Choral Synagogue Vilnius

The only active synagogue in Vilnius, built in 1903, a rare surviving witness to Jewish life after the Holocaust.

The Choral Synagogue of Vilnius, officially known as Taharat Ha-Kodesh, was completed in 1903 based on designs by architect Dawid Rozenhaus. The building combines Romanesque structural elements with Moorish decorative details, a stylistic blend typical of synagogue architecture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It is today the only active Jewish house of worship in Vilnius. Before World War II, Vilnius was known as the Jerusalem of Europe, home to a thriving Jewish community; the Holocaust nearly completely destroyed that community. The synagogue's survival is therefore a profound historical testimony. The congregation actively maintains Jewish traditions and welcomes visitors interested in the history of Jews in the Baltics.