Wersja polska

     Jews played a very important role in the life of Pińczów. they started to settle here sometime before 1576. During the days when the Myszkowski family owned the town, Pińczów Jews received many privileges guarantee in their safety and freedom of action in commerce and trade (this was up to the 19th c. when many towns belonging to the Crown or the Church inroduced the rule "De non tolrrandis Judeis"). They earned their living in commerce or trade, and by providing various services. They lived mostly around the main town square and in the south-east part of the town, but were not allowed to settle in Mirów. The Jewish congregation owned three synagogues: two of masonery and one of wooden construction. They buried their dead on two cemeteries (the older one was established in the 17th c. the regional economy begun to sag, the town retained its economic dynamism and grew in population thanks to the activities of it Jewish citizens, who could successfully adapt to the difficult conditions. The Jewish population increased to approximately 60% and Pińczów became de facto the Jewish capital of the southern part of Poland, hence the saying "crowded like Jews in Pińczów". In 1673, 1674 and 1681 meeting called "Congresses of Four Regions" took place here. The congress of 1767 was attended by representatives of Jews from Małopolska and the Ukraine.
     In the 18th c. (1692-1764) Pińczów was the seat of the Cracow Ziemstwo (diocese) and the Pińczów rabbi was for all practical purposes its leader. Most of the Jews were impoverished town dwellers, but their more affluent classes took part in the formation of a capitalistic society. Towards the end of 19th c. they owned a manufacture producin brocade (Rosenberg), cotton mill and dye works (Berenstein), and chicory and vinegar manufacture.
     In the period between the wars Jews (about 60% of town population) constitued a competely different world with separate language, religion and customs. The world of people with sidecurls, dressed in skullcaps and gaberdine caftans. They lived around the main square along Krakowska Street, and in the area around the synagogue. This group was highly stratified economically and formed a variety of cultural and political groups.
     Their representaives took part in the Zionist Congresses in 1931 (Basel) and in 1993 (Prague). On the local scene they arranged mass demonstrations protesting Germany's imperialistic plans and perfomed a variety of civil duties.
    To wars the tragedy of the Pińczów Jews began. They were required to wear identifying arm band and bow to every German. They were forbidden to move outside town limits (the burned town had no room for a ghetto), burdened with high contributions and forced to perform heavy manual jobs for the Germany and in the factories of Częstochowa and Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski.
     In October of 1942 the rest of the Pińczów Jews were rounded up, formed into a long column, in which kicked and abused, they marched to Jędrzejów where they were loaded on the rail cars destined for Oświęcim (Auschwitz).
     However not all of Pińczów's Jews went to the extermination camp - several hundred were hidden by Poles in Pińczów and in the neighbouring villages. They survived. Some of them however were discovered by search parties organized by German police and Ukrainian detachments of the SS in 1942-43, and shot together with Polish farmers who hid them while the farmers' buildings were put to torch. That took place in Bogucice, kozubów, Góry Pińczowskie, Węchadłów and Kołków.
     Today we have no Jews in Pińczów - after the horrible genocide commited by the Germans, only memories are left and several monuments of Jewish culture such as the synagogue built in the 17th c., but the synagogue has a devastated interior.
     Its last rabbi, up to 1942, Rapaport Szapsia, was born on 18th Dec. 1888, son of Abel and Tuba nee Rapaport, elected as rabbi in 1932 and accredited to this post by the Ministery of Religion and Public Education. Rabbi Rapaport belonged to "Agudas Izrael" party.

Elaborated by Jarosław Tambor
Translated by Stefan Świetlicki

Synagogue in PIŃCZów

     The Pińczów synagogue is one of the most historic, remaining monuments of the Jewish heritage in Poland. From 1939 to 1944 cal objects were stolen, and the Aron Hakodesz (altar for Pentateuch scrolls) fell off the wall.
     The synagogue was erected at the turn of the seventeenth centaury in the Renaissance style on a plan of the square. The main hall of the synagogue is situated in its south part and has a vault with preserved fragments of stucco decorations and traces of briliant blue ceiling paintings. Hebrew inscriptions are visible on the walls.
     In 1997, after fifty years of its absence, the Aron Hakodesz was set up at the east wall. The floor of the hall was laid with stone tiles, and the locations of the non - existent bima (reader's platform) was marked.
     The entrance from the main hall leads to a vestibule which has a vault decorated with fragments of damagedprecious polychromy dating back to the eighteenth century and attributed to the Jewish painter Jehudi Leib. One can see animal and plant motifs, crowns and cartouches with Hebrew inscriptions. adjacent to the vestibule there is a small square room. 
     Above the vestibule and the room there is an empora (woman's gallery). It has three narrow windows which look out onto the main hall. In the west wall there is an entrance to the empora to which a flight of stairs formely led. Unfortunately the construction has not been preserved. At the north wall a nineteenth century annex is situated.
     The great population growth of the Jewish community in Pińczów made it necesary to attach an addition to the main building to accomodate women (XVIII th century). Only traces of it remain on the west elevation of th synagogue.
     In the 70's wall was built around the synagoguegrounds. Ever since 1990 fragments of gravestones from Jewish cementeries have been fixed on the wall. They have been recovered from demolished ramshackle houses (hovels), sheds and pavements. The Jewish cementeries in Pińczów were built over and thus brought to ruin.
     For a dozen or so years repairs, a well as building and conservation work have been carried out to the extent funds at our isposal allowed.
     The windows and doors have been replaced, the roof and the foundations have been repaired, the synagogue grounds have been laid. The most important tasks included the conservation and setting up of the stone altar which has a rich architectural form. We are fully aware of how much still remains to be done. The most pressing work will concern the renovation of the precious wall paintings, plastering the synagogue and the reconstruction of the stairs which once led to the empora.
     We are hopeful that we shall receive financial assistance for those important task and will be able to complete our restoration work on this precious building.
     The present conditions of the synagogue allows utilization of its interior for exhibitions which are organized by the Regional Museum in Pińczów. We have been looking after the synagogue since the end of the 70's. Though our museum collection contains few Judaic objects we have a great number of photographs whih have been collected for years by Mr. Jan Górecki - a photographer and custodian of historic monuments.
     We are commited to do our best to add to our small collection other Judaic relicts and to englarge the present exhibition in the synagogue.

I wish to thank all the institutions and private persons who have been supporting us with their essential and financial help in our efforts to preserve and restore the Pińczów synagogue.

Our contributors:
Mr. Leon Radinsky - USA,
Ms. Anna Piasecka - Provincial Conservator of Historic Monuments in Kielce,
Remembrance Foundation in Warsaw,
The Society for the Conservation of Monuments in Warsaw,
Mr. Abraham Potezman - Belgium,
Ms. Eleonora Bergman - Jewish Historical Institute,
The Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń,
Mr. Samuel Gruber - The World Monuments Fund,
Ms. Małgorzata Osełka - Conservator of Works of Art,
Mr. Izaak Gold - Canada.

Elaborated by Jerzy Znojek
Translated by Stanisław Kowalczyk 

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