Tykocin
17th Century house
directly across from Synagogue
The photograph above shows the white-washed
house directly across the former Jewish market square that is
in front of the 17th century Synagogue in Tykocin; it appears
to have been built during the same time period. This photo was
taken in October 1998 when I visited Tykocin on a tour of Poland.
The front door of the house was open
and I could see through the hallway to the open back door; the
floor of the hallway is stone. I asked my tour guide if this
is currently a residence, and was assured that it is. Notice
the cobblestone street in front of the house; it also dates back
to the 17th century. The tour guide explained that what we call
a cobblestone street in America is really made out of small bricks,
while a real cobblestone street, such as you see in the villages
of Poland, is made from medium size stones that appear to be
river rocks. This is definitely not the place to wear shoes with
thin soles or high heels.
Next door to the Synagogue in Tykocin
is the old Talmudic House, which has been converted into a museum
with artifacts from Jewish religious life. One of the rooms at
the museum is the preserved house of study (Bet ha Midrash) where
Jewish men formerly gathered to study the Torah.
The two photographs below show displays
in the museum.
Curtain used to cover
Holy Ark
Table setting for Seder,
represenative of Jewish home
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