140 years -  since the inauguration of the Synagogue

Dzierżoniów-  21.05.2015,  18.00

My name is Rafael Blau and I have leaded the voluntary association BeiteinuChaj- 2004 registered and operating in Poland for over the last ten years.(www.synagoguefund.com)

The association has undertaken to save form destruction, to renovate and to maintain the ancient synagogue in Dzierzoniów, Lower Silesia,aprovince in southwest Poland (before the war a part of Germany).

The synagogue bears today the name of my sisterRutika( הי”ד ) who was 5 years old when murdered by the Nazis in 1942. It was one of only three synagogues in the region that were savedfrom destruction during the “Kristallnacht”, the WW2 years, and the Polish communist anti-Semitic  vandalism. Nowadays the synagogue operates mainly as a Heritage and Culture Center for visitors from Poland and abroad. (www.synagogarutika.com)

In the 1960′s before making Alyjato Israel, I with my parents and grandmother lived for several years in Dzierzoniów and for the last 20 years I and my wife Dorinhave lived there and here in Israel.

Six years ago on Rosh Hashanahfor the first time in 30 years, we had a Holiday Prayer with the participation of ChabadEmissaries from Israel and the Chief Rabbi of Poland, Rabbi Michael Joseph Schudrich,who donated usan ancient Torah Scroll.

On the last November we organized a multiplayer event with the presence of the Israeli Ambassador to Poland to commemorate the 76th anniversary of the “Kristallnacht” and the rescue of the synagogue 140 years have passed since the inauguration of the synagogue, on the eve of Pentecost (Shavuot), 8 June 1875, and we will commemorate the event 21.05.2015 ,18.00 at the Synagogue-Rutika , Krasickiego 28 st.Dierzoniow.

The concert featured Kamila Kłos and the group Żwawi. 150 spectactors attended. The synagogue was filled with people, bustle – came alive. This is the goal of the Foundation Beiteinu Chaj, which takes care of the synagogue. Rafael and Dorin Blau want the building not being empty, only to host concerts, exhibitions, and other events.

To Sunday’s concert came another, unannounced, but a very nice person – the chairman of the Social – Cultural Association of Jews in Poland Mr. Artur Hofman.

No one who came to the concert got disappointed. The audience listened to Jewish songs in three languages: Polish, Yiddish and Hebrew.

Particularly moving for all of us is that with the cooperation of the local Jewish Club, the Synagogue is once again home to the only original Chanukah Menora known to have been in the Synagogue in the entire Post-World War II era. We are thrilled with this. The Menora had fallen into disrepair over the decades – so this creates a further project for us to restore it.

Other photos show a recently acquired chandelier. We now have four such lamps hanging from the Synagogue’s ceiling, and we are looking for two additional lamps which, when hung, will complete a Star of David pattern.

On Saturday, August 3, we were also very pleased to host a visit by Israel’s Ambassador to Poland, Mr. Zvi Ravner, and his wife Diti. This was the second visit to the Synagogue by Mr. Ravner, a native of Poland who was born in Swidnica, near Dzierzoniow, emigrating to Israel when he was aged 5. He also served as vice-ambassador to the United Kingdom before appointment to his current position.

Mr. Ravner’s early August visit to us was part of a tour in which he visited Wroclaw and participated in a reunion of people born in Swidnica, who gathered from all over the world. Following their Synagogue visit, the Ravners attended a private dinner with Synagogue members in a very nice local restaurant. Mr. Ravner said he was impressed with the progress made on the Synagogue.