As the city of Oświęcim, Poland, prepares to host dozens of survivors and dignitaries to commemorate 80 years after the liberation of Auschwitz on Jan. 27—annual International Holocaust Remembrance Day—its sole standing synagogue, the Auschwitz Jewish Center, will offer services, prayer and reflection, along with guided tours of its museum highlighting the history of the Jewish community there.

The Auschwitz Jewish Center will hold Shacharit morning prayer services at 9:30 a.m. in its historic building, once home to the Chevra Lomdei Mishnayot Synagogue. The service will be followed by the opportunity to explore the museum. Mincha, the afternoon service, will take place in the synagogue at 1 p.m., and Maariv, the evening prayer, will follow the official commemoration at Auschwitz II-Birkenau.

Before World War II and the Holocaust, Oświęcim was home to a vibrant Jewish community comprising more than 50% of the city’s population, with more than 30 synagogues. Today, the Auschwitz Jewish Center stands as the sole surviving shul from that time, serving as a museum and educational hub dedicated to combating hatred and bigotry.

Jack Simony, director general of Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation, said “since we restored and reopened the Chevra Lomdei Mishnayot Synagogue 25 years ago, over 800,000 people have visited to learn about the dynamic Jewish community that once thrived in Oświęcim and to reflect on the dangers of bigotry and hate in the shadow of Auschwitz.”

Both the museum and synagogue will be open for tours and prayer from Jan. 24-26. For hours, see: ajcfus.org.

Image - The exterior of the Auschwitz Jewish Center in Oświęcim, Poland. Photo by Artur Rudiak.