“Synagogues, Batei Midrash and Kloyzn in Vilnius”

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APPENDIx Synagogues, Batei Midrash and Kloyzn in Vilnius 1

The first kloyz in Vilnius – the old Kloyz in the shulhoyf (see below, No. 3) – most prob-ably appeared soon after the construction of the Great Synagogue in 1633. During the 18th century new kloyzn were established by various religious and professional associa-tions, as well as by private individuals.

In 1729 the Vilnius kahal transferred the right of giving permissions for the estab-lishment of private minyanim to the Tsdakah Gdolah (Great Charity) Association, the main communal organization responsible for social welfare (see No. 45). This right was still in force in 1821,2 even though in 1754 the rabbinical court of the community pro-hibited the foundation of private houses of prayer.3 Initially, the kloyzn were established in different courtyards in the vicinity of the shulhoyf, and from the early 19th century they spread throughout the city. In the late 18th and the first half of the 19th century, the prom-inent members of Vilnius Jewish elite used to establish private kloyzn in their houses, thus emphasizing their social status, wealth and devotion to the Torah study. Private kloyzn continued to appear in new quarters of the city in the first half of the 20th century, while many formerly private kloyzn in the city center were passed on to various profes-sional associations in the second half of the 19th century. Many Jewish institutions had prayer halls in their premises: the hospital, the almshouse, the cheap canteen, the Talmud Torah school, the Rabbinic Seminary and others. with the settlement of Jews in the sub-urbs of Vilnius, the synagogues and kloyzn were built there too.

Vilnius kloyzn served not only as places of prayer for certain groups of Jews. yeshi-vas or groups of Talmudic scholars, supported by the worshippers, were housed in many kloyzn. Many kloyzn hired a Talmudic scholar (maggid shi’ur) in order to provide les-sons in sacred texts for the worshippers. Available data show that 40 synagogues and kloyzn hired a permanent maggid shi’ur even during wwI.4 Many kloyzn served also as headquarters of the gmilut ḥasadim associations, organized by the worshippers, which provided loans without interest for their members and for the needy. Local Jews were proud of the large number of synagogues and kloyzn in Vilnius and the important rabbis and Talmudic scholars associated with them.

The majority of Vilnius kloyzn, especially those in the old town, were situated in reg-ular dwelling houses. Sometimes they occupied one or two floors in a courtyard wing and their function was not articulated on exterior. In other cases, a kloyz was built as a special wing in a courtyard. only a few prayer houses, especially in suburbs, were fac-ing streets and had elaborate street façades.

Six synagogues, 33 prayer houses (kloyzn) and 127 minyanim existed in Vilnius in 1833–34, eight of them situated in the shulhoyf.5 In 1847 the Crown Rabbi of Vilnius, Is-rael Gordon (1877–55) reported of 56 synagogues and prayer houses, all but two of which existed before 1835 (a questionable statement, since the law from 1835 demand-ed permission from the authorities for establishment of a synagogue).6 In 1869 the au-thorities counted six synagogues and 54 prayer houses.7 Rabbi Dr. Isaak Rülf (1831–1902) from Memel (Klaipėda) was told in 1881 that there are more than 80 prayer

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houses in the city, among them more than 20 kloyzn of craftsmen.8 In 1887 there were 93 prayer houses, including those in the suburbs;9 99 houses of prayer sent their representa-tives to the election of the city’s Crown Rabbi in 1904–510 and 104 prayer houses were officially registered in 1910.11 In 1916 the community took care of 98 kloyzn and the Great Synagogue, but was not responsible for the kloyzn in the Jewish institutions, such as the hospital and almshouse.12 Lastly, 105 prayer houses were officially registered in 1925 and 1936.13

However, these numbers were not exact: for example, the librarian of the Strashun Library (and former unter-shames in the old Kloyz) Khaykl Lunski (ca. 1881–1942/43) listed 80 kloyzn in his book written in 1917 and published in 1920.14 110 synagogues, batei midrash and kloyzn were described in the report, probably prepared by Avraham Nisan yaffe (the secretary of Rabbi Ḥaim ozer Grodzenski [1863–1940] and a shoḥet) in the late 1941 and early 1942, on demand of the Judenrat for the Vilnius Headquarters of the operational Staff Rosenberg (Einsatzstab Rosenberg) – a Nazi institution invested with collecting Jewish cultural treasures.15 In 1974 the editor of the album Jerusalem of Lithuania Leyzer Ran collected names of 160 synagogues and prayer houses in Vilnius before wwII; however, he registered the same kloyzn several times under different names.16 yeḥezkel Kremerman (b. 1921) republished Ran’s list adding his explanations and some addresses.17

