Palenie synagogi (The burning of the synagogue)

A Jewish synagogue being burned by the Nazis in Poland. Several figures are watching the scene. The atmosphere is one of shock and disbelief. The buildings around the burning synagogue are reminiscent of the ghetto. The artist served on the committee for the preservation of Jewish monuments in Lvov before the war. He also wrote a PhD dissertation documenting synagogues and Jewish ritual in Poland. Those gathered around the burning building are more likely to be Aryan spectators rather than Jews. Considering the curfews imposed by the SS and the frequency of the 'aktions', Jews would not have had the liberty to crowd around the burning icon whether they were in the ghetto or not.