Torah Crown from Zabludow Synagogue. From YIVO archive. Click to enlargeOur Ancient Synagogue in Zabludow by Michael Lifshitz (First published in 1925) Translated from Hebrew by Daphna Brafman Coordinated by Tilford Bartman
It should be so, that the synagogue in Zabludow should take the most important place among the Jewish ancient treasures of Poland. According to a note in one of the rooms of the place, the synagogue was built 465 years ago, but according to tradition it exists 500 years.
In addition to the wondrous building, with its beautiful full of colors paintings and prayers scribed on its walls, the synagogue has a big collection of priceless vessels of worship (klei kodesh) with great historical value. These include ancient scrolls, a massive big silver torah crown, and a beautiful unique menorah standing on a pole built especially for it. An American millionaire offered in 1904 to pay for it $5,000.
In addition to these the synagogue also has a big number of colorful parokhot (Torah curtains) made of silk atlas and velvet, embroided with silver and gold threads; a silver box for the Cantor, who used to go around the town after Hazkarat Neshamot and collect contributions; a big silver pitcher for water for the Kohanim to do the hand washing and other holy vessels.
The exceptionally beautiful bima stood in the middle of the synagogue, designed in the shape of a tower with windows and arches, carved by ax and other rough instruments. It is believed that in those days they were unfamiliar with the art of engraving. Also the prayers on the walls (some of which were unknown) testify that back then they didn't know the art of print. This assumption can also be drawn from the prayer book that was full of stains/ many letters on the walls were already erased. Nonetheless, none dared repainting them: they were careful not to fix it. It is told that whoever set his heart to do so was unable to sleep well. A rumor tells that craftsmen who attempted renovations at the synagogue died at work. They widened two tiny windows in two additions to the women's section, so women will be able to hear the Cantor's prayer well. Shortly after their death the windows were shut by wood bars.
The two big windows on the east side of the high gallery in the women's section were also sealed for reason of indecency. For that reason the high gallery did not enable women to see what was happening in the synagogue, only to hear the Cantor.
The old folks tell that this gallery was designated for the Rabbis and their pupils, who used to stand there every day between minkha (mid-day prayer) and maariv (evening prayer) and respond with " baruch hu ubaruch shemo" and "amen". And on Simkhat Torah the little children used to stand on the gallery with flags in their hands.
A thick and big matzah, replaced every Passover, was hanging on one of the walls of the synagogue for the sake of "eiruvei khatserot".
In one of the corners of the synagogue the "eternal candle" was placed inside a thick stick; this is a simple lantern made of wood and very ancient.
About the lantern the following story is told: nearly sixty years ago, one of the members in those days, M. Bialystotski, bought a beautiful lamp to replace the wooden lanterns. They asked for forgiveness by the "eternal candle" and replaced it with the new lamp. How great was their surprise the next morning and they were all filled with fear when they came to the synagogue the next morning and saw that the lamp was crushed into small pieces. At once they took the previous "eternal candle" and returned it to its old place. During the German occupation, in world war one, the synagogue was visited by the German Prince August Wilhelm and his company. They adorned the wondrous holy vessels. The prince photographed many objects and the synagogue itself from all its sides. He was not the only one to visit the synagogue, other princes and officials also came to see it. Even our Jewish artists know very little about this unique and full of mystery synagogue.
On to of one rafters, coming out of the balcony opposite the women's section, engraved with chisel and ax, are the names of artisans from Brisk and Pinsk who built the synagogue, but they forgot to state the year they did it. Inside on the eastern wall are hanging copper plates with all kinds of images. The walls are covered with milk stains, and in some places they are burnt from wax candles that were attached to the walls in days when no other lighting was known.
The walls are built from very long and wide rafters- not sawed by saws with diagonal teeth but cut or sculptured with axes because at that time they did not saw rafters.