The description below is inspired by yaffe’s report to the Rosenberg Headquarters and is based on the list by Leyzer Ran, which does not include addresses of the prayer houses. with the help of the lists prepared for the rabbinic elections of 1904,18 reports of the kloyzn to the central community in 1915–20,19 the yiddish guidebook 1000 yor vilne published by zalman Shik in 1939,20 yaffe’s description and other sources it was possi-ble to identify the majority of the kloyzn from Ran’s list and to add several kloyzn not in-cluded in it.21 The description is organized topographically: first the shulhoyf with its

1. Leonid Viner, The shulhoyf, site plan, 1893: A – the Great Synagogue (No. 1); B – “a masonry two-storey building” of the Ḥevra Kadisha Synagogue (No. 4); C – “a masonry two-storey building” of the New Kloyz (No. 6); D – “masonry two-storey buildings belonging to the Board of the Great Synagogue”; E – “masonry three-storey buildings belonging to the Board of the Great Synagogue”; F – “a masonry three-storey building” of the Ḥevra Poalim Kloyz (No. 10); G – “a masonry two-storey building containing a bathhouse on the ground floor and the Painters’ Kloyz and dwellings on the first floor” (No. 9); H – lavatories; I – “one-storey shops.” (LVIA, F.382, Ap.1, B.1513, L. 3v–4r)

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twelve synagogues,22 then the old Jewish quarter, the old town, the new town, the sub-urbs and the kloyzn the location of which could not be identified. The house numbers are given according to the pre-wwII numeration, as they appear in the 1904 and 1915–20 lists, yaffe’s and Shik’s works; in relevant cases the contemporary numeration is provid-ed in parenthesis.

This description also quotes from the belles-lettres, especially those of Chaim Grade (1910–82), a famous yiddish poet and writer who spent his youth in Vilnius and devoted most of his works after wwII to the annihilated world of the Vilnius Jews. As compared to other sources, Grade describes the city with great precision; therefore his works are regarded as full-fledged memoirs. Nonetheless, it should be taken into account that the writings by Grade and other authors are fiction and not regular memoir books.

The shulhoyfthe Vilnius shulhoyf developed around the Great Synagogue in the 18th century and oc-cupied a quarter between today’s Žydų (Jewish) and Vokiečių (German) Street (Figs. 1, 2). the shulhoyf consisted of two courtyards. The first one – the shulhoyf itself – was si-tuated between the southwestern façade of the Great Synagogue and the Gaon’s Kloyz, and entered through a gate at 6 Žydų Street (Figs. 3, 4, 8, 27, 28, 44, 51, 52, 64, 71, see also Fig. 2 in the main entry). In the 1930s this courtyard was paved with concrete. The second courtyard – called durchhoyf, a passage court – included the courtyards of the houses nos. 6, 8, 10, 12 on Vokiečių Street; it was cobbled with stones (Figs. 58, 73–75).23 Both courtyards were connected through the arched passages under the old Kloyz (Figs. 44, 47, 48) or through an open passage around the New Kloyz (Fig. 57).24

the shulhoyf was the true center of Jewish life in Vilnius. Besides the twelve syn-agogues and kloyzn, described below, the shulhoyf comprised the community’s “well” – a water basin (Fig. 2:З) from 1759 connected with a pipeline to the Vingrių springs that

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2. David Maggid, the shulhoyf, site plan. A – the Great Synagogue (No. 1) and its premises: a – Vestibule (polish) (No. 2), б – Women’s sections on two floors, в – Women’s section on the upper floor, г – Jewish library, д – Shops for rent; Б – the Gaon’s Kloyz (No. 7); В – the Ḥevra Kadisha synagogue (No. 4) (with a vestibule marked at the north and a women’s section on the west); Г – the Old Kloyz (No. 3); Д – the New Kloyz (No. 6); E – Gmilut Ḥasadim Kloyz (No. 8); Ж – Hasidic Minyan (No. 11); З – Community’s well; И – Painters’ Kloyz (No. 9); I – Ḥevra Poalim Kloyz (No. 10); К – Ramayles Kloyz (No. 15); Л – Bookbinders’ Kloyz (No. 16); М – Public lavatories; H – ?; О – Community’s bathhouse with mikve; П – ? (Drawing, 1909. After Evreiskaia entsiklope-diia, vol. 5 [St. Petersburg, 1910], p. 581–82)i

