Скачать или смотреть Synagogue in Kazimierz Dolny from the reconstructed bimah.

The first shul in Kazimierz Dolny was made of wood. In the 2nd half of the 16th century, the Jews of Kazimierz erected a masonry synagogue. It was destroyed and rebuilt after the historical turmoil of the 2nd half of the 17th century and once again towards the end of the 1st quarter of the 18th century. A large part of the present day building dates back to the 2nd half of the 18th century, except for the interior walls which were replaced towards the end of the 19th century and renovated in the interwar period. Narthexes with women’s galleries above them were added to a square prayer room on the south-east and south-west sides. A prayer room for men was covered with a domical vault which was built in the lower part of a timber roof truss and covered with polychrome. In the 19th century, next to the shul, there were small shops which belonged to the Jewish community and were rented to Jews in exchange for payments made to the municipal budget. The Jews of Kazimierz appreciated the historical value of buildings—in 1922, the shul was dated on 1220. It was destroyed towards the end of World War II. In 1953, it was rebuilt according to a project by Karol Siciński. The walls of a prayer room for men were built of limestone and—as before the war—they were not plastered from the outside. A Polish cross gable roof covered with shingles and a wooden vault but without polychrome were reconstructed. The building was used as a cinema and concert hall. In 2003, the shul was taken over by the Foundation for the Preservation of Jewish Heritage, which turned it into an exhibition room, souvenir shop, and guest rooms. A memorial plaque commemorating the Jewish community of Kazimierz was set in the wall of the building.