Making/History: Reconstructing the Gwoździec Synagogue

In 2011, three organizations — the Museum of the History of Polish Jews, Handshouse Studio, and the Association of the Jewish Historical Institute of Poland — embarked on an extraordinary mission: to reconstruct the destroyed wooden Gwoździec Synagogue for MHPJ’s core exhibition. After years of research, an international team of 296 historians, architects, artisans, students and artists specializing in traditional woodwork and polychrome painting reconstructed the Gwoździec roof and ceiling, conducting educational workshops in the synagogues of eight Polish cities along the way. In advance of the official unveiling of MHPJ’s core exhibition on October 28, join us for a special presentation by Handshouse Studio about the project, their unique educational model of “learn by doing,” and how the political significance of their work impacted their process. Filmmakers from Trillium Studios will follow with excerpts from their documentary, Raise the Roof: Gwoździec Synagogue, which documents the reconstruction; and project funder Irene Pletka will deliver introductory remarks.