The synagogue primarily served non-Orthodox Jews, supporters of the Haskalah and "progressive" adherents of Judaism who had arrived from the West. It was frequented by progressive Jews from Kalisz and the surrounding area, manufacturers and community activists who did not strictly observe Talmudic laws. The building of the Reform Synagogue was completed and opened in 1911. After the German invasion in 1939, it was closed. For a time, it was used to store matzevot from the old Jewish cemetery on Nowy Świat Street. In 1940, it was demolished.

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The establishment of this second synagogue in Kalisz, located outside the Jewish district, was primarily linked to new religious and socio-philosophical movements within the Jewish community. The synagogue became a gathering place for the “progressive” segment of the local Jewish population, which at times exceeded 20,000 people. It was referred to as the new, German, or Reform synagogue. Construction took place between 1910 and 1911, and the building was erected on a rectangular plan. Its main façade was topped with two square towers with onion-shaped domes. Inside, on the eastern side, was a spacious main prayer hall, surrounded on three sides by galleries for women. On the western side, there was a small vestibule. The synagogue was destroyed by the Germans during the occupation. Today, the site is home to Municipal Police facilities.

The creation of this new Kalisz synagogue was linked to the religious and socio-philosophical movement known as Haskalah, initiated by M. Mendelssohn in the 18th century. These ideas reached Poland thanks to the Jewish immigration from German-speaking countries. The movement aimed to adapt the Jewish faith to modern needs, encouraged processes of assimilation and integration, and promoted interest in Hebrew literature and language. Its followers rejected traditional Jewish dress in favor of European clothing and attended public schools, while still pursuing religious education. They were active in social and cultural life, both within the Jewish community and in the broader local society. These trends were clearly visible in Kalisz, which, after Warsaw, became the second most important center of Haskalah in the Kingdom of Poland.

Although the idea to build a synagogue for “progressive” Jews in Kalisz emerged as early as 1871, organizational difficulties (including the lack of a rabbi and governing board) meant that it was not until 1908 that the “New House of Prayer Society” (Towarzystwo Nowy Dom Modlitwy) was founded with the goal of establishing a new place of worship for "enlightened" followers. It is worth noting that this was not the first Reform prayer venue for Kalisz’s Jewish community. As early as 1879, a separate prayer room for them existed in a tenement house on Piekarska Street.

In June 1910, the cornerstone for the long-awaited new synagogue on Krótka Street was laid. The ceremony was led by Rabbi Ezechiel Lipszyc, a figure widely respected in Kalisz, not only among the Jewish population. The building was completed and opened the following year. It was attended by “progressive” factory owners, financiers, and other members of the Jewish intelligentsia. The brick, plastered structure was built on a rectangular plan. The main façade was topped with two square towers with onion domes. Inside, the eastern section housed a large main prayer hall, surrounded on three sides by women’s galleries. A small vestibule was located in the western section. Deceased congregants who had prayed there during their lifetimes were buried in the so-called New Jewish Cemetery on Podmiejska Street.

During World War I - despite the destruction of 80% of Kalisz's city center - the synagogue itself remained largely intact. In 1939, after the Germans entered Kalisz, the new synagogue was closed. For some time, the Nazis used it to store matzevot from the old cemetery on Nowy Świat Street. In 1940, the German occupiers razed the building to the ground, as they did with most public Jewish buildings in Kalisz.

Author of the text:

Piotr Sobolewski

Photos:

Archiwum Państwowe w Kaliszu - Project partner