Vilna Shul

Vilna Shul Review

As the oldest synagogue in Boston, this historic treasure is the focus of both renovation and research. The two-story brick building was completed in 1919 by Jews from Vilna (or Vilnius), in what is now Lithuania. Modeled after the medieval synagogues of Europe, it's the last remaining immigrant era synagogue in Boston. The building, abandoned in 1985 after the congregation dropped to a single member, was bought by the Boston Center for Jewish Heritage, which is overseeing its ongoing restoration. Above the doorway gleams renewed gilded Hebrew lettering; the hand-carved ark and the stained-glass Star of David are worth a peek; and murals depicting traditional themes are being uncovered from beneath seven layers of paint. Three skylights flood it with natural light.