Old Synagogue. The history and culture of Kraków's Jews
| The most precious exhibits from the judaic collection are exposed on a permanent exhibition in the Old Synagogue. In the old house of prayers both the ones for men and women on the ground floor are exposed items of Jewish ceremony art. They are presented in three main groups: synagogue, holidays and annual festivals, and also private and family life. Main hall. Exposition in the main prayer hall is dedicated to synagogue and most important holidays of the religious Jewish Calendar, like Sabbath Day, Rosh Hashanah and the Day of Atonement, the Feast of Tabernacles, Hanukah, Purim and Passover. In synagogue the most important object of cult is a scroll with the text of Torah. In the still opened synagogues the Torah Scrolls are kept in an Ark placed on the east wall of synagogue. On the exhibition prepared in the authentic interior of an old synagogue u can see embroidered parochets and decorations like: embroidered dresses, silver crowns, pinnacles called grenades, instruments that lector uses during the reading of the Scroll. Major part of the exhibition in this hall is dedicated to showing the most important holidays of Jewish calendar and presenting the traditional man’s and woman’s uniform. There are artistic handcraft items, paintings and reproductions of photographs and post cards that are illustrating the traditions and habits. So, among other things, one can watch the boxes used to keep etrog brought to synagogue during the holiday of Tents, Hanukah candlesticks and olive lamps, bindings for Book of Ester read during the Purim holiday, porcelain and silver plates and bags for Passover Bread, that are characteristic tableware during Passover holiday, cans for aromas and Caddish cups used in Jewish homes during the ceremonies of beginning and ending Sabbath Day, and also elements of traditional man’s and woman’s uniform. South hall. In the old hall for women there’s an exposition concerning the family and private life. There are exhibits connected with obeying the traditional nutrition rules in Jewish house, everyday prayer and a life cycle from birth do death. There are amulets accompanying child’s’ birth, the mohel’s knife, scenes of learning at home and in religious school, arrangements and documents concerning ceremony of wedding, marriage life and divorce. Exposition if fulfilled with exhibits connected with burial ceremonies and keeping the memory of the dead. All the mentioned matters are illustrated by paintings and photographs. Each of them also has comprehensive description of the exhibited objects and introduced traditions. |
