The synagogue in Zhovkva stands out in the world. It is an example of fortified temple architecture built in the Renaissance style, enriched with Baroque elements.

Jewish community in Zhovkva and its prominent creators
The Jewish community in Żółkiew was one of the most important in the Republic of Poland. It was here that Jan III Sobieski allowed the Lewi family to establish the first Talmudic printing house in the country (1690) and to distribute the works published here throughout the kingdom. The philosopher Natan Krochmal, the scholar Aleksander Sender Schor, the writer and doctor of oriental studies Majer Letteria, the printer Uri Feibusha Halevi, the Galician ethnographer Elizer Fawir are examples of prominent representatives of the Jewish community who came from Zhovkva.

History of the establishment of the synagogue in Zh ovkva
The thriving and numerous local Jewish community erected a wooden synagogue as early as 1624 in the house of Aron Moszkowicz. In the so-called Jewish Street, apart from the synagogue, there were all the institutions necessary for the followers of Judaism: a ritual bath with a mikvah, a shechita (a place for slaughtering small birds), a Beit ha-Midrash (a school with a library and a prayer room) and a hekdesh (a hospital і Jewish stalls). In 1640, the community received permission to establish a Talmudic school (yeshiva). In 1688, Jews occupied 88 houses in Zhovkva and their population was growing.

Synagogue from the time of King Jan III Sobieski
. A new synagogue was erected on the same site from the foundation as they wished, and they were to erect and decorate it inside according to their custom. We will not defend the wall and the stone in the mountains [quarries] on our land, nor will we allow them or their descendants to make any obstacle in this synagogue [...] - reads an excerpt from the privilege issued in 1687 by King Jan III Sobieski and Prince Konstanty, his son. The document allowed the Jewish community of żółkiew to build a brick synagogue. The monarch's favour reached further: Jan III Sobieski set aside a grant of 6,000 Polish zlotys for the construction of the temple. It took five years to prepare for the construction and to obtain additional permission from the Archbishop of Lwów, Konstanty Samuel Lipski. Work began in 1692 and lasted six years.

Brick synagogue called "Sobieski-szul "
. The brick synagogue in Zhovkva was built on the site of the old wooden one. It was intended as a shelter for the population in case of Turkish or Tatar invasions. The synagogue was built of stone on a square plan. Its two-metre thick (sic!) walls are supported on the east and north sides by solid buttresses. The building has a massive door. The fire-sensitive roof is concealed behind a high defensive attic. A decorative ridge with openwork turrets at the corners ran along the western attic. On the south side there was a vaulted granary adjacent to the main hall. The gallery was connected to the main prayer hall by six small windows intended only for listening to prayer - women could not watch the ceremony because the windows were placed 2.5 metres above the floor.

The façade of the synagogue was decorated with the coats of arms of the Sobieski family and the Republic. These motifs were repeated in the internal polychrome containing traditional symbolic animal motifs and Hebrew inscriptions. Above the main hall, there was a nine-paneled vault supported by four columns. Above the Torah niche was a circular window.

The synagogue was extended in the 18th century, adding the western wing (a hallway with three richly decorated late Baroque portals) to the complex. After the town fire in 1833, the temple was carefully renovated. It became a significant religious centre and one of the most important schools for theological studies. Interestingly, the vaulting of the synagogue was decorated in the manner of a Catholic church - the Tuscan columns and pilasters were decorated with rosettes and palmettoes. The synagogue was famous - it received artistic attention from Jan Matejko himself.

The temple was not spared by fires: in 1724 and 1833. Each time the building was destroyed, more or less significant changes were made to its architecture.

The post-war history of the synagogue in Zhovkva
. In the first half of the 19th century, the synagogue gained a "Cracow attic" on the façade, together with pseudo-posts. At the beginning of the 20th century, the building was in need of far-reaching renovation. The restoration work started in 1938 was not completed for financial reasons.

After the attack on the Soviet Union, the Germans entered Zhovkva and immediately set about demolishing the synagogue. It was not easy - the thick walls resisted the explosive charges. Eventually, the southern women's gallery was destroyed, the western block lost its roof and vault, and three fields of vaults and columns and the roof were demolished in the main prayer hall. The local Jewish community did not escape extermination. Only about 70 Jews of Zolkiew survived the war.

After the war, during the Soviet era, the partially restored synagogue was entered in the National Register of Architectural Monuments in 1963. However, this did not prevent its further devastation. For years, the building was used as a warehouse. In 2000, the Zhovkva synagogue was included in the list of World Monument Watch, an independent initiative to save endangered monuments around the world. To this day, the neglected monument is still awaiting conservation repairs to restore its historical splendour.