Šach Synagogue Holešov
The Šach Synagogue stands in the former Jewish quarter of Holešov, about 19 km east of Kroměříž by road. This 16th-century Renaissance building is today the only so-called Polish-type synagogue preserved in its original form. It is named after Rabbi Shabbatai ben Meir ha-Kohen, known as Šach (Shach, 1621–1663), who is buried in the nearby Jewish cemetery.
In the main hall, the ornate wrought-iron bimah, the raised platform for reading the Torah, and wooden boards with Hebrew and Aramaic prayers catch the eye. More prayers are written directly on the walls of the upper floors. Rabbi Šach's study has a wooden ceiling from 1737 with plant, fruit and animal motifs, and rare books from his work are displayed there.
On the first floor is the exhibition Jews and Moravia (Židé a Morava) on the history of the Jews in Moravia up to the Second World War, with ritual and everyday objects. The synagogue has served as a museum since 1964.
