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Choral Synagogue (Vilnius)

Coordinates: 54°40′34″N 25°16′53″E / 54.67611°N 25.28139°E / 54.67611; 25.28139
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For similarly named synagogues, see Choral Synagogue.
Choral Synagogue of Vilnius
Lithuanian: Vilniaus choralinė sinagoga
The synagogue in 2008
Religion
AffiliationOrthodox Judaism
RiteNusach Ashkenaz
Ecclesiastical or organisational status
StatusActive
Location
Location39 Pylimo Street, Vilnius' Old Town, Vilnius, Vilnius County
CountryLithuania
Choral Synagogue (Vilnius) is located in Vilnius
Choral Synagogue (Vilnius)
Location of the synagogue in Vilnius
Geographic coordinates54°40′34″N 25°16′53″E / 54.67611°N 25.28139°E / 54.67611; 25.28139
Architecture
Architect(s)
  • Dovydas Rosenhauzas (Daniel Rosenhaus)
  • Aleksejus Polozovas
TypeSynagogue architecture
Style
Date established1847 (as a congregation)
Groundbreaking1902
Completed1903
MaterialsBrick
[1]

The Choral Synagogue of Vilnius (Lithuanian: Vilniaus choralinė sinagoga), officially, Taharat Ha-Kodesh Choral Synagogue in Vilnius, is an Orthodox Jewish congregation and synagogue, located at 39 Pylimo Street (originally Zawalna Street), in the Old Town of Vilnius, in the Vilnius County of Lithuania.

Designed by Daniel Rosenhaus and Aleksejus Polozovas in an eclectic combination of the Romanesque Revival and Moorish Revival styles, the building was completed in 1903.[1][2][3]

The Choral Synagogue is the only synagogue in Vilnius that is in use. All other synagogues were completely destroyed or partly desecrated during World War II, when Lithuania was occupied by Nazi Germany, and by the Soviet authorities after the war.

History

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It is the only active synagogue that survived both the Holocaust and Soviet rule in Vilnius, that once had over 100 synagogues.[2][4] Despite practising in the Orthodox Ashkenazi rite, the synagogue was built in the traditions of a community that practised Reform Judaism.[5]

The exterior of this unusual, very attractive Moorish-styled synagogue features two-tone brick, used to create horizontal lines in the façade. There are three arches above the entrance with a large arch above it all, featuring stained glass windows below the arch and interesting moldings highlighting the arch and the façade above it. Stained glass windows with intricate Moorish detailing are featured on towers on either side of the entrance. Below the roofline, repeated Moorish motifs are incorporated into the molding to stunning effect. Above the pitch of the roof rests two tablets, featuring the Ten Commandments inscribed in Hebrew.[6] According to one source, the synagogue was not attractive:[7]

The new choral synagogue ... lost all relation to the tradition of Jewish synagogues in Poland, and is an uninspired, international edifice aspiring to the Moorish style.

— Juliusz Kłos ,1923

During the Soviet occupation the synagogue was nationalised and the building was turned into a metal factory,[2] with subsequent considerable damage as a result of this use. The building was restored in 2010 and opened again as a synagogue shortly thereafter.[2] International donations and a small community of Jews in Vilnius support the synagogue. The synagogue holds services and is open to visitors.[3]

In 2019, the synagogue along with the Jewish community headquarters was temporarily closed due to threats from right-wing groups. The decision coincided with a rise in antisemitic rhetoric related to public debate about honoring Lithuanian collaborators.[8][9]

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  • Synagogue interior
    Synagogue interior
  • Synagogue interior
    Synagogue interior
  • Synagogue interior
    Synagogue interior
  • Synagogue in 1916
    Synagogue in 1916
  • A Yiddish flag on the synagogue's fence
    A Yiddish flag on the synagogue's fence

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Taharat Ha-Kodesh Choral Synagogue in Vilnius". Historic Synagogues of Europe. Foundation for Jewish Heritage and the Center for Jewish Art at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. n.d. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d "Restoration of the Roof and Attic of Vilnius Choral Synagogue". World Monuments Fund. Retrieved April 17, 2013.
  3. ^ a b "The Choral Synagogue of Vilnius". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on June 30, 2013. Retrieved April 17, 2013.
  4. ^ Kim, Lucian (October 16, 2018). "Excavation Of Lithuania's Great Synagogue Highlights A 'Painful Page' From History". NPR. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  5. ^ "VILNIUS CHORAL SYNAGOGUE". Open House Vilnius. Open House Europe. n.d. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  6. ^ "Choral Taharat Ha Kodesh" (contains moving panoramic images of the synagogue's interior). Synagogues360. 2024. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  7. ^ "Vilnius: New choral synagogue". Virtual Shtetl. Warsaw: POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews. 2017. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  8. ^ "Lithuanian community reopens Vilnius shul days after contested closure". Times of Israel. August 11, 2019.
  9. ^ Liphshiz, Cnaan (August 9, 2019). "Lithuanian Jews reopen Vilnius synagogue 2 days after contested closure". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
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