Community

ZAŁMAN AND RYWKA NOŻYK ORTHODOX SYNAGOGUE

Located at 6 Twarda Street, the Nożyk Synagogue is the only pre-war synagogue in Warsaw to have survived the Second World War and to continue serving its original religious function. Out of approximately four hundred synagogues that once stood in Warsaw, it remains a unique testimony to the city's Jewish heritage and the continuity of Jewish life in the Polish capital. Today it is not only an architectural monument of exceptional value but, above all, a living house of prayer and the religious, social and cultural heart of Warsaw's Jewish community.

For centuries, synagogues stood at the centre of Jewish neighbourhoods, towns and villages, serving as the focal point of religious and communal life. The Nożyk Synagogue continues this tradition today. Jews from Warsaw, across Poland, Israel and many other countries gather here for prayer. The synagogue also houses the office of the Chief Rabbi of Poland, a position held by Rabbi Michael Schudrich since 2004.

The synagogue was founded by the Warsaw merchant and philanthropist Zalman Nożyk and his wife Rywka. In 1892 they purchased an empty plot of land on Twarda Street, where, between 1898 and 1902, they built one of the most modern synagogues of its time. The building was designed by architects Władysław Kozłowski and Jan Pianko, while construction was supervised by Leon Czosnowski. It was built in the Neo-Romanesque style with Byzantine and Moorish architectural elements.

The synagogue was designed on a T-shaped plan, with a vestibule slightly wider than the main hall. Some scholars interpret this layout as an attempt to evoke the description of the Temple in Jerusalem found in the Books of Kings. At the time of its inauguration, it was considered one of the most modern synagogues in Europe. The interior accommodated approximately 800 worshippers (around 350 today) and featured gas lighting, central heating, a ventilation system and large windows providing abundant natural light. The women's gallery is supported by cast-iron columns, while the dome, crowned with the Star of David, rests on eight columns made of Carrara granite. The eastern wall (mizrach), containing the Aron ha-Kodesh (Holy Ark), is clad in marble.

The synagogue was officially inaugurated on 25 May 1902, during the festival of Lag BaOmer (18 Iyar 5662 in the Hebrew calendar). The opening service was led by Rabbi Perlmutter, while the liturgy was performed by the renowned cantor Lewinson, accompanied by a sixty-member choir conducted by Abraham Zvi Dawidowicz. In the following decades, the synagogue became an important centre of cantorial music and cantor training. From 1933, its chief cantor was the world-famous Gerszon Sirota.

Following the deaths of the founders—Zalman in 1903 and Rywka in 1914—the synagogue was bequeathed, in accordance with their will, to the Jewish Community of Warsaw. The benefactors stipulated that the synagogue should permanently retain its full name, preserve its Orthodox character, and that the prayer El Male Rachamim should be recited in their memory during Jewish festivals. As the Nożyks had no children, this provision ensured that their memory would be preserved. The anniversary of the synagogue's inauguration is still commemorated each year during Lag BaOmer.

During the German occupation, the synagogue was incorporated into the so-called Small Ghetto. Although it was desecrated and damaged, the building itself was never destroyed. It was used, among other purposes, as a storehouse for horse fodder. Because its structure survived the war, it was possible to carry out provisional repairs, allowing Holocaust survivors and Jews returning to Warsaw to resume communal prayer there as early as 1951.

Following the anti-Semitic campaign of March 1968, the synagogue was closed, and Jewish religious life in Warsaw almost came to a standstill. After a six-year restoration, it was reopened on 18 April 1983, on the fortieth anniversary of the outbreak of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. Since then, it has once again served as the principal house of prayer and the spiritual centre of Jewish life in the Polish capital.

Today, the Nożyk Synagogue hosts daily and festival services, Shabbat and holiday celebrations, and family ceremonies. Jewish weddings are celebrated beneath the chuppah, children are welcomed into the community, and during Bar and Bat Mitzvah ceremonies young people assume religious adulthood and responsibility for observing the mitzvot. Special prayers are also held to mark important anniversaries and events significant to the Jewish community.

