Prior to World War II, thousands
of synagogues stood in the many towns, cities and shtetls of
Europe. Due to the ravages of war and the wanton destruction
of these houses of worship by the enemies of the Jewish
people, only a relatively small number remain. The synagogue
was such an important part of Jewish life that their absence
has removed a vital part of Jewish heritage that once existed
there. Of the buildings that still exist, some have been
restored; hopefully this will happen even more so in the
future to the fullest extent possible. With such few Jews if
any left in these towns, the buildings that were once served
as synagogues are now often being used for a different purpose. In
some towns, all that stands at a former synagogue site is a plaque, a remembrance or memorial to
the synagogue that
once stood there.
Thankfully, photographs (and postcards) of many of the
synagogues still exist and are available for us to view.
If one can employ their imagination sufficiently, it is
possible to place oneself there or think of other members of
our family who once lived there or some similar town before the war, perhaps on an
autumn evening at Shabbos, walking from your haim
located on the edge of town, eager to attend service and hear
the rebbe speak or feel joy in hearing the mellifluous
chants of the chazzan.
Though the Museum's collection of synagogue photos is small at
present, it is hoped that the numbers of such photographs will
increase as more photos are sent to the Museum. Perhaps an
occasional recollection by someone who lived in Europe and
attended such a synagogue will be included, in order that a
richer imagery can be created. In this way, we can recreate,
in a fashion, a vital aspect of the Jewish culture and
tradition that once existed there.
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