Draft:Symbolic Synagogue "Place for Reflection"

The Symbolic Synagogue "Place for Reflection" is an architectural and memorial site established by the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center. Situated in Babyn Yar, Kyiv, Ukraine, it stands next to the "Menorah" monument, a traditional place for mourning, prayer, and remembrance of Holocaust victims.

History

The Symbolic Synagogue is the first structure built at the Babyn Yar site in many years. The proposal to construct a synagogue at the location of the largest single massacre of Jews during the Holocaust was brought forward by Robert Jan van Pelt, a leading Holocaust expert, and member of the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Foundation's Architectural Committee. The project's artistic inspiration, supervision, and fundraising efforts were led by Ilya Khrzhanovsky, the then Art Director of BYHMC.

In 2020, the Foundation's Architectural Committee was tasked with creating a plan to commemorate the history of the 160-hectare site. The topography had changed significantly since 1941, with only a few memorials remaining to mark the horrific events. Van Pelt's idea was to begin memorializing the area with a synagogue that symbolizes life and looks toward the future.

Manuel Herz, a Swiss architect and professor at the University of Basel, designed the synagogue. For Herz, the project was deeply personal, influenced by the birth of his son and, he claims, a profound realization that amidst the darkness of the tragedy, there exists a timeless beauty in life.

Construction

To honor the memory of the lives lost, the design aimed to avoid further disturbing the soil, which had already been significantly disrupted over the past 80 years. The BYHMC team, in collaboration with the Memory and Glory organization, conducted historical and geological research to ensure the site was not a burial ground and contained no human remains. Additionally, the construction site was chosen to avoid damaging any trees.

Instead of traditional monumental architecture often used to commemorate tragedies, Herz opted for a more playful and transformative approach. Inspired by pop-up books and synagogue rituals, the synagogue was designed as a dynamic space that unfolds like a book. It requires a group of people to open and close it, symbolizing the collective ritual of coming together in prayer..

The synagogue hovers above the ground on a wooden platform, avoiding further disturbance to the scarred earth. The 11-meter building is constructed from reused hundred-year-old oak wood, collected from abandoned buildings across Ukraine, symbolizing a connection between the past and the future..

The construction of the synagogue was unprecedented in many ways, from its unique and complex engineering to the challenging outdoor art installations. The entire project was completed in just six months, from the start of the design work to the grand opening. This achievement was the result of an daily team efforts involving over 150 Ukrainian mechanics, engineers, construction workers, woodworking experts, and artists. The general producer of the project was Oleksiy Makukhin.

Next to the synagogue is the seminar building, housing the Torah scrolls for reading. The building's walls were cast directly onto the ground and subsequently have the footprint of the soil of Babyn Yar.

Design

The design draws inspiration from the rich iconography of 16th to 18th-century wooden synagogues in Western Ukraine, emphasizing vibrant colors and imagery. The structure is adorned with patterns and prayer texts that echo the interiors of ancient synagogues in Khodoriv and Hvizdka, which were destroyed by the Nazis during World War II. The painting was done by Ukrainian artists.

The texts of the prayers depicted on the walls are taken from the Torah:

• Kaddish is a memorial prayer of consecration and glorification of the holiness of the Most High.
• Elohai Neshama is a morning prayer that is read after waking up, as gratitude to God for the return of the soul intact and pure.
• Shema Yisrael is the main prayer of Judaism, which glorifies the idea and love of the One God.
• Ribono Shel Olam – prayer against nightmares, wishes for good and forgiveness of sins of the soul.
• 10 commandments – central to both Judaism and Christianity and form a core part of their shared religious heritage.
• The Song of Solomon is one of the Holy books, which tells us the love story of King Solomon and a young Shulamite girl. In the Song of Songs, Yahweh-Lord's love for his people Israel is recreated, therefore, for the eternal God and for each individual soul.

In Judaism, any depiction of God is forbidden. Instead, plant elements and images of animals are used, primarily for aesthetic purposes.

