The Vilna Shul

Built in 1919   Built by Jewish immigrants from the city of Vilnius, then part of the Russian Empire, The Vilna is the only immigrant-era synagogue building remaining in Downtown Boston. In 1888, The Vilna community was formed as a landsmanschaft, a mutual aid society, to support families fleeing persecution in Eastern Europe. When built, The Vilna was one of 53 different Jewish communities in Downtown Boston, and served Boston’s West End (now Beacon Hill) neighborhood. The synagogue closed its doors in 1985 because most Jewish families had moved to the suburbs. Saved from demolition in 1995, the building was reimagined as a cultural center. Today, The Vilna Shul offers a unique portal to Jewish life, alive with creativity, rooted in tradition, and open to all.