Lost Treasures: The Wooden Synagogues of Eastern Europe The Artwork of Bill Farran

Janow Sokolski, Poland - Sumi-e Style Brush Painting

YANOV [Yiddish]

Janow Sokolski was a small town in the Bialystok region. Jews began to settle in Janow as early as the 17th century. In 1719 the Bishop of Vilno, Konstanty Brzostowski, granted them permission to build a synagogue, which was constructed in 1740.

The town's census in 1775 counted 214 Christian residents and 221 Jews. In 1897, of the town's 2,296 residents, 1,797 were Jewish. Just prior to World War II, nearly 1,100 Jews lived in this small, poor town known for its hotel, which was owned by Jewish resident Chmiel Rudawski.

The wooden synagogue was one of the most impressive in the region with a monumental three-story roof. It was renovated and maintained by the Polish State Office for Historical Buildings. The Jewish community and its wooden synagogue perished at the hands of the Nazis.

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Prints are 8x10 inches, in an 11x14 matte