1881-1885

Cieślikowski, Jan Marcin (1842–1927)(Engineer and architect) (Unknown)

Ashkenazi | Hasidic
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Ukraine | Ternopilska obl. | Chortkiv (Чортків)
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The Kloyz building was probably inspirited by the Kloyz in Sadgora, the residence of Rabbi David Moshe's father, Rabbi Israel of Ruzhin, and his elder brother, R. Avraham Yaakov.

The Tsaddiks of Ruzhin-Sadgora dynasty did not pray with their Hassidim, but had a separate prayer room near the main prayer hall.  This arrangement was started by R. Israel of Ruzhin and is noteworthy in all Kloyzn of his descendants (Asaf, pp. 372-3, Even, pp. 3, 83, 153).

Since the women did not take part in the Hassidic rituals at all and especially in the "pilgrimages" to the Tsaddiks on Saturdays and Holydays, the women's section of the Kloyz, if it existed, served only women living in the court, i.e. the family members and servants.

Rabbi David Moshe Friedman of Chortkov (1827-1903), the fifth son of Rabbi Israel of Ruzhin established his court in Chortkov after the year 1869 (Asaf, p. 463). The dwelling palace was probably bought from the princess Jeronima Borkowska in 1865 (Sefer Chortkov, p. 31; Asaf, p. 370, n. 17). Therefore, the Kloyz was built after that date. According to the Hassidic tradition, the Kloyz was planned by R. David Moshe's son, Rabbi Israel (Asaf, p. 370). Although the court of the Chortkover Rebbe had no influence in the Jewish community of Chortkov (Asaf, p. 366, n. 9; Sefer Chortkov, p. 69), it was an important factor in the economic life of the town, since thousands of Hassidim arrived to see the Rebbe, especially during the Holydays, and also served as an attraction to inhabitants, especially the large park (Sefer Chortkov, p. 70). After R. Moshe David's death, the Kloyz served his son and successor, Rabbi Israel (1854-1934). In 1914, with the start of the First World War, he fled to Vienna, where he lived until his death. However, he used to visit Chortkov during the Holydays (Sefer Chortkov, pp. 57, 61-2). After the Second World War the building was used by an engineering-building military unit. Part of the roof constructions were removed for use as building material, which caused the beginning of the ceiling's collapse. To prevent the collapse, four octagonal columns were inserted into the prayer hall. In the 1980s, the building was remodeled for the Centre of Youth Art.