
Choral Synagogue
Before the war, there were 109 synagogues in Vilnius. Today, there remains only one; the Choral Synagogue Taharat Hakodesh, built in 1903. On one of our multiple visits, we were fortunate to witness the rabbi blowing the shofar in the days leading up to Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year celebrations. Rabbi Chaim Burstein is the Chief Rabbi of Vilna and Lithuania and tells us of the challenges of leading a rapidly fading community. The Tolerance Centre of the Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum houses relics and art from Lithuania’s Jewish past, and was previously a Jewish theatre.
Before the war, there were 109 synagogues in Vilnius. Today, there remains only one; the Choral Synagogue Taharat Hakodesh, built in 1903. On one of our multiple visits, we were fortunate to witness the rabbi blowing the shofar in the days leading up to Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year celebrations. Rabbi Chaim Burstein is the Chief Rabbi of Vilna and Lithuania and tells us of the challenges of leading a rapidly fading community. The Tolerance Centre of the Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum houses relics and art from Lithuania’s Jewish past, and was previously a Jewish theatre.