Synagogue in Słomniki

The synagogue in Słomniki, located at 26 Krakowska Street, was built at the end of the 19th or beginning of the 20th century for the growing Jewish community, which numbered over 900 people and had separated from the kehilla in Wodzisław. The interior of the synagogue served various functions: it housed the offices of the Jewish community, a cheder, a school for girls, and a mikveh in the basement. Architecturally, the building reflected the style of the era, and its interior was rich in details related to Jewish culture. Unfortunately, during World War II, the synagogue was devastated by the Nazis, and the Jewish community was brutally deported and partially murdered. After the war, the building was first converted into a cinema, later into warehouses and a workshop, and now it stands abandoned and is falling into ruin. In 1990, the Association of Słomniki Jews in Israel funded two commemorative plaques, which were embedded in the front wall of the synagogue, with texts in Polish and Hebrew, adorned with the Star of David. In 1997, as a result of the process of restitution of religious property, the Jewish Religious Community in Krakow regained the building. The synagogue in Słomniki is an important testament to the history of the local Jewish community and a reminder of its tragic fate during World War II. The current state of the building highlights the need to protect and preserve sites of cultural memory.