Former Synagogue and Little Market Square in Kazimierz Dolny

The former synagogue at ul. Lubelska 4 and the neighbouring Little Market Square with its wooden market stalls are the heart of the Jewish quarter of Kazimierz Dolny, a few steps from the main Market Square. The late Baroque synagogue, built of local limestone, survived the war, devastation and several decades as a cinema. Today it belongs to the Jewish Community of Warsaw and is once again a place of memory, exhibitions and meetings.

History of the synagogue

According to the Kazimierz Centre for Culture, Promotion and Tourism, the first synagogue was built here in 1536 under a royal permit obtained by the kahal. It burned down in 1557, and a new masonry synagogue was erected in 1667. The present walls date from the second half of the 18th century. The main prayer hall, set a few steps below ground level, was covered by an octagonal wooden dome, and the walls and ceiling were decorated with paintings including the Western Wall and Rachel's Tomb.

In 1940 the Germans created a ghetto in Kazimierz for about 2,000 people; in March 1942 it was liquidated and its inhabitants deported to the ghetto in Opole Lubelskie. The synagogue, closed in 1939, survived the occupation but was devastated in 1944. In 1953 it was rebuilt to a design by Karol Siciński as a cinema, which operated until 2003. Since 2002 the building has belonged to the Jewish Community of Warsaw, and in 2024 the historic roof was replaced.

What to see

• The synagogue building on a rectangular plan (14.8 × 16.9 m) and the surviving sundial on a side wall.
• The prayer hall, used for exhibitions, film screenings and concerts, with the permanent photo exhibition "Jewish Kazimierz" by Benedykt Jerzy Dorys, showing the pre-war town and the lives of its Jewish residents.
• The plaque on the south wall commemorating the three thousand Jewish residents of Kazimierz murdered during the war.
• The wooden market stalls from the early 19th century on the Little Market Square.

The building also houses a shop with books and Judaica, the kosher café "U Esterki" and guest rooms.

The legend of Esterka

According to legend, the synagogue was founded by King Casimir the Great himself for his beloved Esterka, in gratitude for bearing him sons. The stones were said to come from the Western Wall in Jerusalem, and Esterka herself was said to have sewn the curtains for the Torah ark. Historians date the building much later, but the legend lives on – not least in the café's name.

Tripto tips

• Time needed: 20–30 minutes is enough for the synagogue and the Little Market Square.
• Opening: details on visiting and accommodation are on the synagogue's website run by the Jewish Community of Warsaw – check before you go.
• Parking: central Kazimierz is cramped – leave the car in a designated car park and walk.
• Next: from the Little Market Square it is a short walk to the main Market Square and ul. Lubelska, which leads towards the Hill of Three Crosses.