At least as far as the Aronei HaKodesh were concerned. This is the shul in Bobowa. Look at the bright colors! It brought light to an otherwise gloomy existence. Today it would be concerned too flashy, not in line with the other shuls such as Satmar and Skver, and therefore out of line. The farthest they'll go is that light brown wood that everybody gets from the same shop in Israel. Funny how these things work. We try to stay true to our old ways, but only up to as point.
Just saying.
Photo Credit: Ken Frieden Blog
See Photo here in all its splendor
11 comments:
It looks almost oriental.
You're right, nobody makes any effort today. It says in Halocho that the shul should be the nicest building in town.
Tzig,
Although the aron kodesh pictured is the original (the shul was built about 400 years ago, the aron kodesh appears to have been built in 5543 based on the shnas) it has been repainted a few years ago. I don't know if they copied the original colors or did their own colors.
Also, the Bobover rebbes did not daven in this shul on a regular basis (only a few times a year). This was used by the non chasidishe residents of the town.
Recently a new tape was released with songs of the Kedushas Zion of bobov and they had a picture of this aron kadosh on the cover.
they had non-chassidim in Bobov as late as when?
Up until the war. Read the sefer bobov which was recently published by bobov 45. The sefer is only about the city bobov not the rebbes. There was even a doctor that campaigned for the zionist party before the elections.
non-frum I'm sure there were, but the question is did they go to shul at all? were their parents non-Hassidic as well? besser gezoogt, did they daven Ashkenaz in the big shul??
Actually the book claims that there were no non-frum residents in bobov. The whole town had 200 houses including non-jews. I am not sure if they davened nusach ashkenaz.
when did the first Jew move in to Bobov?
Whats the name of the closest big reputable city?
Did Bobov have a rav before Reb Shloma?
Bobov (Bobowa) is 15 miles north east of Sanz (Nowy Sacz), and is 30 or so miles south of Tarnow, and 60 miles or so south east of Krakow. Its also near Gorlice.
You should check out the Shul in Lancut. In general shuls were very decorative and colorful, and had tefilos for people because not everyone had siddurim. Pshischa, Rymanov, Vorka, Grodno... amazing art once upon a time.
I was in Serdeli in Williamsburg behind Kalov and its pretty colorful in there. I was recently thinking about why shuls are so bland nowadays with big blank walls, theres so much potential there.
interestingly, the design is reminiscent of the Aron Hakodesh in the Bet Knesset HaAri in Tzefas, which was built and donated by some Italian non-Jewish famous artist, IIRC.
see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:PikiWiki_Israel_15313_Haari_Ashkenazi_Synagogue_in_Safed.JPG
Yes, I was going to mention Lancut. The shul where the heilige Chozeh once davened.
It's way more colourful than Bobov. In Bobov only the AH is colourful, whereas in Lancut all the walls, the bimah, the roof, it's amazing.
I have pics if you'd like, Hershel.
please get those pics and post them....pretty please
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