<Písek> wants to connect the <synagogue> with the <community center>

Písek - Písek wants to connect the unused synagogue building with the planned community center, which is to be created in the historic building of the former elementary school at Alšovo Square. The center will replace the municipal library, which currently operates in inadequate facilities, said Deputy Mayor Vojtěch Bubník to ČTK.
    "There is practically no Jewish community in Písek, and by connecting it with the library, the synagogue will gain dignified use. Two cultural monuments will also be meaningfully connected," explained Bubník. The costs of constructing the center are estimated at around 120 million crowns, and the city is seeking suitable grant programs for it. If a state or European subsidy is obtained, construction will begin at the end of 2009 or the beginning of 2010.
    The Písek synagogue, built in 1870, which is currently under renovation, has an inadequate entrance from Soukenická Street. It was created when the historic building served as a carpet warehouse and contradicts liturgical regulations. By connecting with the nearby community center, the synagogue would gain access corresponding to traditions and social support, while the library would gain a large hall for festive occasions and exhibitions from the collections of the Jewish museum.
    In the community center building, people could not only borrow books but also use the internet, and the library would also serve for lectures, discussions, or meetings between Písek residents and city representatives. The center should also include a literary café. The library could expand its services for visually impaired readers or its children's department in the new building.
    The Písek library has been looking for new spaces for some time. The historic building at Alšovo Square, where the library has been located for over 30 years, is too small for the library's needs, does not meet accessibility requirements, and lacks, for example, an emergency exit.