Current sectionArchaeology'This Was Once the Heart of Jewish Life' Archaeologists uncovered parts of the prayer hall, the women's atrium, colorful floors and plaques with names of congregation members, providing a 'moving, almost personal familiarity with the people who prayed here and communal life,' Israel's Antiquities Authority saidShare to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeThe central bimah of Vilnius' 17th century Great Synagogue. Credit: John Seligman/Israel Antiquities AuthorityThe central bimah of Vilnius' 17th century Great Synagogue. Credit: John Seligman/Israel Antiquities Authority03:27 PM • August 05 2026 IDTThe central altar of the Great Synagogue of Vilnius, which was destroyed by the Nazis and later by the Soviets, has been fully uncovered in excavations in the Lithuanian capital over the past month.Alongside the altar, archaeologists have recently uncovered parts of the synagogue's main prayer hall and women's gallery, colorful floors decorated with floral and geometric motifs, and seat plaques bearing the names of worshippers as well as the Ten Commandments.Excavations at the synagogue compound began in 2011. The project is a joint effort of the Lithuanian Archaeological Society, the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Jewish community of Lithuania."The finds give us a moving, almost personal familiarity with the people who prayed here and communal life that revolved around the synagogue for centuries," said Dr. John Seligman of the Israel Antiquities Authority. "This was once the heart of Jewish life in the city of Vilnius."The excavations uncovered many plaques that marked the seats of congregation members, men and women alike.One of the excavation findings at the site. The plaque marks a seat donated by 'Gitel Kletzk, wife of the late Yechezkel, shamash d'mata ("beadle of the town").' Credit: John Seligman / Israel Antiquities AuthorityOne of the excavation findings at the site. The plaque marks a seat donated by 'Gitel Kletzk, wife of the late Yechezkel, shamash d'mata ("beadle of the town").' Credit: John Seligman / Israel Antiquities AuthorityAdditional plaques marked seats reserved for members of the Tsedakah Gedolah ("Great Charity") society, which played a role in administering Vilnius' Jewish community.One of the most notable plaques marks a seat donated by "Gitel Kletzk, wife of the late Yechezkel, shamash d'mata ('beadle of the town')." The Kletzk family was a wealthy family that owned numerous businesses on the streets surrounding the Great Synagogue. Fragment of a tablet with the Ten Commandments found during excavations at the site. Credit: John Seligman / Israel Antiquities AuthorityFragment of a tablet with the Ten Commandments found during excavations at the site. Credit: John Seligman / Israel Antiquities AuthorityPrevious excavations at the site uncovered altar columns, a mikveh (ritual bath), coins, wall inscriptions, floor tiles, parts of the mikveh and sections of the synagogue's walls.The synagogue, built in the 17th century, served as the beating heart of Vilnius' Jewish community for centuries. Constructed in the Renaissance-Baroque style, it was part of a large Jewish complex that included the community council building, 12 synagogues and study halls – including the study hall of the Vilnius Gaon, Rabbi Elijah ben Solomon Zalman – along with ritual baths and kosher butcher stalls.The synagogue was devastated during the Holocaust, and its remaining ruins were demolished by the Soviet authorities after World War II. A school was subsequently built on the site.Haaretz Election Podcast with Nagham Zbeedat and Dahlia Scheindlin: Could a Jewish politician joining an Islamist party shake up Israel's elections?In the NewsAnomalous Footprints Made 1.43 Million Years Ago in Kenya Puzzle ArchaeologistsFirst-ever Find: Mold of a First Temple Figurine Is Discovered in Jerusalem'Debased' Cypriot Coin From 2,500 Years Ago Found on Israeli BeachSnake in Brazil 80 Million Years Ago Lived in Burrow, to Surprise of ScienceEngraved Reed Found From Middle Bronze Age: Did It Have Meaning?Remembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIThis Israeli ultra-Orthodox Feminist Activist Has a Warning for U.S. JewsNetanyahu Says Israel Has 'Special Forces' Ready if He's Arrested on NY VisitHow Israel's Elbit Armed the United Arab Emirates'I Tried, I Got Crushed by AIPAC': Andy Levin Is All-in for El-SayedDozens of IDF Soldiers Desert Sde Teiman Base in Protest of CommanderIt's No Wonder Israelis Want War. Violence Has Become a Source of Joy