New and exciting discoveries are being revealed these days in the archaeological excavations of the remains of the Great Synagogue of Vilna which was destroyed in the Holocaust. The grand building once stood at the end of Vilna’s Jewish Street. It was built from stone between 1630 and 1633, over an existing synagogue that had been built in 1572, which in turn had replaced another synagogue in 1440. The building was destroyed by the occupying Nazis in World War II, demolished by the Soviets in 1955, and replaced by a kindergarten and a primary school in 1957.
As part of the fifth season of excavations, the floor of the Great Synagogue was uncovered for the first time and turned out to be decorated with red, black, and white flowers. Also, part of the women’s section was discovered, as well as huge water reservoirs that were used to supply water to the community mikvahs.
The excavation also revealed one of the giant pillars that were part of the iconic image of the bimah (prayer platform). The pillar had collapsed on its side, attesting to the intensity of the deliberate destruction of the sacred place by two generations of voracious antisemites.
The excavations, on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, the Association of Lithuanian Archeology, the Foundation of Good Will, and the Jewish Community of Lithuania, also revealed that the walls of the synagogue were decorated in blue and red.
A SPLENDID HISTORY
In its heyday, the Great Synagogue was surrounded by a complex of mikvahs and community institutions that created a large center of Torah study and community. It was the beating heart of the Lithuanian Jewish community complex and included 12 synagogues and study halls, the community council building, and the home of the Vilna Gaon, Eliahu ben Shlomo Zalman (1720 – 1797).
The synagogue’s interior underwent a transformation in the mid-18th century, redesigned by Johann Christoph Glaubitz, a Lithuanian German architect from Vilnius, in the Italian Renaissance style. The vast stone-floored structure was supported by four massive, equidistant columns. Within this space stood the ornate, rococo bimah, a three-tiered structure crowned with a cupola supported by eight small columns. This bimah was constructed in the latter half of the 18th century by Rabbi Judah ben Eliezer, also known as YeSoD (an acronym for Yehudah Sofer ve-Dayyan, meaning Judah the Scribe and Judge).
The eastern wall featured a two-tiered Holy Ark, adorned with intricate gilded woodcarvings depicting plants, animals, and Jewish symbols, topped by a double-headed eagle. Access to the Ark was via a split staircase with iron balustrades ascending from both sides. Bronze and silver chandeliers hung from the walls and ceilings, adding to the synagogue’s grandeur. The building housed a valuable collection of ritual objects and underwent repairs in the 19th century.
Originally, a seven-branched brass candelabrum stood before the Ark, but it was removed to Moscow on the eve of the German invasion during World War I. The synagogue once also contained a “Chair of Elijah” in the northwest corner, used for bris-milah ceremonies.
Flanking the Holy Ark were two-story structures serving as women’s sections, connected to the main prayer hall by small windows. An additional two-story women’s gallery ran along the north side, built by Noah Feibusch Bloch, a community elder who financed the construction and ultimately gifted it to the community when they couldn’t repay the 14,000 gulden loan.
The main prayer hall was square and could accommodate 300 people. Designed to double as a stronghold for the Jewish community in times of danger, the synagogue could hold up to 5,000 worshippers on High Holy Days before World War II.
In 1846, during Sir Moses Montefiore’s visit, the synagogue’s treasurers distributed entrance tickets to manage the large crowds seeking to attend.
A ground-penetrating radar survey done in 2015 showed significant remains of the synagogue below the surface, and since then, there have been five excavation seasons at the site, revealing the complex’s rich past.
According to the excavation Director, Dr. John Seligman of the Israel Antiquities Authority, “The magnificent remains we are discovering – the synagogue bimah that was uncovered during the previous excavation season – as well as the colorful decorations of the floor and walls, bring to life moments in the life of a vibrant glory that perished so quickly. The wealth and vitality we encounter here, alongside the destruction of inspiring giant columns that collapsed during the destruction of the synagogue by the Nazis and the Russians, tell the tragic story of a community that lived here with all its might and is no more.”
