″E / 50.052917°N 19.94444°E |
Architecture | |
Architect(s) | Ignacy Hercok |
Type | Synagogue architecture |
Style | |
Groundbreaking | 1860 |
Completed | 1862 |
Specifications | |
Dome(s) | One |
Materials | Brick |
[1] |
History
editThe Moorish Revival and Rundbogenstil styled-building was designed by Ignacy Hercok, and built in 1860–1862 along Miodowa Street. The temple, with its tall central section flanked by lower wings, is designed on the pattern of the Leopoldstädter Tempel, in Vienna, Austria. At the time the synagogue was built, Kraków was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The richly finished interior is adorned with dense patterns painted in many colors and copious amounts of gold leaf, but the patterns, with the exception of the exquisite Moorish design on the ceiling, are not stylistically Moorish. The arch over the Aron Kodesh with its pattern of alternating tall and short houses is more in the style of Polish folk art than anything Islamic. The Aron Kodesh is covered by a gold-leaf dome that evokes the dome over the Sigismund Chapel in the nearby Wawel Cathedral.
The synagogue was desecrated during World War II by the German Nazis, who used the building as ammunition storage area. After the war, it was used again for prayers. In 1947, a mikvah was built in the northern part of the synagogue. Regular prayers were held until 1985. A large inflow of financial contributions from private donors around the world allowed the synagogue to undergo a vast renovation from 1995 until 2000. It is still active today, although formal prayers are held only a few times a year.
Gallery
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Interior of the synagogue
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Façade of the Tempel Synagogue of Kraków in June 2024
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The iconic golden ceiling
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Altar in the synagogue
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Exterior
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Aron Hakodesh
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Melaveh Malkah in Tempel Synagogue
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Acknowledgement plaque in the synagogue listing the names of the contributors, both individuals and organisations
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WWII memorial plaque in the synagogue
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Posters on the gates of the synagogue
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Tempel Synagogue in Kraków". Historic Synagogues of Europe. Foundation for Jewish Heritage and the Center for Jewish Art at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. n.d. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
External links
edit- www.JewishKrakow.net - a guide to the Tempel Synagogue as well as Kazimierz in general, Kraków's Jewish quarter
- The Jewish Community of Krakow