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belonged to the Dominican friars.25 The communal bathhouse and public lavatories were placed nearby (Fig. 2: М, О; Figs. 73, 74); from 1772 their sewage was connected to that of the Jesuit monastery.26 The new building of the bathhouse was constructed in 1823–28.27

the shulhoyf was situated on the territory designed by the Nazis as the “small” ghet-to, or “Ghetto II.” It was intended for Jews uncapable to work and existed only from September 6 until october 21, 1941. Since october 1941 the shulhoyf stood abandoned; part of the valuable religious objects and books were rescued and brought to the Jewish library in the “large” ghetto. Judging upon the photographs made during the war, the shulhoyf was not heavily damaged; additional destructions happened during the libera-tion of the city in 1944. In the late 1940s the Soviet authorities began to demolish the buildings in the shulhoyf and by 1957 it was completely razed down. Vokiečių Street was enlarged, thus occupying the western part of the former shulhoyf; new apartment houses were built along the street in the 1950s and 60s.28

the Vilnius shulhoyf was frequently depicted by artists, both before and after the Holocaust; dozens if not hundreds of photographs of it were made before the Holocaust and immediately after it, prior to its complete demolition. The shulhoyf occupies also a significant place in Jewish belles-lettres, especially those written by the Vilnius-born yiddish authors. Chaim Grade gives a detailed description of the shulhoyf in his famous novel The Agunah (The deserted wife); in 1958 he published a collection titled Der Shul-hoyf; it stands in the center of his story “zeydes un eyniklekh” (Grandparents and grand-children).29 Another yiddish writer, Avrom Karpinovich (1914–2004) describes the shul-hoyf in his stories “Di kats” (The cat) and “Der shulhoyf” in his collection Af vilner vegn (on Vilnius’ paths).30

1. The Great Synagogue (Di shtot-shul [the City Synagogue] in yiddish) (Fig. 1, A; Fig. 2, A; Figs. 1–42, see also Figs. 1, 2 in the main entry).31

The synagogue was apparently erected after the Vilnius Jews received the privilege in 1633.32 Already in March 1635 the Christian mob plundered the synagogue and the court files contain detailed descriptions of its furniture and chandeliers.33 An iron door leading from the polish (vestibule) to the prayer hall was donated by the tailors’ guild in 1640 (Figs. 13, 36), and the door leading from the street to the polish – by the Magidei Tehilim (Psalms Sayers) Society in 1641.34

The Great Synagogue was a large, almost square building. Pilasters divided all four façades into three bays each, corresponding to the interior arrangement of the building. Each bay contained a segment-headed window, placed high above the ground. The cent-ral bay of the southeastern façade, marking the interior placement of the Torah ark, was narrower than the side bays (Figs. 6, 10, 36, 38). Annexes were attached on three sides of the synagogue, so that only the southeastern façade remained exposed, though it was partly concealed by shops and later by the Strashun Library (see below). Thus, only the upper register of the façades with twelve windows of the prayer hall was seen (Figs. 6, 8, 27, 28, 35, 51). Even the magnificent southeastern gable, decorated apparently in the early 19th century as two-tiered galleries with Doric and Corinthian columns, was hardly visible from the street (Figs. 6–9, 38, 41).35 The entire exterior became revealed only during the destruction of the synagogue and the adjacent buildings after wwII (Figs. 10, 42).

3. Gates to the shulhoyf on today’s Žydų Street, the southwestern annex of the Great Synagogue, containing the polish (No. 2) and the upper floor “kahal hall,” and southwestern façade of the Strashun Library. (Photo: Gustav Russ, 1920s. Ghetto Fighters’ House, no. 31451)

4. The southwestern annex of the Great Synagogue, containing the polish (No. 2) and the upper floor “kahal hall.” On the right – the Gaon’s Kloyz (No. 7), at the center – the gates to the shulhoyf. (Photo: I.A. Tsinoviets [Cynowiec], 1938. After Klausner, Toldot ha-kehilah, fig. facing p. 72)

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The prayer hall of the Great Synagogue featured high Tuscan columns standing close together and reaching the spring of the vault, while the perimeter of the prayer hall was spanned by barrel vaults with twelve lunettes above the segment-headed windows.36 the lower tiers of the walls comprised segment-headed openings connecting the hall with several women’s sections (Figs. 5, 11, 12, 13, 31–35, 36–41). Tuscan pilasters corre-sponding to the exterior ones divided the walls into bays; at some point in time, Corinthi-an columns were painted on those pilasters (Figs. 12, 13, 18). The floor of the synagogue was situated ten stairs lower than the ground level, so that the interior space was higher than the building seen from the outside (Figs. 13–15).

