Beiteinu Chaj – 2004 Foundation

“Żydowski Dzierżoniów, Jewish Rychbach, Jüdisches Reichenbach 1945 – 1948”

The exhibition about Jakub Egit and his Yishuf / settlement in Lower Silesia had its first showing in der Landesvertretung des Landes Niedersachsen (seat of the representative of Lower Saxony) in Berlin during December 2010. (see also Jacob Egit and the Jewish Community after 1945 page under History)

Following the showing in Berlin, the exhibition travelled to Krzyżowa / Kreisau, Sitz der Stiftung Kreisau für Europäische Verständigung / Fundacja Krzyżowa dla Porozumienia Europejskiego during February-March 2011, and during April 2011 to Wroclaw / Breslau in the Edith Stein Haus / Dom Edyty Stein. Finally, the exhibition will find its permanent home in our synagogue. Opening date will be rosh hashana (September 29, 2011).
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After years of decay, the broken windows and the leaky roof of the synagogue are now repaired, but the interior plaster walls and the ceiling from 1875 remained in very bad shape, until a crew of inmates of the local penal institution volunteered to knock off the old plaster, replacing it with insulating panels and fresh plaster.

In return and as recognition of the good work, the Jewish community offered a number of lecturesd about Jewish history to the inmates.

On September 14, 2010, the Fundacja Beiteinu Chaj-2004 had the honor and great pleasure to welcome Mr. Bernhard Brasack, Consul General of the German Federal Republic and his wife, Mrs. Elin Magnuùsson at the historic synagogue of Dzierżoniów / Reichenbach.

Mr. and Mrs. Brasack spent more than four hours in and around the old synagogue, enjoying a rich program that included a luncheon served in the synagogue. The City of Dzierżoniów was represented by Mrs. Ostrowska, deputy mayor. The Lutheran Church was represented by Pastor Leszek Wierzbicki, the Catholic Church by Vice Deacon Father Jarosław Leśniak.

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Jointly with the Kreisau/Krzyżowa Foundation of Mutual Understanding, the Fundacja Beiteinu Chaj–2004 organized an International Seminar for Students focused on the postwar Jewish Community of Dzierżoniów / Reichenbach. The project had the title “The Jewish Yishuv in Reichenbach / Dzierżoniów in Lower Silesia after the Second World War – Individual and Collective Memories.”

The project was funded by the “Geschichtswerkstatt Europa.”

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We are pleased to announce that, jointly with the Kreisau / Krzyżowa Foundation of Mutual Understanding, the Fundacja Beiteinu Chaj – 2004 will proceed with a International Seminar for Students focused on the postwar Jewish Community of Dzierżoniów / Reichenbach:

CfA: International Seminar for Students
„The Jewish Yishuv in Reichenbach/Dzier?oniów in Lower Silesia after the Second World War- Individual and Collective Memories“, 23.04. – 03.05. 2010, Kreisau / Krzyżowa, Poland

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Intense preparations preceded the celebration of the Jewish New Year that began at sunset September 18 and ended at nightfall September 20.

During the first two weeks in September, several large restoration projects were completed in time for New Year: all windows were permanently glassed in, including the round window, high on the entrance side that carries a Star of David; the rooms on the lower floor and upstairs the prayer room were painted and eight new doors were installed; the final act of this phase of restoration was the opening of the front door that had been bricked up years ago to keep out vandals and other undesirable visitors.

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