The Centre was established in June 2012 in the renovated Hasidic synagogue which is the biggest temple of this kind in Poland. Historic space saved from destruction became the perfect reminder of the history of the Jewish community, which constituted about 90% of the town population in 1910.
The aim of the Centre is to study Jewish culture and religion but also to find common features between Christianity and Judaism. The main exhibition, shown in the former Prayer Room, tells about the rich history of the Jews in Dąbrowa Tarnowska as well as presents the basic concepts of Judaism. One can admire the renovated paintings depicting a Zodiac cycle and views of the Old City of Jerusalem. Apart from Judaica shown in backlit theme display cases, there are also Second World War memorabilia exhibited there. These are uniforms of particular military formations, cold weapons, pistols, rifles, bullets, bombshells, shells as well as documents, medals, distinctions and banners. One relict is especially interesting – fragments of the Halifax aircraft which crashed near Dąbrowa in 1944 on its way to support the fighting Warsaw. Other objects include bronze clasps and rings, as well as mammoth bones coming from the excavations, as proof of the oldest times of the region.
In the south-eastern part of the Prayer Room, the original furnishing from the Prayer House is presented. It was brought from a shtiebel owned by Samuel Hirsz Roth. He was called the last guardian of the Torah in Dąbrowa Tarnowska and he died in 1995. In the centre of the Prayer Room there is an original rectangular bimah with a variety of cult objects (both for synagogue and domestic use) placed on it, including the Hanukkah lamp, which is also presented on our website. On the second floor of the former Women’s Courtyard, a large collection of Samuel Roth’s books is exhibited. While being here, it is worth looking down on the Room once more, this time from an observation deck. From this height, one can see details of the ornaments placed on the wall just below the ceiling.
The collections of the Powiśle Dąbrowskie Museum, which have existed since 1983, are also exhibited in the Centre. In the exhibition rooms located upstairs and in the basement, one can become acquainted with material culture of the villages of Powiśle Dąbrowskie as well as with local folk art. The collection of Zalipie art, including the painting made by Felicja Curyłowa, the most famous painter from Zalipie, and exhibited on our website, deserves special attention.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Poland License.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Poland License.
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