History of Kamenice nad Lipou

A group of people standing at a small train station platform with railway tracks visible, surrounded by trees and a clear sky.

Explore the fascinating history of the Jewish communities in Kaminice nad Lipou.

Kamenice nad Lipou

The “new” synagogue of Kamenice nad Lipou was built in 1938 and was the last synagogue to be built in the Czech Republic. It was opened for the Jewish community of Kamenice nad Lipou and nearby villages to replace a much older synagogue. It is not known for how long this new building operated as a place of Jewish worship because a year later the Nazis invaded Bohemia and Moravia, synagogues were closed down and worship was banned.  After World War II the building was sold to the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren in 1949 and restored in 1974.

During the Nazi occupation, five Torah scrolls from Kamenice nad Lipou Synagogue were removed and stored in an old synagogue in Prague along with thousands of other Torah scrolls and Jewish artefacts from across the Czech Republic.

In the early 1960’s a UK Jewish philanthropist was approached to buy the scrolls and over 1500 scrolls were brought to London in February 1964. The Memorial Scrolls Trust was formed to take over formal responsibilities of the Czech Torah scrolls, which were then loaned out to Jewish communities around the world.

In 1965, the newly founded Nottingham Progressive Jewish Congregation (now known as Nottingham Liberal Synagogue) received a Torah scroll on loan from the Memorial Scrolls Trust. A great deal of research was carried out into the history of the Jews of the Slavkov community and relationships were built between Nottingham Liberal Synagogue and the town of Slavkov.

Other scrolls have been sent to Jewish communities around the world, including:

Temple Beth Or, Clark, New Jersey, USA
Congregation Beth Emek, Pleasanton, California, USA
Congregation Agudath Achim, Savannah, Georgia, USA
Temple Israel, Westport, Connecticut, USA
Leo Baeck Day School, York, Ontario, Canada
Kehilat Or Chadash, Haifa, Israel

Frosted glass door with etched coat of arms of Kamenice nad Lipou, featuring two towers and decorative crest, with a plant in a vase visible in front.
Row of old gravestones in a cemetery, surrounded by trees and overgrown vegetation.
Small yellow building with arched windows and red-tiled roof, next to a tall tree, on a sunny street.
Scenic view of a European town square featuring cobblestone streets, historic buildings with red tiled roofs, and a church with a tall spire under a clear blue sky. Vehicles are parked along the street, and construction signs are visible.
Historic European building with red façade, multiple windows, decorative white trims, a prominent clock tower, and steep roof under a clear blue sky.
Stone entrance with metal gate featuring a Star of David, in a wooded area.

Would you like to help save the Synagogue in Kamenice nad Lipou?

Exterior of a building labeled "Kamenice" with a brick facade and slanted roof, featuring windows and a pathway in the foreground.
Yellow building with arched windows and red roof, next to a tall tree, on a sunny day
A small, yellow building with arched windows and a red-tiled roof, surrounded by a metal fence, with a tall tree nearby.

Learn about NLS and their connection to Kamenice nad Lipou

Read more about the 30+ year history between Nottingham Liberal Synagogue and the Czech scrolls.