Built in early Judaic-Baroque style, this Orthodox synagogue was a gift to the city from Izaak Jakubowicz, a wealthy banker to King Władysław IV Vasa. Opened in 1644, it was the most lavishly furnished of Kraków's synagogues and is also considered to be the most architecturally important, with a vaulted ceiling and decorative arabesques. In 1924 the double stairway leading to the women's gallery was added, as were the administrative offices and small adjacent building on the left side of the synagogue that today houses the Megiddo Cafe - a worthwhile waystation for breakfast, baked goods and coffee; interestingly, this space was originally an entirely separate synagogue built on the initiative of members of the Zionist-Orthodox 'Mizrachi' organisation.

Although all of the original interiors and furnishings were obliterated by the Nazis during World War II, and these buildings were only returned to the Jewish community after the communist period, ongoing renovations have revealed fragments of the original wall scriptures. Closed when we went to press, Izaak is rumoured to re-open in May 2026.