Synagogue in Orlová

The Great Synagogue in Orlová was a temple-type Reform Judaism synagogue that stood in Orlová from 1900 until the beginning of the 2nd World War. After the Sudeten Jewish was displaced and abandoned the synagogue, the local fascists damaged and eventually destroyed it when the Nazis occupied the Czech lands.

Not much is known about the history of the Orlov Jews; It has been difficult to find sources with more details. As of now, only one family has been identified: one Silberstein-Sylten family.  There are no Jews currently residing in Orlova. The nearest community is found in the neighboring city of Ostrava.

Orlov Temple on a photo-postcard from the first half of the 20th century

Thus, organized kosher tours in this area are rare. However, there are still Jewish travelers who visit the city.

The Jews in Orlová 

The beginnings of the Jewish settlement in Orlova are still unclear, but it is likely that it is similar to the rest of the Ostrava-Karvina region: the Jews settled here only after the uprisings after 1848. The main economic focus of the Jews was trade and financial services. Many Jews were lawyers or doctors. Some engaged in large-scale businesses such as breweries, distilleries, and the coal, chemical, and heavy industries. These overlapped on both sides of the border (Ostrava, Karvina , Katowice, Bielsko-Bela).

In Orlova, probably during the 1880s, 1890s or during the early 20th century at the latest, a Jewish religious community was formed. In 1900, the Jewish section at the local public cemetery was documented.

In 1908, the Israelitische Frauenverein für Orlau und Umgebung ("Association of Israeli Ladies for Orlova and its Surroundings") had already proved to be an educative and charitable activity, and was especially helpful during the 1st World War. There were also mentions of an Israelitische Bethaus-Verein ("The Jewish Prayer Society").

Around 1930, there were 394 Orlov citizens claiming to be Jewish.  A Zionist movement began in the area, as elsewhere in the Ostrava region.

After the Sudeten was occupied by the Nazis, the Orlov Jewish community disappeared, and the relatively short but rich history of the local Jews ended. The synagogue was completely destroyed between 1938 and 1941, and almost all local Jewish citizens were killed during the Holocaust. One of the Orlov Jews, Robert Sylten, survived the war as a member of the Czechoslovak Republic Army Corps in the USSR. He emigrated to Israel afterwards.

New Synagogue

The Jewish Prayer Society announced in the newspaper "Neue Schlesische Zeitung"  that "on the blessed 60th anniversary of the reign of His Emperor's Highness Franz Joseph I, on Sunday, November 29, 1908, a solemn worship service was held at the local Orlová temple where a festive sermon will be delivered by Dr. Fryštát's Rabbi Mehrer ".

The new, opulent synagogue was built probably on 1901 according to plans by Viennese architect, Prerov native Jakob Gartner, in the Neo -Gothic style with Moorish elements in what would be Petra Cingra Street.

According to preserved photographs, it was a square, stand-alone two-storey building oriented in the West-East axis. The four faces were dominated by pilasters separated by portals with large rosette windows with a David’s star motif. The façade was decorated with bosai, and the top of the shields were adorned with decorative balls.

For the interior, it can be assumed that it had a typical modern synagogue style that was during the 19th century, like the interior of the Spanish Synagogue in Prague. The bima was directly linked to the aron ha-kodesh, and a choir with organ probably existed for worship. The interior space was most likely separated into male (ground floor) and female (1st floor) sections.

Because it was inspected, the synagogue was certainly heated - and very likely also electric-powered. At the same time, it is very likely that there was also a rabbi and a social space within the building. No picture material of the interior has yet to be discovered. Other secondary materials to identify the history and nature of the building are still missing as well.

The synagogue served the local Orthodox Jewish community in the so-called Munich Agreement, where the territory of northern Silesia was annexed by Poland. The Czechs and Jews were expelled from the city or fled, and the synagogue was deserted. A year later, after the outbreak of the war and the occupation of Poland by Nazi Germany, Orlava became part of the Empire, and the synagogue was brought down. The foundations of the building are still visible on the site. It is likely that archaeological research can still lead to new findings.

Old Synagogue and Postwar Prayer Room

 

Israeli Orlová prayer association in the newspaper Neue Schlesische Zeitung

 

 

 

In addition, there was a second, probably older synagogue in the town until 1938, roughly between the streets of Bedřich Smetana and František Palacký. This synagogue - perhaps just a prayer house - was for Orthodox traditions. No image or other secondary documentation for this building has yet to be found.

After the war, the Orlav community was renewed for a while, and the Prayer house was adapted to a residence. In 1974, the Orlav Jews fell under the jurisdiction of the Ostrava community.