Films | Lectures | Reels
Films, lectures and short reels about the Great Synagogue and Shulhoyf of Vilna and the work of the research and excavation project.
Films · Lectures · Reels · Virtual Models
Films
The Secrets of the Great Synagogue of Vilna (2023)
Directed by Loïc Salfati · 2023 · 1 hr 40 min · English, French and Lithuanian subtitles · Watch on Vimeo
Vilniaus Didžiosios sinagogos tyrimai (2026)
LRT Plius, series Atspindžiai. Paveldo kolekcija · Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT) · 2026 · 26 min · in Lithuanian · Watch on LRT
Holocaust Escape Tunnel (2017)
Produced by Lone Wolf Media for NOVA, WGBH Boston (PBS) · Directed by Kirk Wolfinger and Paula S. Apsell · Written by Owen Palmquist · 2017 · 54 min · Watch on Dailymotion · About the film on PBS
Out of the Forest (2004)
Produced, directed and written by Limor Pinhasov Ben Yosef and Yaron Kaftori Ben Yosef · Commissioned by Noga Communication, the Israel Film Service and the Jerusalem Cinematheque · Official Selection, Forum, Berlin International Film Festival 2004 · 2004 · 93 min · Stream at the Israel Film Center
Simon Schama: The Road to Auschwitz (2025)
Presented by Simon Schama · Directed by Hugo Macgregor · Produced by Jyoti Mehta · Executive producers Nicolas Kent and Charlotte Sacher · Oxford Film and Television for BBC Two · 2025 · 59 min · Winner, BAFTA TV Award 2026, Specialist Factual · Winner, News & Documentary Emmy 2026, Outstanding Historical Documentary (US title Simon Schama: The Holocaust, 80 Years On, PBS) · Watch on BBC iPlayer (UK only)
Watch the US version on PBS (Simon Schama: The Holocaust, 80 Years On)
Jewish Life in Wilno (1939)
1939 · 9 min · The Steven Spielberg Jewish Film Archive, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem · Watch on YouTube
Watch the Yiddish version on YouTube
Lectures
Lecture at the Seimas (Lithuanian Parliament) for Litvak World, 2017
Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, Vilnius, 2017 · Watch on Facebook
Lecture at the Vilnius Jewish Public Library, Vilnius, 2018
Vilnius Jewish Public Library, 2018 · Watch on Facebook
Dr. Vladimir Levin: Beyond Religion – Synagogues in Eastern Europe, 2020
Lecture series by Dr. Vladimir Levin on the history and architecture of East European synagogues · בית אבי חי (Beit Avi Chai), Jerusalem · online, October 2020 · Watch on YouTube
Panel discussion: Reflections on Lithuania’s Jewish Past, 2020
Johannesburg Holocaust & Genocide Centre and the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in South Africa · online, 3 November 2020 · with Dr. Lara Lempertienė and Dr. Jurgita Verbickienė · Watch on YouTube
Lecture at the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire du Judaïsme, Paris, 2022
Colloque Archéologie du judaïsme en Europe, Musée d’Art et d’Histoire du Judaïsme, Paris, 2022 · Watch on Facebook
Lecture at Bet Vilna, Tel Aviv, 2025 – סודות בית הכנסת הגדול בווילנה נחשפים
איגוד יוצאי וילנה והסביבה בישראל (Association of Vilna and Vicinity Jews in Israel), Bet Vilna, Tel Aviv, 2025 · in Hebrew · Watch on YouTube
Reels
Ground Penetrating Radar survey at the Great Synagogue, 2015
With Dr. Jon Seligman and Prof. Richard Freund · Photography: Joan Silber · VINnews, July 2015 · 7 min · Watch on YouTube
NOVA: Discovering the burial pit, 2017
Clip from Holocaust Escape Tunnel · NOVA, WGBH Boston (PBS), 2017 · Watch on PBS LearningMedia
Baigiamas 2-asis Vilniaus Didžiosios sinagogos kasinėjimų etapas, 2017
End of the second excavation season at the Great Synagogue · VideoAlkas, July 2017 · 5 min · in Lithuanian · Watch on YouTube
Two ritual baths of the Great Synagogue exposed, 2017
Project announcement of the 2017 excavation season · The Vilna Great Synagogue and Shulhoyf Research Project · Watch on Facebook
תגלית: המקוואות בבית הכנסת הגדול בוילנה, 2017
The discovery of the miqva’ot · Kan News, evening news, 21 August 2017 · 4 min · in Hebrew · Watch on YouTube
Vilnius, Jérusalem du Nord, 2018
Radio France Internationale, 22 July 2018 · in French · Listen on RFI
Archeologai rado Bimą Didžiosios sinagogos teritorijoje, 2018
The discovery of the bimah · VilniusVideo, July 2018 · 1 min · in Lithuanian · Watch on YouTube
Israeli archaeologists unearth the Great Synagogue of Vilna, 2018
Dr. Jon Seligman interviewed by Arieh O’Sullivan · KAN English · Watch on Facebook
Находка в Вильнюсе, 2018
The bimah discovery · Euronews (Russian), 29 July 2018 · in Russian · Watch on Euronews
חפירת בית הכנסת הגדול – הגילויים של 2019
Finds of the fifth excavation season, 2019 · Filmed by Loïc Salfati · Watch on Facebook
Excavating the Great Synagogue – the discoveries of 2019
Finds of the fifth excavation season, 2019 · English version · 2 min 8 s
“We Are Guests” – Jewish Vilnius in the works of Eglė Ridikaitė, 2021
Paintings of the uncovered fragments of the Great Synagogue · Lithuanian Culture Institute, April 2021 · 6.5 min · Watch on YouTube
נחשפו במלואם שרידי ארון הקודש ובימת בית הכנסת הגדול, 2021
The Holy Ark and bimah fully exposed · Israel Antiquities Authority, August 2021 · 1.5 min · in Hebrew · Watch on YouTube
חפירת בית הכנסת הגדול בווילנה, 2024
The 2024 excavation season · Israel Antiquities Authority, July 2024 · 1 min 20 s · in Hebrew with Hebrew subtitles
Excavations of the Great Synagogue of Vilna reveal the destruction of the synagogue, 2024
The 2024 excavation season · Israel Antiquities Authority, July 2024 · 1 min 22 s · in English with English subtitles
הבימה המרכזית של בית הכנסת הגדול נחשפה במלואה, 2026
The central bimah fully exposed · Israel Antiquities Authority, August 2026 · 1 min · in Hebrew · Watch on YouTube
The Central Bimah of the Great Synagogue of Vilna Fully Exposed, 2026
The central bimah fully exposed · Israel Antiquities Authority, August 2026 · 1.5 min · in English · Watch on YouTube
כתבה על החפירה – העולם היום, 2026
העולם היום עם מיכל רשף ויואב זהבי · Kan 11, 11 August 2026 · in Hebrew · Watch on Facebook
Virtual Models
The Great Synagogue of Vilnius in VR – official trailer, 2018
Virtual reality model of the Great Synagogue by Inlusion, Vilnius · 2018 · About the VR project
Virtual model of the Great Synagogue, 2020
Discover Jewish Lithuania project and Dr. Jurgita Verbickienė, Vilnius University · discoverjewishlithuania.com · Watch on Facebook
3D film of the synagogue interior, 2023
3D reconstruction of the prayer hall of the Great Synagogue · from The Secrets of the Great Synagogue of Vilna, directed by Loïc Salfati · 2023 · 1 min 22 s