An old habit was instituted in the synagogue, and its beginning goes back to the days of the first Geonim Rabbis, and that was to celebrate the "behaalotekha" shabbat with much adoration. This was a true festivity and the entire town participated in it.
On the eve of shabbat "parokhot" they used to decorate the synagogue. On the walls they used to hang the most precious parokhot and before sunset they used to light a large number of candles, equal to the number of behaalotkha in gimatria, nearly 600 candles.
A few days before the holiday the shamash and some gabaim used to go to home owners and collect candles, all of them gave willingly. On the afternoon before the shabbat, the klezmer, headed by the jester/humorist of the town, used to come and play music for shabbat behaalotkha. The entire town hurried to the synagogue to see the celebration. To this day they keep the custom of hanging the parokhot for shabbat behaalotkha, but not klezmer, and not so many candles because in our days the synagogue is lit by electricity.
Without paying attention to the legends that have been popular for several generations, that we should be warned against making changes, some of the synagogue members dared and made changes. They gave permission to redo the color of the old holy ark and the steps leading to the bimah*. They decorated the windows with colorful glass, and made other maintenance changes. One of Poland's aristocrats who visited the synagogue after the changes chastised the gabai**. Is it possible that they allowed themselves to make changes in the synagogue, after all this action hurts its ancient beauty and glory.
Interesting are the tales and legends that evolved around the synagogue. They shed light on the lives of our forefathers hundreds of years ago. They tell, that they use to lash transgressors on the stone by the synagogue, even those who committed the smallest transgression. In connection with this, in the old Pinkas*** (notebook) there is a story about a young man, a butcher, who ate in a day of fast at a Christian's place in the nearby village of Trashtchenky. Before minkha****, the rabbi and other men of the community waited for him and gave him lashes on the stone. They made him stand by the "kouna"*****. At the end of the prayer, everyone of them walked by him and spit and in this way the man atoned for his sin.
*bimah- pulpit **gabai- head collector of synagogue. Pinkas***- records of the community kept from 1646-1816. ****minkha- afternoon prayer *****kouna- a corner in the corridor of the synagogue where the transgressor was punished.
In the Pinkas there's also an ordinance, established by the Gaon Rabbi Bendet, author of "Eternal Candle", that the city will never hire a Cantor that is also a Shokhet*. The reason for that is that the Shokhet in the days of the gaon some hundred and thirty years earlier, was tired and fell asleep on the night of Kol Nidrei** by the pole, because he spent the entire days slaughtering kaparot***. In the same Pinkus there is additional ordinance of the gaon, that the dead should not be buried with the talit****. It is connected to a legend, that on one Yom Kippur the synagogue was exceptionally and unbearably crowded, and the crowd shouted: "it is because the dead came to the synagogue, since they cannot be identified since they are covered with the talit like everybody else.
One popular legend says that Rabbi Bendet formed a clay golem and every sabbath eve it used to chop wood and draw water from the well. The old folks say that, to this day the clay is found in the attic, but not everyone has the privilege of seeing it. The existence of three small cemeteries near the eastern side of the synagogue is a mystery. Why these cemeteries are so close to the synagogue? They assume, that at a certain period Jews lived in a ghetto and they were forbidden to be seen outside the boundary.
There is a legend, that in the third "beit olam" (eternal home or cemetery), that is small and round, and in its middle stands a tree, a bride and groom were buried there in the middle of a cholera epidemic after being stricken while walking on their way to their wedding. Many stories and legends are written in the old Pinkas that Dr. Joseph Chazanowicz from Bialystock brought a few years ago to the library at the University in Jerusalem.
A wedding in Town, Drawn by Arieh Merzer, Tsfat, Israel
Click photo to Enlarge
* Shokhet- ritual slaughterer of livestock for kosher eating.**Kol Nedre- the prayer that begins Yom Kippur. ***Captor- roosters that are used for atonement are before Yom Kippur. **** Talit- prayer shawl.
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Web: 2003 Tilford Bartman
