Full Breakdown
Historic Trzebinia Synagogue Restored Through International Partnership
By Drooid · · How we work
In this breakdown
01
Background and Historical Context
The former synagogue in Trzebinia, Poland, dates to the 1500s, with a flourishing Jewish community established in 1815. By 1921 Jews comprised 23 % of the town’s population, supporting four synagogues, a Talmud Torah, yeshivas, prayer houses and charitable institutions. The Holocaust destroyed the community; the surviving synagogue became the sole physical testimony to Trzebinia’s Jewish heritage.
02
Acquisition and Restoration Plan
After years of decay, the building was returned to the Jewish people following a municipal tender. The Jewish community of Katowice relinquished its claim, allowing a coalition of three partners to acquire the property and prevent conversion to a non-Jewish venue. The partners are:
- Meir Bulka, leader of the Israeli delegation and head of J-NERATIONS, an organization dedicated to preserving Jewish heritage in Europe;
- Jacek Purski, director of the Auschwitz Research Center on Hate, Extremism and Radicalisation;
- Marcin Majchrowicz, a businessman and philanthropist focused on heritage preservation in Poland’s Silesian region.
The restoration plan includes rebuilding the synagogue’s interior, establishing a Jewish museum, and creating a hospitality center for visitors to the adjacent cemetery that holds the graves of notable rabbis and Hasidic leaders.
03
Official Statements & Responses
The partners intend to rely on historical documentation and archaeological evidence to recreate the site’s pre-Holocaust appearance.
04
Verbatim Quote
- “The synagogue, located just a 40-minute drive from Kraków and now returned to the Jewish people, will soon become another destination for Jews visiting the region,” — Meir Bulka
05
Why It Matters
The restored synagogue will serve as a cultural and pilgrimage destination within a 40-minute drive from Kraków, offering a tangible link to a once-vibrant community and reinforcing broader efforts to safeguard Jewish heritage across Central Europe.