The Jewish history of Leszno featured in the permanent exhibition
Event as part of the Pardes Festival 2026 | September 11–13 | September 18–20 |
In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Jewish community of Leszno was one of the largest in Poland, numbering as many as 6,000 to 8,000 people. Jews were drawn there by the tolerant attitude of the town's owners—the Leszczyński and Sułkowski families.
The fame of the local rabbis extended far beyond the country's borders. Requests for legal rulings poured in from across Europe. They served as arbiters in theological disputes (including the controversy over Sabbatian heresy) and reviewed Talmudic works printed in cities such as Amsterdam, Venice, and Frankfurt am Main.
For over half a century, Jews from Leszno represented Greater Poland in the deliberations of the Council of Four Lands (Wa‘ad Arba‘ Aracot). The Great Synagogue in Leszno served as a place of assembly and prayer for several centuries. It was one of more than twenty synagogues and houses of study active in the city.
A rabbinical academy operated in Leszno. Hundreds of students from across the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Bohemia, and Germany flocked to the Leszno yeshiva. Their paths subsequently led to Paris, London, Prague, and Berlin. The renowned Akiva Eger ran his own Talmud school there.
During the meeting at the museum, we will discuss the city's Jewish traditions and the role Jews played in its development. We will highlight key facts from the history of the Jewish community and mention the most prominent figures of the Leszno diaspora. We will also present surviving artifacts and explain why so few have been preserved.
Presented by: Dariusz Czwojdrak
Check out the full program for the Pardes Festival 2026.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Jewish community of Leszno was one of the largest in Poland, numbering as many as 6,000 to 8,000 people. Jews were drawn there by the tolerant attitude of the town's owners—the Leszczyński and Sułkowski families.
The fame of the local rabbis extended far beyond the country's borders. Requests for legal rulings poured in from across Europe. They served as arbiters in theological disputes (including the controversy over Sabbatian heresy) and reviewed Talmudic works printed in cities such as Amsterdam, Venice, and Frankfurt am Main.
For over half a century, Jews from Leszno represented Greater Poland in the deliberations of the Council of Four Lands (Wa‘ad Arba‘ Aracot). The Great Synagogue in Leszno served as a place of assembly and prayer for several centuries. It was one of more than twenty synagogues and houses of study active in the city.
A rabbinical academy operated in Leszno. Hundreds of students from across the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Bohemia, and Germany flocked to the Leszno yeshiva. Their paths subsequently led to Paris, London, Prague, and Berlin. The renowned Akiva Eger ran his own Talmud school there.
During the meeting at the museum, we will discuss the city's Jewish traditions and the role Jews played in its development. We will highlight key facts from the history of the Jewish community and mention the most prominent figures of the Leszno diaspora. We will also present surviving artifacts and explain why so few have been preserved.
Presented by: Dariusz Czwojdrak
Check out the full program for the Pardes Festival 2026.
Additional information
Date: September 12, 2026, 3:30 PM – 4:15 PM
Location: 31 Gabriela Narutowicza Street
Free admission
Location: 31 Gabriela Narutowicza Street
Free admission
