Synagogues

Kopaihorod's Last Remaining Synagogue

As of 1886 there were three synagogues in Kopaihorod. 

All are gone now. 

The last surviving synagogue, in Kopaihorod, pictured above, was photographed, measured and studied in 1998. Information about this project can be found online at The Bezalel Narkiss Index of Jewish Art and Material Culture at the Center for Jewish Art  (Mount Scopus, Jerusalem). There you will find: 

• Diagram/drawings of the synagogue

• Detailed description of synagogue

• Photographs of synagogue

• 3-D Model of synagogue

Stories About Kopaigorod's Synagogue

From Centropa, memories of Ruvin Gitman

In 1904-1905, during the Russian-Japanese war my grandfather served in the cavalry. Religious beliefs were highly respected in the Russian [tsarist] army. I believe that my grandfather had every opportunity to observe his religious traditions. He was awarded Georgian Crosses, the highest awards of the Russian Empire, for his bravery. This award was given to very few members of the military and it was a great honor. There was an amusing story associated with these awards that was often told in our family. Koryshkov was a large village of about 1,000 houses, but there were only 12 Jewish families living there. There was no synagogue in Koryshkov. My grandfather went to the synagogue in Kopaygorod, the district town, not far from Koryshkov. He went there only on important Jewish holidays. After returning from the war my grandfather went to the synagogue in Kopaygorod at Rosh Hashanah. He was wearing his medals. The local Jews had never seen Georgian Crosses before, and got very angry with my grandfather. They couldn't believe that a Jew would come to the synagogue wearing Christian crosses on his chest. They wouldn't allow my grandfather to enter the synagogue. Then the rabbi came to ask what it was all about. The other attendants told him that they believed my grandfather didn't respect the faith of their ancestors since he came to the synagogue with all these Christian crosses on his chest. The rabbi explained to them that these were the tsar's military awards that my grandfather had earned at the front for shedding his blood. Afterwards, of course, he was allowed to enter the synagogue as a man of honor.

And also in Ruven Gitman's story: 

My grandfather, my father and his brothers prayed at home every single day. They prayed three times a day: before meals in the morning, in the afternoon, and in the evening, performing the ritual of washing hands before meals. They took their tallit and twiln tefillin to the field to pray in the afternoon [the interviewee is talking about the evening prayers, the Maariv]. On holidays the whole family went to the synagogue in Kopaygorod. Isroel had a friend in Kopaygorod who was a shochet. My grandfather's family stayed in this man's house and spent the holidays in Kopaygorod. Every member of the family had his own seat in the synagogue. 

The synagogues in Kopaygorod - there were several of them - were open until 1936. When the struggle against religion intensified they were closed. The Christian church was also closed. In those years it was not safe to go to synagogue. There was only one synagogue left of the 300 existing in Kiev before the Revolution of 1917.

Location of Kopaihorod's Last Synagogue