In this section there are legends from the Land of Two Moons. Most of them only exist in their oral form; they are about the local towns and villages. They were written down by the students of Kazimierz schools. The collection starts with the famous legend of Esterka by Misrosław Derecki.

The parochet of the beautiful Esterka.

One of the first legends that I heard in my childhood was the extraordinary story of Kazimierz Wielki’s love to a beautiful Jewish woman, Esterka. It took place in the romantic scenery of Kazimierz Dolny.

This unusual little town, full of historic houses and picturesque wooden sheds, was then densely populated by the Jews. At the foot of the Three Crosses Hill at Lubelska Street there was a bulky synagogue made of stone and covered with wooden roof. Inside the synagogue hung a beautiful, golden curtain called “parochet”; it was said to be embroidered by Estera herself.

Estera’s place of birth is still unknown; however, some people say that she came from Opoczno in the Kielce region. However, the Kazimierz Jews got annoyed when someone mentioned Opoczno. They were absolutely sure that Estera was the daughter of a poor tailor, Rafael, who had many children and lived in poverty. However, everything changed when his eldest daughter caught the eye of the king. The monarch fell desperately in love with Estera and took her to the castle on the hill. Then, he built a castle for her in nearby Bochotnica. In due course, Estera gave him two sons, Niemir and Pelko, and the grateful king ordered the construction of a beautiful synagogue so that Estera and the Jewish community could have a place to pray.

When the king was away dealing with state affairs or fighting in wars, Estera found consolation embroidering the magnificent parochet which was to cover the rolls of Torah placed on the altar. She made a fantastic serpent (like the one that tempted Eve in Eden) on a massive silk fabric using golden thread that was commissioned by the king with his Spanish goldsmith. The serpent was surrounded by rich ornaments and above it there were royal crowns.

For the Kazimierz Jews Estera was a sort of Jewish queen; they were proud of her position at the side of so powerful a king.

M. Derecki, My Kazimierz, Gazeta w Lublinie, Lublin 1999