We were guided through the Old Town of Vilnius in by Iga Makuténiené, which was truly beautiful. Especially the old Jewish Quarter tells a very important and moving part of Vilnius’s past. Before World War II, Vilnius was often referred to as the "Jerusalem of Lithuania" because of its vibrant Jewish life with around 28% of the population being Jewish.
While the city once was home to over 100 Synagogues and other Jewish institutions, the only surviving landmark is the Choral Synagogue, built in 1903. It is the only active synagogue remaining in Vilnius today and stands as a symbol of the resilience and revival of Jewish life in Lithuania.
Also, remnants of the Jewish Ghetto can still be traced in the narrow streets of Vilinius today. During the Nazi occupation, the Jewish Quarter became part of two ghettos created in 1941. The area witnessed immense suffering, with most of its Jewish inhabitants eventually deported to concentration camps or killed in mass executions at nearby Paneria.
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