In this synagogue, in addition to various plant ornaments, there are images of a lion, bear, deer, elephant, squirrel, hare, fish, birds, and more. The combination of present and future (Messianic times, or the time of liberation) is illustrated through both real and mythical animals, such as a unicorn. Some animals symbolize different human traits, referring to wisdom, piety, and living according to God's commandments.

The following symbols are used on the walls: ● Squirrel – wisdom of the Torah. ● Gorlitsa – arrival of spring, flowering. ● Elephant with a temple on its back – symbol of the Jewish people who protect their culture, language, and traditions. ● Fish – productivity, generosity of the earth. ● Deer – love, the beauty of the Land of Israel. ● Bear – resurrection. ● Hares – passage of time, fear of the greatness of God. ● Lion – symbol of self-recognition of the Jewish people. ● Leopard – power of commandments. ● Monkey – fun.

A feature is the ceiling adorned with star constellations, replicating the night sky of September 29, 1941 – the first day of mass executions in Babyn Yar – over Kyiv. This detail represents the last view seen by the victims before the massacre, anchoring the synagogue in a specific historical moment and ensuring the memory of the tragedy endures.

Official opening

The official unveiling of the Synagogue on May 14, 2021 (European Day of the Righteous) was a significant event attended by Ukrainian government officials, religious leaders, and cultural figures. The ceremony, marking the Day of Remembrance of Ukrainians who saved Jews during WWII, underscored the Synagogue's role as a space for reflection and memory.

The event was opened by Ukrainian officials, the founder and president of the French organization Yahad-In Unum, chief strategist and head of the Academic Council of the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center, and Roman Catholic priest Patrick Desbois. The prayer was read by the Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, and the Chief Rabbi of Kyiv and Ukraine.

Operation

The Symbolic Synagogue "Place for Reflection" is open for visits at any time. However, its opening and closing are special events. The opening ceremony takes place every Friday before Shabbat, and the closing ceremony is held every Thursday at 5 pm.

Every year the symbolic synagogue is visited by 30,000 residents of Kyiv and guests of the city. It also attracts the attention of world government officials, as well as public, religious, and cultural figures who come to Ukraine on official visits, such as Boris Johnson, Mike Pompeo, Brian Fitzpatrick, and Laurene Powell Jobs.

On Jewish holidays and other days or events important to the Jewish community, Ukrainian rabbis and rabbis from other countries of the world gather near the symbolic synagogue for a prayer.

In September 2023, the official presentation of certificates for the inscription of the documentary heritage of Babyn Yar in the International Register of the UNESCO Memory of the World Program took place near the Symbolic Synagogue.

Awards

The synagogue's innovative design and significant cultural impact have garnered attention of the architectural community. In particular, it won the nomination for Cultural Object architecture award at the prestigious Dezeen Awards 2021 ceremony.

It stood out among 12 objects recognized as the best by readers of Dezeen, a leading British online magazine about architecture and design, in a vote that attracted 53,000 participants.

Exhibition at the Koffler Gallery

In April 2023, the Koffler Gallery, in collaboration with Manuel Herz and historian Robert Jan van Pelt, premiered the exhibition "The Synagogue at Babyn Yar: Turning the Nightmare of Evil into a Shared Dream of Good." This exhibition connected the 1941 massacre, the creation of the synagogue "Place for Reflection," and the current war in Ukraine.

The main exhibition space featured high-resolution panoramic murals of the "Place for Reflection" produced by photographers Edward Burtynsky and Maxim Dondyuk. Additional sections showcased the synagogue project with documents, artifacts, models, and a film. A detailed projection recreated the synagogue's painted ceiling, depicting the stars of the night sky on September 29, 1941. Also on display was a wooden model of the synagogue, brought from Kyiv and completed just before the Russian attack

An Atlas of Jewish Space

To accompany the synagogue's opening, Robert van Pelt produced a book entitled An Atlas of Jewish Space – How Beautiful Are Your Dwelling Places. It features 135 short pieces written by van Pelt and illustrated by New York artist Mark Podwal. The book is packaged in a box that opens like a book to reveal a paper model of the synagogue.