Oświęcim synagogue

The Oświęcim Synagogue, often called the Auschwitz synagogue, is the only active synagogue in the town of Oświęcim, Poland. The formal as well as pre-war name of the synagogue is Khevre Loymdei Mishnayos (English translation: Association of Those who Study Mishna). It is now part of a museum called the Auschwitz Jewish Center.

The Oświęcim synagogue was the first building restored to the Jewish community under the Polish government’s post-Communism law governing the restitution of Jewish communal property seized by the German occupiers during World War II, and retained by the Post-war Communist government.The building was claimed by, and is now owned by, the Jewish community of nearby Bielsko-Biala.

History

The synagogue was built circa 1913. During World War II, the Nazis demolished its interior and used the building as a munitions depot. After the end of war, a small group of Jewish survivors restored the synagogue to its proper function. However, the custodians soon left Poland and the synagogue ceased to operate. In the 1970s, under the Communist Poland, the empty building was used as a temporary carpet warehouse. The synagogue reopened in September 2000, completely restored to its pre-war condition by the Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation in New York, at the cost of one million dollars. It is an active synagogue, used for prayers by groups and individuals visiting Auschwitz. The adjoining house was purchased by the foundation and turned into a compelling contemporary museum called the Auschwitz Jewish Center (Żydowskie Centrum Edukacyjne). It depicts the life of Jews in pre-war Oświęcim. Both, the Synagogue and the Center are affiliated with the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York.