Painted Words and Images in the Synagogues of Eastern and Central Europe, 1600–1800

Synagogues in early modern eastern and central Europe were often richly adorned with inscriptions and images. Archival photographs and documents, along with the few synagogues from that period that still stand, provide ample evidence of the tradition, but this is the first comprehensive study to analyse the information they contain. Setting this in the context of historical and liturgical sources, it shows the cultural wealth of traditional Judaism.

The liturgical inscriptions found on synagogue walls illustrate a community’s spiritual concerns and customs of worship, while the dedicatory texts shed light on the personalities, values, and social realities of the time. The richly decorative images in the wall and ceiling paintings have prompted much speculation, with conflicting interpretations of their symbolism, but their meaning has largely remained elusive as individual elements have been analysed in isolation from the whole. By considering the overall composition in each

synagogue in the context of the entire repertoire of Jewish visual motifs, the authors allow a new understanding to emerge.

The book is divided into three parts. Part I outlines the historical background, looks at questions relating to construction and design, and introduces the artists and donors. Part II discusses the liturgical inscriptions and other texts inscribed on synagogue walls. Part III presents the wall and ceiling paintings. Detailed appendices give the reader systematic access to all the available data, including identification of the scribes and artists who created synagogue interiors.

Illustrated in colour throughout, this monumental study brings to light information that lays the foundations for future research in Jewish liturgy, art, social history, and religious life.