Welcoming Shabbat with Lecha Dodi as Sung in the Shtetl of Mszana Dolna, Poland

Mszana Dolna is a town in Poland, with 7,431 inhabitants. Mszana Dolna lies 50 kilometers south of Kraków. The town is located in a deep valley, surrounded by several ranges, including the Gorce Mountains featuring Gorce National Park.

The Jewish community in Mszana Dolna is mentioned in the 1891 official record of Jewish congregations. However, Jews must have started living there much earlier. The first Jews to settle down in Mszana Dolna were innkeepers, which is confirmed by 18^th century data.  Inns were leased to those Jews by the local nobility. 

January 17 is the Day of Judaism in Poland. Workshops were conducted with three groups of young people, who learned the basic concepts of the Jewish religion and culture and elements of the celebration of Shabbat.

sztetlmszanadolna.com is a website dedicated to saving the memory of the Jews of Mszana Dolna and building kind relations with the descendants of the few among them who survived the Shoah. Its organizers take care of the sites of memory and martyrdom of the Jews of Mszana Dolna, organize anniversaries of the Shoah in the town, as well as Remembrance Days and Remembrance Walks. Together with the town’s youth they plant crocuses at the mass murder sites to commemorate the youngest victims. Every week they light the Shabbat candles and bake challah and they also light the menorah during Chanukah. 

In this video, members of the community sing the traditional version of Lecha Dodi to welcome Shabbat.

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!

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