SYNAGOGUE AND CEMETERY REMUH

Built in the 16th century by the merchant Isserl ben Jozef as a gift for his son Moses Isserles (1520-1572), known as Remu'h, the famous Krakow scholar, philosopher and Talmudist, it is the only synagogue in Krakow that offers regular religious functions. Originally, it was a very small synagogue for the close circle of its founder. It is sometimes referred to as the "new" synagogue in comparison to the Old Synagogue. Behind the synagogue, the cemetery is the oldest in Krakow's Jewish community and one of the oldest in Europe. Established in 1551, it was closed by the Austrians in 1800 for sanitary reasons and vandalized by the Nazis during World War II. In 1959-1960, excavations brought to light several layers of burials, in total more than 700 stelae, most of which date back to the 16th century. The most impressive sarcophagi of the complex, decorated with enigmatic and mystical inscriptions, are gradually being renovated and exhibited. The greatest cult is dedicated to the tomb of Rabbi Remu'h, which is adjacent to the western wall of the synagogue. His tomb was miraculously spared by the Nazis, a fact interpreted by Orthodox Jews as a sign of his holiness, even though it was already a place of pilgrimage for Hasidic Jews. Today, visits by groups from Israel show that the site retains its roots. The graves that could not be preserved were used to build a wall of remembrance near the entrance.