Town of Oswiecim ( Auschwitz ) Jewish Centre

Auschwitz Jewish Centre is in the old part of Oświęcim, just over the bridge on the river Soła, between the medieval castle and the parish church. It occupies the Chevra Lomdei Mishnayot Synagogue (Heb.: Association of Those Who Study Mishna), the only synagogue in Oświęcim that was not razed by the Germans. It is a non-governmental institution that is both a museum and education centre. The permanent exhibition profiles the five-hundred-year old history of Oświęcim’s Jews, who before World War II accounted for over half of all the town’s residents. Among the exhibits are photographs, documents and other historic relics, including liturgical items from the Great Synagogue, destroyed at the beginning of the occupation, which were hidden away to prevent their discovery by the Germans. Supplementary to the exhibition proper is a film collating the reminiscences of former Jewish residents of the town. Workshops on Jewish culture and on tolerance may also be organised at the Centre.

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