Kupa Synagogue

Kupa Synagogue is one of the historic synagogues of Kraków's Kazimierz district, and the last one built while the separate Jewish town still existed. It stands at Miodowa Street 27, in the heart of the former Jewish quarter, with its rear wings reaching Warszauera Street.

Why is it called Kupa?

The name comes from the Hebrew kupat tzedakah, a charity box. The synagogue was built between 1635 and 1643 with donations from craftsmen and small traders, and the goldsmiths' guild helped fund its completion. The building also went by other names. It was called Szpitalna (Hospital Synagogue) because it stood next to the old Jewish hospital, and Ubogich (of the Poor) because the poorest members of the community prayed there. It was a modest everyday house of prayer for ordinary residents rather than a showpiece for wealthy merchants.

How did the building develop?

In the eighteenth century the synagogue was thoroughly rebuilt, with Baroque touches in a plain overall form. Between 1830 and 1834 a two-storey annexe was added, and in 1861 a west wing followed. Over time the building was joined to a neighbouring house that held the prayer room of the Ner Tamid Brotherhood. These additions give the complex an irregular, multi-part shape typical of Kazimierz.

The interior is known for its paintings. The wooden ceiling shows views of cities in the Holy Land and biblical scenes, while a full cycle of zodiac signs runs along the women's gallery. It is one of the more interesting decorative schemes among Kraków's synagogues.

What happened in the twentieth century?

During the Second World War the synagogue was looted and much of its furnishing was destroyed, including the bimah, the platform from which the Torah is read. After the war, in 1945, an anti-Jewish pogrom broke out in Kraków, and the synagogue was among the places set on fire. In the following decades the building served secular purposes: it housed a matzah bakery, for many years a room was used for ritual poultry slaughter, and later it became home to warehouses and a shoe factory.

Renovation and present-day life

After the building was handed back to the Kraków Jewish community in the mid-1990s, renovation began and was completed in the early 2000s. The synagogue returned to its role as a gathering place for the community, and besides services it has hosted concerts, exhibitions and other cultural events. The interior is not regularly open to tourists, so the building is usually seen from the outside.

Why include it in a walk through Kazimierz?

Kupa Synagogue sits on the route of Jewish heritage sites, close to other synagogues, the former hospital and streets that are now full of cafés. Even from the outside it helps explain what daily life looked like for the less wealthy residents of the old Jewish town, and how much changed in this part of Kraków after the war.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Kupa Synagogue? At Miodowa Street 27 in Kazimierz, Kraków, in the Old Town district.

Why is it called Kupa? The name comes from the Hebrew term for a charity box, as the building was funded by worshippers' donations.

Is it the oldest synagogue in Kazimierz? No. It is rather the last synagogue built during the existence of the Jewish town in Kazimierz.

Can I go inside? The interior is not regularly open to visitors, so plan to see the synagogue from the outside as part of a walk around Kazimierz.