Jewish synagogue and rabbinical house in Brandýs nad Labem

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The synagogue in Brandýs nad Labem from the end of the 1820s was used as a medicine warehouse from 1962. After restitution and return to the Prague Jewish Community in 1995, it served as a depository of the Jewish Museum in Prague. Today, there is a permanent exhibition of the Sources of Judaism, and the synagogue also serves cultural purposes.

The synagogue connected to the rabbinical house is located in Na Potoce Street near the center of Brandýs nad Labem – Stará Boleslav . It is a building built between 1828 and 1829. The Jewish religious community was founded in Brandýs at the beginning of the 16th century. The original synagogue dates from 1515, which was completely destroyed due to an extensive fire. The newly built synagogue from 1657 also suffered the same fate and fell to ashes after 130 years of its existence. On the site of the building from the 17th century, the current classicist complex of the synagogue and the rabbinical house was built . The building had several functions in the past, it was connected to the rabbi’s house, which also functioned as a school.

The building served its purpose until the establishment of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia . After the Second World War, the premises were used as a medicine warehouse. In 1995, the Jewish community acquired the building, which used it as a depository for the Jewish Museum in Prague.

The restored synagogue opened to the public in June 2014, including the permanent exhibition
“Sources of Judaism” . The exhibition on the ground floor of the former rabbinical house aims to provide visitors with an insight into the basic literary sources of rabbinical Judaism in the Middle Ages and the early modern period. The part of the exhibition devoted to the history of the local Jewish community will also include the period of Jewish enlightenment (haskala) and the subsequent development in the 19th century. The Brandy Synagogue will also be used for organizing cultural events and for educational purposes.