The synagogue also serves as a major centre of social and cultural life. It is home to the Jewish Religious Community in Warsaw, the moral and legal successor of the pre-war Jewish communities. Concerts, exhibitions, theatrical performances, lectures and other events devoted to Jewish history and culture are regularly organised here. The synagogue welcomes both worshippers and visitors from Poland and abroad who wish to learn about the history and contemporary life of Jewish Warsaw. In 2024, the northern façade of the synagogue underwent conservation and restoration works, co-financed by the Polish Ministry of the Interior and Administration.

Rabbis of the Orthodox Nożyk Synagogue

Rabbi Michael Schudrich Chief Rabbi of Poland and Rabbi of Warsaw

"According to Jewish tradition, Abraham pitched his tent with an entrance on each of its four sides, allowing every guest to choose their own way inside. The 613 mitzvot—the commandments of Judaism—can likewise be understood as 613 different ways of living a Jewish life. Our community is open to everyone of Jewish heritage, offering both knowledge and experience of what it means to be Jewish. Our goal is to help each person find their own way of expressing their faith."

Rabbi Yitzchak Rapoport Rabbi and Rosh Kollel of Torah MiTzion Warsaw, serving under the leadership of Chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich

"My wife and I hope to get to know every member of our Community, so that together we may truly feel like one large family. Our doors are always open to everyone, especially those seeking support, guidance or assistance."

Rabbi Dawid Szychowski Assistant Rabbi to the Chief Rabbi of Poland, Michael Schudrich

"The Torah teaches that God created the world bara la'asot—'to create in order to do.' The world was left unfinished so that we might take part in completing it. Judaism is therefore not an escape from reality but a commitment to improving it: within our families, through learning, and in the way we treat one another. The synagogue is a workshop for this work, not a refuge from it—and its doors are open to everyone willing to undertake it."

MIKVEH

The Jewish Religious Community in Warsaw operates a fully functioning mikveh for both women and men in the basement of the building at 6 Twarda Street. The facility includes appropriately equipped preparation areas for ritual immersion.

The Hebrew word mikveh literally means "collection" and refers to a pool containing naturally gathered water that has not been drawn or altered by human hands, such as rainwater or water from a natural spring.

In Jewish tradition, the mikveh (ritual bath) is of such fundamental importance that the Talmud teaches it should take precedence over the construction of a synagogue. Both women and men use the mikveh for specific religious purposes prescribed by Jewish law. Although immersion resembles bathing, its significance is spiritual rather than hygienic. Jewish law requires a person to be physically clean before entering the mikveh. Ritual immersion is therefore understood as an act of spiritual renewal, not physical cleansing.

Newly purchased utensils may also be immersed in the mikveh in accordance with Jewish religious practice.

Fees for Community members: • Women and men: PLN 20 • Utensils: PLN 10–30

To arrange a visit, please contact: mykwa@jewish.waw.pl

Appointments must be made at least one day in advance

‘EC CHAIM’ PROGRESSIVE SYNAGOGUE

Ec Chaim is the Progressive and egalitarian synagogue of Warsaw's Jewish community. Open to members of the Jewish Religious Community in Warsaw, it provides a welcoming environment for those seeking to experience Jewish life within the Progressive tradition.

Services are held every Shabbat on Friday evening and Saturday, followed by a communal Friday night dinner and a Saturday lunch. Ec Chaim is particularly welcoming to families with children. A Shabbat school is organised during services, while childcare is provided during Jewish festivals and other community events.

Members of Ec Chaim celebrate Jewish holidays together throughout the year and strengthen community bonds during the annual Shabbaton.

Since the congregation was established, its spiritual leader has been Rabbi Stas Wojciechowicz, employed by the Jewish Religious Community in Warsaw. He leads religious services and teaches the Introduction to Judaism Course, which serves as the first stage for those considering conversion to Judaism.

Since 2021, Ec Chaim has been a member of the European Union for Progressive Judaism (EUPJ).

"Under the roof of today's Jewish Religious Community in Warsaw, many streams of Judaism find their place. Jewish tradition speaks of the seventy faces of the Torah—each authentic and equally true. Every member of our Community is free to choose their own Jewish path according to their spiritual, cultural and social needs."

Rabbi Stas Wojciechowicz