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NOŻYK ORTHODOX SYNAGOGUE
The Nożyk Synagogue is Warsaw’s sole synagogue building to survive the ravages of World War II without major damage. The building of this 6 Twarda Street house of prayer was funded by one Warsaw merchant Załman Nożyk and his wife Rywka. An empty plot of land purchased by the couple in 1892 was developed over the following 10 years with a synagogue building representing the Romanesque style with elements of Byzantine and Moorish ornamentation, which could accommodate up to 560 attendees (currently 350).
The synagogue was built on a T-shaped plan, its vestibule somewhat wider than the building shell. Some perceive here a reference to or an attempt to reconstruct the appearance of the Jerusalem Temple, following the descriptions of its architecture in the Two Books of Kings. The synagogue opening ceremony took place on May 25, 1902, on the holiday of Lag B’Omer (the 18th day of the month of Iyar 5662, according to the Jewish calendar). Załman Nożyk, who died in 1903, and Rywka Nożyk, who died in 1914, bequeathed the synagogue to the Warsaw Jewish Community. The donors’ will also specified that in return for the synagogue maintenance fund they had established, the future users would retain the synagogue’s full name and commit to recitation of the El Maleh Rachamim prayer for the founders during the relevant holidays. The synagogue’s foundation day continues to be celebrated to this day, around Lag B’Omer.
During World War II, the synagogue was violated and damaged, but its structure did not collapse. As a result, after a makeshift reconstruction completed in 1951, the Jews returning to Warsaw after the war could meet and pray there again. Following the events of March 1968, the synagogue was closed again. It reopened and returned to Warsaw Jews only on April 18, 1983, after six years of renovation works It continues to serve the Jewish community until today, being the most important and recognizable meeting point on the Jewish map of Warsaw. The Załman and Rywka Nożyk Synagogue is primarily a house of prayer, but also hosts concerts, theatrical performances and exhibitions of Jewish-themed works. It is also one of the most interesting and undoubtedly unique landmarks of Warsaw.