Research of the Great Synagogue of Vilnius 2021

A team of Israeli and Lithuanian archaeologists excavating the site of the Great Synagogue of Vilnius presented their findings on August 26, 2021. They have fully exposed the Aron Kodesh, or the Holy Ark, where the Torah scrolls were stored, and the Bimah, the platform from which the Torah was read. The excavations have also exposed two staircases and a decorative floor mosaic between the Aron Kodesh and the Bimah; and the remains of one of the synagogue’s massive columns.

The most interesting find was „yad“ – a silver pointer which points to the Torah while it is read to the people that are praying. The team has also found wall fragments decorated with blue plaster, an element that was not visible in black and white historical photos, according to the archeologists.

The archaeological research of the Great Synagogue complex in Vilnius, underway since 2011, has been funded by the Israel Antiquities Authority, Vilnius-based NGO Kultūros Paveldo Išsaugojimo Pajėgos (Cultural Heritage Preservation Force), the Goodwill Foundation and Vilnius Municipality.
More about the previous research