Tempel Synagogue, Krakow

This is the synagogue that demonstrates the wealth of the community that Krakow once hosted. The overly ornate interior is really not to my personal taste, but it does speak of a very rich past, and so it is both attractive and sad to be in it today. Poland was well ahead of it's time in terms of inviting in people of different faiths and allowing them to prosper. Kicked out of many other corners of Europe, Jews came to Poland where they had a role to play, and they were made to feel welcome.

In terms of history, it is a Reform Jewish synagogue in Kraków, Poland, in the synsgogue dense Kazimierz Old Jewish Town district. The Moorish Revival building was designed by Ignacy Hercok, and built in 1860-1862. The temple, with its tall central section flanked by lower wings, is designed on the pattern of the Leopoldstädter Tempel, in Vienna, Austria. At the time the synagogue was built, Kraków was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The richly finished interior is adorned with dense patterns painted in many colors and copious amounts of gold leaf, but the patterns, with the exception of the exquisite Moorish design on the ceiling, are not (according to Wikipedia) stylistically Moorish. The arch over the Aron Kodesh with its pattern of alternating tall and short houses is more in the style of Polish folk art than anything Islamic.

During WWII, the Kazimierz neighborhood was emptied out, and this building was used to store artillery. Another temple I was in was used as a stable, but storing heavy equipment in a house of worship seems like a way to rapidly deteriorate the condition of the building--but they did not destroy it outright.

The building has a no expense spared look about it, but the stained glass windows are simple, and seem incongruous with the style of the building. Because of the extensive damage to the buiklding and hence the extenisve renovation, I don't know where the design of these come from, but it is my least favorite part of the design (and I love stained glass, with light and color coming into places of prayer. Sadly, while the temple is gorgeous, there are no routine services that take place in this space. Such a a shame.