The synagogue was destroyed during the Nazi rule in the Holocaust, but the Soviets are the ones who completed the demolition * The independent Lithuanian government in cooperation with Israel is restoring the building. The exhibits will likely be displayed in a permanent exhibition in the renovated building
In Vilnius, Lithuania, the unveiling of the Ark of the Covenant and the stage of the synagogue and the Ark of the Great Synagogue, which was destroyed about 60 years ago by the Nazis and the Soviets, were completed in recent weeks. This was announced today (Thursday) at noon by the Israeli-Lithuanian excavation delegation, led by the Antiquities Authority archaeologist, Dr. Yohanan (John) Seligman. With this, the 6-year excavation project reached its peak, which aimed to uncover the remains of the Great Synagogue and parts of the 'Shulhoif' - the center of Vilnius' communal and Torah Jewish life. This excavation began with a ground-penetrating radar test in a school yard, and developed into actual exposures and revelations.
This very morning, while sifting the soil that was excavated from around the synagogue's prayer platform, an exciting find was discovered: a "hand" made of silver - a sacred utensil that was used to read from the Torah book.
12 prayer halls and midrash schools, and all other needs of the community
The Great Synagogue of Vilna, built in the 17th century in the Renaissance-Baroque style, is located in the "Shulhoif" - a large Jewish center of Torah study and community. It was the beating heart of Lithuanian Jewry, which included 12 synagogues and midrash houses, a bath house and purification mikvahs, the community council building, kosher meat stands, a famous library called "Strashun", the midrash house of Rabbi Eliyahu, the Gaon from Vilna, and more. Hundreds of years of existence came to an end with the destruction of the Jewish community of Vilna during the Holocaust. The place, sacred to the Jews of Lithuania, was looted and burned by the Nazis, and in 1956-7 its remains were completely destroyed by the Soviet authorities. The modern school was built and operated there.
A few years ago, Dr. Yohanan (John) Seligman visited Vilnius as part of a Roots trip, and that's how the idea to uncover and discover what was left of the complex and the synagogue was sparked.
According to Yohanan (John) Seligman of the Antiquities Authority and Justinas Rakas From the Lithuanian Excavations Company, in whose excavation a combined team of Lithuanians, Israelis and North Americans participated, "When we came to excavate the Ark of the Covenant and the platform of the synagogue, from which generations of Jews read the Torah for 300 consecutive years, it became clear, unfortunately, that the core of the synagogue was severely damaged by the Soviet destruction . The two impressive staircases that are clearly visible in the many photos from the synagogue's heyday have been destroyed, but we discovered evidence of their existence. In front of the Ark of the Covenant, a decorative 'terrazzo' floor showing a pattern of the sun's rays, which we did not know existed, was revealed in the excavation. This pattern matches the pattern we found in 2019 on the floor of the synagogue stage. In addition, the excavation of the bimah itself was completed within the entire front of the bimah, including the complete remains of one of the four huge columns that supported the roof of the Great Synagogue."
The Ark of the Covenant, the remains of which were uncovered during the excavation season that has now ended, and which appears in all its splendor in the many photos of the synagogue renovated after a fire in the 18th century - with the donation of the "Yisod" - Yehuda ben Eliezer (b. 1762).. The "Yisod" even donated the stage. The decorated one, which was a two-story building, with four Corinthian columns and eight Tuscan columns.
The excavation of the Great Synagogue in Lithuania is a joint venture of the Antiquities Authority, the Lithuanian Excavations Company, the Good Will Foundation, and the Jewish community in Lithuania. According to Eli Escozido, director of the Antiquities Authority, "The recent discovery of magnificent parts of the Great Synagogue suggests the potential for further excavation at the site, in preparation for the exciting possibility of displaying its remains in the future."
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