5. The Bialystoker Synagogue Doesn’t Face East

Murals inside inside Bialystoker Synagogue
A mural inside Bialystoker Synagogue

As a former church, the Bialystoker Synagogue was was not oriented to the east as synagogues traditionally are. Instead, the wall was painted with scenes from Jerusalem, including images of the Western Wall and Temple Mount, to create a symbolic facing of the East.