The Great Synagogue was damaged by the fires of 1737, 1747 and 1748.37 the Man-nerist Torah ark at the center of the southeastern wall (Figs. 5, 11, 12, 16–19) was reno-vated by the Bedek Bait (Synagogue maintenance) Association after the fire of 1737 or 1748; a shield with the Tablets of the Law above the ark was donated by yesod – yehu-dah son of Eliezer (d. 1762).38 The shield (Fig. 20), the doors of the Torah ark (Fig. 21) and the metal shell of the amud (Fig. 22) were rescued after the Holocaust and are pre-sered in the Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum.

5. Franciszek Smugliewicz, “Interior of the Great Synagogue.” (Sepia on paper, 1786. After Vladas Drėma, Lost Vilnius [Vilnius, 1991], fig. 435, p. 290)

6. The Great Synagogue, upper part of the southeastern façade. (Photo, before 1896. KPCA, Neg. Nr. 59)

7. The southeastern façade of the Great Synagogue and the Strashun Library. (Photo: Jan Bułhak, 1923. LCVA, FDS, 0-93072)

8. The southeastern façade of the Great Synagogue and the roof of the Strashun Library building. (Photo, 1930s. Zussia Efron Collection, CJA Archives)

9. The Great Synagogue, the gable of the southeastern façade. (Postcard, ca. 1910. MAB, RS, Atv.103-982)

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10. Ruins of the Great Synagogue, southeastern façade. (Photo: Fliockis, 1946. KPCA, unnumbered)

11. The Great Synagogue, interior: view towards east. (Photo, ca. 1900. Yad Vashem Archives, no. 222C04)

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yesod also donated, probably after the above mentioned fires, a two-tiered Baroque bimah with twelve columns: four Corinthian and eight Tuscan ones (Fig. 5, 23–26).39 its design is sometimes attributed to the most popular Vilnius architect of the 18th century, Johann Christoph Glaubitz (ca. 1700–67).40 The depiction of the bimah by Franciszek Smugliewicz (1745–1807) from 1786 (Fig. 5) shows a structure which differs from that captured on the photographs from the first half of the 20th century. Smugliewicz depicts the bimah as a canopy supported by twelve Corinthian columns and topped by twelve curved buttresses, thus alluding to the Temple of Jerusalem as depicted by Juan Bautista Villalpando (1552–1608).41 The obviously exaggerated staircase leading to the bimah probably alludes to the Temple’s altar. Therefore, one may suppose that Smugliewicz’s drawing imbues the actual bimah with the meaning of the Temple and does not produce a precise depiction of its 18th-century appearance.

A large Hanukah lamp recalling the Temple Menorah and a splendid chandelier were situated at the back, northwestern wall of the prayer hall (Fig. 13). At the outburst of wwI, before the German army occupied Vilnius in 1915, these objects with other valu-able artifacts were taken to Moscow never to return back. The remaining old objects were kept in the 1930s in the An-sky Ethnographic Museum in Vilnius.42

12. The Great Synagogue, interior: view towards east. (Photo: N. Serebrin, ca. 1900. National Library of Israel, Archives and Manuscripts Department, 1° 29.1)

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13. The Great Synagogue, interior: view towards west. (Photo: N. Serebrin, ca. 1900. National Library of Israel, Archives and Manuscripts Department, 1° 29.3).

