Places

In the townhouse at Rynek 15 which dates from the sixteenth or the seventeenth century, at the turn of the nineteenth and the twentieth centuries ‘Tarbud’ Jewish Educational and Cultural Association had its seat for many years. What is more, a Jewish people’s library vigorously operated there. The reading room operated on the basis of the statute of eighteen seventy-one. The President of the institution was a man named Dr. Friedwald Arnold, and Jewish books were sold by Drinster Chaim. As you can easily guess, World War II, unfortunately, ended the activities of both the Association and the Library. After the end of World War II, rooms of the building were adapted to new purposes and a children's library started its operation there.

It is also worth mentioning that in the same tenement on the first floor there was a hall of prayers with a dorser called ‘the Ark of the Covenant’ of the nineteenth century, beautifully painted by Viennese artists. During the war the hall of prayer naturally could not continue to play its role, and after the end of hostilities in the premises of the hall of prayers private homes were accommodated. And such state of affairs has remained until today – nowadays also the premises of former hall of prayers are occupied by tenants – many of them may be not even aware how rich history is hidden in their dwelling.

At the turn of the 19th and the 20th centuries, there were five private houses of prayer in Jarosław.