WARSAW, Poland (JTA) — Poland allocated $26,000 for the renovation of the 18th century synagogue in Przysucha, in eastern Poland.
The historic building is owned by the Foundation for the Preservation of Jewish Heritage, or FODZ, which for several years has applied for funding for the revitalization of the building. Renovations began in 2007 when FODZ took ownership of it.
The funds were allocated by the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage for the buildings exterior walls. Funds are still being sought to restore the interior of the building.
The synagogue in Przysucha was built between 1774 and 1777, following the arrival of Jewish settlers to the town. A Jewish cemetery still exists in the town, which became a center of Hasidism towards the end of the 18th century and gained considerable renown for its tzaddikkim: Abraham of Przysucha (d. 1806); Jacob Yitzhak ben Asher (1766-1813), known as the Holy Jew of Przysucha, and Simcha Bunem (1784-1827).
Their graves, located in the local Jewish cemetery, are still regularly visited by Hasids from all over the world.
