Remuh Synagogue, Kraków

Behind a gate with a Hebrew inscription on Szeroka Street lies a small white prayer hall measuring just 10.4 by 5.1 metres. The Remuh Synagogue is the second-oldest synagogue in Kraków and the only one in the city where services are held regularly, according to Orthodox tradition. To the right of the Torah ark stands a chair that no one sits on: by tradition, this is where the famous Rabbi Moses Isserles prayed.

History: a synagogue in memory of Malka

It was founded by Israel ben Joseph, a merchant and royal banker whose grandfather had come from Regensburg. The foundation tablet says he built it from his wife Malka's inheritance, in her memory. In 1552 an epidemic killed several members of the family, including the founder's mother, wife and daughter-in-law. The tablet gives the year 1553, but King Sigismund Augustus granted permission only on 12 November 1556, so the date probably marks the decision to build. The first building burned down on 1 April 1557, and work on a masonry synagogue began in 1558, most likely under the Kraków master mason Stanisław Baranek.

It was originally called the New Synagogue, to distinguish it from the Old Synagogue. Its present name comes from the Hebrew acronym ReMU (ReMA), used for Moses Isserles, the founder's son and one of the greatest commentators on Jewish law. In 1829–1830 the building was remodelled and a women's section was added on the west side. During the occupation the Germans used it to store fire-fighting equipment, and its furnishings were taken away or destroyed. The congregation recovered the building in 1947, and major restorations followed in 1958–1968 and 2008–2013.

What to see

• The Aron ha-Kodesh – a Renaissance stone Torah ark from the second half of the 16th century, with fluted pilasters and Hebrew inscriptions. Its original 17th-century doors are now in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.
• Remuh's chair, with a plaque marking the place where the rabbi prayed.
• The bimah – reconstructed in 1958, with doors taken from two other synagogues. The older pair dates from around 1670, the other from the 18th century. In 1988 painted menorahs and Temple vessels were uncovered on them beneath white paint.
• A stone alms box from the 16th century at the entrance to the men's hall, inscribed "gold, silver, copper".
• Yahrzeit boards with small light bulbs, switched on for the anniversaries of congregation members' deaths.

Remuh Cemetery

The adjoining cemetery was founded in 1551 and has valuable headstones from the 16th to 18th centuries. The most revered is the grave of Moses Isserles, who died in 1572, inscribed: "Since Moses there has arisen none equal to Moses." His first wife, Golda, is buried here too. Plaques on the courtyard wall commemorate Kraków Jews murdered in the Holocaust.

Tripto tip

The entrance is at ul. Szeroka 40, through a courtyard that leads both to the synagogue and to the cemetery. A visit takes about 30–45 minutes. As a working house of prayer it is closed to tourists on the Sabbath and Jewish holidays. Men must cover their heads. Check current opening hours and admission rules before you go. In the cemetery, notice the small stones placed on the graves, especially on Remuh's. Afterwards, walk along Szeroka to the Old Synagogue and on to the Tempel Synagogue on Miodowa Street.