Court orders landlord to reopen Krakow synagogue to Chabad

The Gmina handed the keys to the shul back to the Chabad on Wednesday afternoon.

Chabad took out a ten-year lease on the Isaak synagogue in Krakow’s Jewish quarter in 2008.

Its dispute with the Gmina arose in 2018 when their landlords sought to raise the rent on the Izaak synagogue from 3,000 to 25,000 złoty (£608 to £5,063) per month.

Chabad rejected the imposition, contending its initial lease at the lower rate was subject to automatic renewal.

Michael Berenbaum, Professor of Jewish Studies at American Jewish University, told the JC in July that the Gmina was “trying to charge significant rent for the use of [the synagogue] by a vibrant, vital religious Jewish community” in order to “maximise their profits.”

The Gmina locked Chabad out of the synagogue on July 1, prompting the congregation led by Chabad rabbi Eliezer Gurary to pray and conduct services on the street outside its gates.

The affair became a national Jewish communal issue when Poland’s Chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich and JCC Krakow director Jonathan Ornstein climbed the fence into the synagogue grounds on July 4 and were questioned by police.

It is unclear when services will resume, as renovation work on the site is ongoing.