Moshe Verbin: Wooden Synagogues of Poland in the 17th and 18th Century : Gwozdziec

Wooden Synagogues of Poland in the 17^th and 18^th Century

David Dawidowicz: Synagogues in Poland and their Destruction

The models were based on the thorough and comprehensive research of the famous architects and researchers: Maria and Kazimierz Piechotka, Warszawa, Poland.

GWOZDZIEC

A small town in the province of Lvov (Ukraine).

The synagogue was probably built in 1640 and destroyed during the First World War.

Its dimensions: 16X 16.5m, height: 15m.

The building underwent many changes over the years. The brick annex in the south-western corner, for instance, is a later addition and served as a "heder" (school for children) and as a heated winter synagogue. The men's square synagogue was covered with an octagonal dome and had its Almemar (Bimah) in its center. The women's sections were at the north and at the south and in the gallery above the entrance room.

The synagogue was famous for its interior decorations and particularly for its polychrome paintings which covered the ceilings and the walls interspersed by biblical verses, proverbs and abbreviations. One of the paintings was signed by Israel ben Mordechai Lissnitzky from Jaryzow and dated 1650. The paintings were restored by Izhak ben Jehuda from Jaryzow in 1729.