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No Jews lived in Košice in Middle Ages. Rare cases when a Jew in the service of a king or Transylvanian dukes came was such a rarity that it was mentioned in archival documents. The first Jew who was allowed to settle down in the town though outside of the City walls was a mail-carrier Israel Mayer in 1784 whereas the first Jew, a silversmith Jakub Burger lived within the City only since 1841. Later the Jewish ghetto in Rozhanovce moved to Košice. The Jewish community traditionally lived together, here it was around Zvonarska street (Bell-founders'street) where they rebuilt a granary into the first house of prayer - a synagogue. This object is not used any more, it served until the still functional synagogue was built in 1871 - 1881. Jewish congregations built a school, a shelter for traveling co-worshippers, a shelter for the poor and a flat for a rabbi - teacher or an office of the synagogue. |
| The construction of synagogues practically have not changed for thousands of years. Usually they have a rectangular shape with the ground floor serving as a house of prayer for men and porches thickly covered with bars in the height of the first floor for women and children. The decoration was always geometrical. All synagogues are oriented to Jerusalem where the only Temple of Jews was situated (distracted by Romans). Each synagogue is furnished with a torah case, desk for reading, candlesticks and lamps. Metal objects must not be gilded. They always are of pure silver. |
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| At present, the object awaits the reconstruction as during the period on the totalitarian regime it served as a boll storehouse and was not maintained (its beautiful typical ornaments are in very bad shape, they can be seen in the courtyard from the entrance from Krmanova street). Here, between the entrances a plate commemorating Jews of Košice tortured to death and murdered in the World War II is situated. It was unveiled in 1975 of our year count and in 5735 of Jewish year count. | |
MAP of the historical city centre
/© Photo: Jarmila Švehlíková/
