Yesterday I posted a photo of the old wooden synagogue im Volkavisk, my great grandfather’s hometown.These buildings were pretty simple from the outside, and because they were mostly burned in the days before color photography, most people don’t know the splendor of the interiors 
The wooden synagogues of Eastern Europe had interiors that like exuberant wonderlands, every inch adorned. They are the ultimate proof that craftsmanship and patience can turn humble buildings into the sublime
(Photos from the recreated synagogue ceiling in @polinmuseum )
(Photos from the recreated synagogue ceiling in @polinmuseum )
@polinmuseum The Nazis and their collaborators burned hundreds of wooden synagogues during their occupation of Eastern Europe. Very very few remain
@polinmuseum The artists at Handshouse Studios spent a decade figuring out what the Gwoździec synagogue must have looked like from black and white photos and research into traditional materials. This documentary is a gold mine for lovers of traditional architecture
polishsynagogue.com
polishsynagogue.com
@polinmuseum I strongly believe that in the era of looming climate crisis we need to reclaim traditional architecture in all of its myriad forms. It’s generally suited for the local environment, livable without electricity, made from local materials, and soulfully achingly beautiful
@polinmuseum Nazis burnt the synagogue in Volkavisk, but my great grandfather painted it many times from memory. He was a Bundist in his youth, and not at al point a religious man, but it was etched into his mind
