Vilnius Greater Synagogue

Historians relate development of the first Jewish communities with the formation of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (at the end of 14th c. Jewish Communities in Brest, Gardinas and Trakai were mentioned). One may admit the existence of the first Jewish Community in Vilnius in the 15th century, since there is a mentioning of the first Jewish cemetery over Neris River in the district of Šnipiškės. A Synagogue in Trakai dates from the 16th century. However, only from 1573 the Jewish Community in Vilnius was allowed to keep its own ritual house, because in that year the Warsaw Confederation equalised the rights of infidel and the Catholics. Until that time, Jews were forbidden to keep their own ritual house. Vilnius Jewish Community then began building the first ritual house or a Synagogue (made of wood) on Duke Sluckis owned plot of land that was located close to Vokiečių Street. It was quite an occasion in the life of Vilnius Jews. Traditionally, the praying house was one of the most important focuses of the spiritual, cultural and scientific life. There is no information of what the first Vilnius Synagogue looked like. Size of a Synagogue depended on the number of Community members and houses. Moreover, various limitations were applied for Jewish temples. The Synagogue could not be higher than churches and monasteries by other Christians, and had to be quite a distance away from other churches. It could neither have a belfry or a steeple. The Synagogue was destroyed during pogroms carried out by Vilnius town-dwellers in 1592, 1606 and 1635, yet later it was rebuilt again.

The privilege that King Sigmund Vaza extended to the Community in 1593 should be regarded one more very important event in the life of Vilnius Jewish Community. The King provided Jews with very favourable conditions for settling in Vilnius, i.e., he allowed them to trade, purchase houses, keep their own cemeteries, ritual bathhouses, and a Synagogue. While Vladislavas Vaza the IVth by his privilege of 1633, allowed to create a Jewish Quarter in the city of Vilnius. Jews had to settle in the area between three streets: Šv. Mykolo, Skerdyklos and Žydų) within the period of 15 years. The King also allowed to build a brick Synagogue. The exact date of the construction of either the wooden Synagogue, or the brick one is not known. However, it is true that a brick Synagogue based on the date of the last privilege had to be built after 1633. Unfortunately, neither the architect, nor the builder, nor the donors are known.

Vilnius Greater Synagogue was 25 m long, 22,3 m width, and 12,1 m height. It was sunken 2 meters into the ground. That praying house of Jews surpassed all other Synagogues, which were built in the united Lithuanian - Polish State Rzeczpospolita, in its size and splendour. Some authors are saying that it accommodated several thousands of people. It is believed that the brick Synagogue was of the Renaissance style, because traditions of the time carried much weight. Furthermore, in the first half of the 17th century, brick praying houses were built in merely all larger cities on the territory of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Until the end of the 18th century, Vilnius Greater Synagogue was devastated by Russians, who had occupied Vilnius in 1655 - 1661 and by fires in 1748 and 1749. Yet, regardless of natural disasters and other disadvantageous factors, majority of its art works and treasures, which had been donated by more wealthy members of the Community, survived inside the temple. During the 1st World War quite a big part of the stuff from the Synagogue was brought to Russia. Although the Synagogue was not seriously damaged during the rebellion of 1794 m., it was nevertheless restored right after the uprising. The restoration brought some elements of the classical style predominant at that time.

In 1893 a partial reconstruction of Vilnius Synagogue - its adaptation to new situation took place under a design by engineer Leonidas Vineris. On the Northern side of the Synagogue, in the women's gallery, several holes were opened, a new entrance was built, and some premises were enlarged. Ordered that way, the Synagogue stood until the 2nd World War. During the war the Synagogue was seriously destroyed: only walls and several elements of the interior survived. It would not have been a big problem to renew the temple as it were. Unfortunately, the Soviet occupation government completely pulled down Vilnius Greater Synagogue in 1955-1957 following a new Vilnius master plan of 1953.

Vilnius Greater Synagogue has a great significance both for the European cultural heritage, the city of Vilnius and the Jewish Community of the world. It was the fundamental spiritual and cultural centre of Lithuanian Jews from the end of the 16th century until the fifties of the 20th century. The Greater Synagogue Quarter together with other small praying houses of craftsmen (there were around 100 Jewish praying houses in Vilnius) formed a unique core of Vilnius Jewish world.

It is possible to see the authentic fragment of Aron Kodesh from Vilnius Greater Synagogue in the new exposition of the Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum
(Naugarduko st. 10, Vilnius).