14. The Great Synagogue, entrance to the prayer hall at the southwestern wall. (Photo, 1946. Yad Vashem Archives, no. 7557/11)

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It is customary to note that the Great Synagogue had ca. 3,000 places for the wors-hippers.43 However, judging from the numbers on the seats seen on the photograph of N. Serebrin from ca. 1900, there were about 450 seating places for men in the prayer hall (Fig. 13); the number of places in the women’s sections is unknown. The women’s sec-tions were situated in the annexes on the northeastern and northwestern sides of the prayer hall. They were rebuilt by one of the heads of the community, Noaḥ Bloch (d. 1809); in the late 18th century (Figs. 29, 30–32, 36).44

An annex with the polish in the ground floor and the “kahal hall” in the upper one was situated on the southwestern side of the synagogue (Figs. 3, 4, 31, 32, 36). In the late 19th and first half of the 20th century, the polish was used as a prayer hall (see No. 2). A small room next to the polish was used at the beginning of the 20th century as a gnizah – a col-lection place for old religious books, intended to be buried in the cemetery.45 A legend maintains that from this room a secret tunnel lead to Trakai.46

The upper “kahal hall” included three rooms (Fig. 32) and a communal prison in the tower at the western corner of the Great Synagogue building. The tower comprised also a winding staircase leading to the roof (Figs. 27, 28, 51, 52); a Russian canon ball which hit the synagogue’s roof in 1794, but “miraculously” did not damage it, was preserved

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18. Marc Chagall, the Torah ark and the bimah in the Great Synagogue. (Oil on canvas, 1935. Private collection, Paris; © ADAGP/LATGA-A, Vilnius, 2011).

19. The Great Synagogue: the devastated Torah ark and amud. (Photo, 1945/6. Yad Vashem Archives, no. 3271/20)

20. The shield with the Tablets of the Law from the Torah ark in the Great Synagogue, mid-18th century. (Photo: Paulius Račiūnas, 2009.The Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum, no. 216)

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17. The Great Synagogue, the Torah ark. (Photo, 1930s. After Klausner, Toldot ha-kehilot, fig. facing p. 82)

16. The sexton (shtot-shames) Ḥaim Meir Gordon at the Torah ark of the Great Synagogue. (Photo, 1930s. Yad Vashem Archives, no. 3380/665)

15. The Great Synagogue, northwestern wall. (Photo, 1946. Yad Vashem Archives, no. 7557/6)

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there.47 After the abolition of the kahal in 1844, the “kahal hall” was used for various communal purposes. The Strashun Library occupied it from 1892 until the erection of a separate building in 1902.48 The former “kahal hall” was transformed then into an addi-tional women’s section of the Great Synagogue.49 As seen in photographs, it was lit by two large skylights (Figs. 3, 8, 27).

The new building of the Strashun Library was constructed in 1902 on the south-eastern side of the synagogue according to the design by Konstantin Koroedov from 1896 (Figs. 2, 3, 7).50 It was built in place of the butchers’ shops erected in the mid-18th century by yesod for the Tsdakah Gdolah Society (see No. 45): the drawing from 1834 features them as an elongated one-storey building51 and their roofs are seen on Fig. 61. The new building too, besides the library on the upper floor, comprised shops on the ground floor (Fig. 7).

In 1893–98 renovation works in the Great Synagogue were carried out according to the design by engineer Leonid Viner.52 They included enlargement of the prayer hall, by removing the northwestern wall which separated it from the ground-floor women’s section, and installing wide arches instead (Figs. 31, 13). In order to receive permission for this reconstruction, Viner had to produce measured drawings of the entire building (Figs. 31–35).53

In 1934 the building of the Great Synagogue was measured by Roman Sigalin (1901–40) and Jerzy Berliner on behalf of the Institute of Polish Architecture at the warsaw Uni-versity of Technology (Figs. 36–41).54

The Great Synagogue was plundered and damaged in 1941, and it also suffered dur-ing the battle for the city in 1944. Nevertheless, in 1945 it was still standing, although roofless (Figs. 10, 14, 15, 19, 26, 28, 30, 42). In 1946 the short living Jewish Museum of Vilnius tried to list the synagogue as a historic monument and thus to preserve it, but without success.55 In 1947 the synagogue was blasted and its ruins were pulled down in 1955–57.56

21. The doors of the Torah ark from the Great Synagogue, mid-18th century. (Photo: Paulius Račiūnas, 2009. The Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum, no. 1002)

22. The metal shell of the amud from the Great Synagogue. (Photo: Paulius Račiūnas, 2009. The Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum, no. 1000)

