The Great Synagogue and Shulhoyf of Vilna (Vilnius)

Secrets of the Great Synagogue of Vilna

A Documentary by Loïc Salfati (2023)

Secrets of the Great Synagogue of Vilna is now open for free online viewing in English, French and Lithuanian.

“This project has been an extraordinary human and intellectual adventure. Through archaeological digs, archives, testimonies, I have attempted to bring this lost place back to life, a symbol of cultural richness of a community forever engulfed. Hoping this film will remind you how critical it is to study history and understand civilizations of the past, in order to counter any attempt to rewrite or disinformation, in a world that is increasingly vulnerable to ideological manipulations.” (Loïc Salfati)

Loïc Salfati, Secrets of the Great Synagogue of Vilna (2023), 1 hr 40 min, with English, French and Lithuanian subtitles · Watch on Vimeo

The Secrets of the Great Synagogue of Vilna

In the heart of Vilnius, capital city of Lithuania, an international team of archaeologists attempts to uncover the site of what was once The Great Synagogue, damaged by the Nazis in WWII, destroyed completely by the Soviet authorities in the 1950s. As a result of an ecclesiastical rule dating back to the sixteenth century forbidding synagogues from exceeding the height of the local churches, the Great Synagogue foundations were built six feet below ground. In doing so, the underground part, like an invisible time capsule, actually preserved the remains of this renowned synagogue building for later discovery. For nearly a century the secrets of The Great Synagogue and what was once a thriving Jewish community in Vilnius lay buried beneath the ground. Over the course of multiple excavation campaigns as documented in this film, The Great Synagogue, its prominent history and hidden treasures are slowly unearthed, bringing a long forgotten story back to life.