The town of Pińczów is located upon River Nida, 39 kilometers from Kielce. It was one of the most important centers of Jewish life in the Małopolska region. First Jewish settlers came to Pińczów in the late 16th century.
Towards the end of the same century, a kahal came into existence. Soon Jews were granted more privileges and a permission to build a synagogue came in 1594. The owner of the town, Zygmun Myszkowski, agreed for the construction of three synagogues: two were made of brick and one was constructed of wood. Those were followed by Jewish schools, libraries and printing houses. Trade, crafts and printing were the main sectors of Jewish activities. Jews lived near the market square and in the south-eastern part of the town.
In 1856, Jewish population of Pińczów reached 70 % of the total. Pińczów economy continued to develop mainly due to the contribution of Jewish capital. The investments included such important industrial ventures as the textile factory of Rosenberg and a factory of cotton fabric and dye-works of Berenstein. Three and half thousand Jews lived in Pińczów on the eve of WWII.
There is no Jews in Pińczów today. Three thousand of them were deported by the Nazis to the death camp of Treblinka in October 1942. Szapsia Rapaport was the last rabbi of the Pińczów community. The synagogue was destroyed by the Germans in 1942.
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There were three Jewish cemeteries in Pińczów. The first one (1592) was located outside the city walls, close to the Nida River. The second one was arranged in the early 17th century, and the third one in the late 18th century. The two latter ones are now built over areas. The last burial took place in Pińczów in 1942. Saved tombstones were placed near the restored synagogue building in 1990.
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The synagogue in Pińczów is one of the oldest preserved monuments of Jewish culture in Poland. It was constructed on rectangular plan at the turn of the 16th century and acquired Renaissance style appearance. Elements of stucco decorations, Hebrew inscriptions and fragment of murals are preserved on the synagogue vault.
