Yaffa
Eliach, Holocaust scholar, author and founder of the
Shtetl Foundation, tells us, “The synagogue was the
house of God and the dwelling place of every Jew. It
and the Beit Hamedrash were the places where the
Jewish male spent most of his life, from birth to
death, making him a virtual guest in his own home.”
The Jews of
Chodorow cherished their architectural and spiritual
treasure, and some felt it even defined them. Klara
Flecker, a former resident of Chodorow, remembers,
“The synagogue itself, as an edifice, as a building,
was the pride of our town. Wherever you went, when
they asked you where you are from, you are from
Chodorow. ‘Oh, you have that famous synagogue, now
we know who you are!’ ” |