Postcard with pictures of two Przemyśl synagogues: Tempel, erected in 1890, and 16th-century Old Synagogue.
The brick Old Synagogue at 31 Jagiellońska Street, erected in the Renaissance style, was the most important and the oldest house of prayer in Przemyśl. Construction works on the building ended in 1594. It replaced an older wooden synagogue at the same site.
The synagogue was located in the city proper, right by the defensive wall running along today’s Jagiellońska Street. Initially, it had a single room (dimensions: 18 × 12 m) which could only be used by men. In its centre stood a bimah surrounded by four columns serving as structural support. With time, the main body of the building was expanded with several annexes used for various purposes. They housed a yeshiva (Torah study hall) and two prayer rooms. The synagogue underwent renovation in the years 1910–1914 and was decorated with a Polish-style attic.
During World War II, the synagogue was destroyed by the Germans. Its ruins were pulled down by decision of the erstwhile authorities.
The Tempel Synagogue at 45 Jagiellońska Street was erected in 1890 by the Reform community of the Israel Prayer Association.
It was designed in the Moorish Revival style, modelled after Austrian and Western European synagogues. The rectangular building with red brick facing was accessed via a wide stairway leading to the entrance door. The front wall was topped by a decoration in the shape of the Tablets of the Law. The interior was richly decorated, with the Aron Hakodesh placed between two elements symbolising the Tablets of the Law.
During World War II, the Tempel Synagogue was demolished.