23. The Great Synagogue: interior, view towards east. (Photo, 1925. Ghetto Fighters’ House, no. 31448)

24. The Great Synagogue: the bimah, view from southeast. (Photo, before 1941. Ghetto Fighters’ House, no. 31428)

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27. The southwestern façade of the Great Synagogue and the courtyard: on the right – entrance to the Ḥevra Kadisha Synagogue (No. 4); on the left – the Old Kloyz (No. 3); at the center – entrance to the Old Kloyz and the Tiferet Baḥurim Kloyz (No. 12, its signboard is situated above the first floor). (Photo, 1920s/30s. LCVA, FDS, A. 1, P. 16)

28. The southwestern façade of the Great Synagogue and the courtyard: the Ḥevra Kadisha Synagogue (No. 4) is on the right, New and Old Kloyzn (Nos. 6, 3) are on the left. (Photo, 1944. LCVA, FDS, A. 1, P. 17)

29. Northwestern façade of the Great Synagogue, in the far right, the Painters’ Kloyz (No. 9) and the bathhouse on the left, the Old Kloyz (No. 3) on the right. The arch was built, according to the inscription, in 1881. (Photo, 1920s/30s. After Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, vol. 1, p. 157)ii

30. Ruins of the Great Synagogue, northwest-ern façade. (Photo, 1944/5. The Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum, no. P3211)

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26. The Great Synagogue, interior: the bimah, view from south. (Photo, 1944/5. The Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum, no. 1828-3)

25. The Great Synagogue, interior: the bimah, view from northwest. (Photo: Jan Bułhak, 1930s. KPCA, Neg. Nr. 57)

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31. Leonid Viner, the Great Synagogue, plan of the ground floor. (Drawing, 1893. LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 1, B. 1513, L. 1v)

32. Leonid Viner, the Great Synagogue, plan of the first floor. (Drawing, 1893. LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 1, B. 1513, L. 1v–2r)

33. Leonid Viner, the Great Synagogue, longitudinal section, view towards northeast. (Drawing, 1893. LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 1, B. 1513, L. 2v)

34. Leonid Viner, the Great Synagogue, cross-section, view towards northwest. (Drawing, 1893. LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 1, B. 1513, L. 3r)

35. Leonid Viner, the Great Synagogue, southwestern façade. (Drawing, 1893. LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 1, B. 1513, L. 2v–3r)

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36. The Great Synagogue, ground plan. (Drawing: Roman Sigalin and Jerzy Berliner, 1934. Zakład Architektury Polskiej Politechniki Warszawskiej)

38. The Great Synagogue, southeastern façade. (Drawing: Roman Sigalin and Jerzy Berliner, 1934. Zakład Architektury Polskiej Politechniki Warszawskiej)

39. The Great Synagogue, cross-section, view towards southeast. (Drawing: Roman Sigalin and Jerzy Berliner, 1934. Zakład Architektury Polskiej Politechniki Warszawskiej)

40. The Great Synagogue, longitudinal section, view towards northeast. (Drawing: Arkadii Konduralov, 1949, after Roman Sigalin and Jerzy Berliner, 1934. KPCA, Nr. 419)

41. The Great Synagogue, cross-section of the gallery. (Drawing: Roman Sigalin and Jerzy Berliner, 1934. Zakład Architektury Polskiej Politechniki Warszawskiej)

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37. The Great Synagogue, plan at the level of the windows. (Drawing: Roman Sigalin and Jerzy Berliner, 1934. Zakład Architektury Polskiej Politechniki Warszawskiej)

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2. the Polish – a prayer hall in the vestibule of the Great Synagogue (Fig. 2, a). Two rooms on the ground floor of the southwestern annex of the Great Synagogue (Figs. 31, 36) served in the late 19th and the first half of the 20th century as a place of permanent prayer, where “one minyan was replaced by another” from sunrise until after midnight.57 According to Kremerman, it was “a factory of kadish prayers.”58

3. the old Kloyz (Beit Midrash) (Fig. 2, Г). tradition has it that the kloyz was established in 1440, but this seems exaggerated. It was probably built in the late 17th or early 18th century. The old Kloyz was heavily damaged by the fires of 1737, 1747 and 1748.59 According to the historian of Jewish Vilnius Israel

42. Ruins of the shulhoyf: the Great Synago-gue (No. 1) on the right; the Old Kloyz (No. 3) (with columns) at the center; the New Kloyz (No. 6) (with a large window) on the left; the Gaon’s Kloyz (No. 7) razed in the forefront. (Photo, ca. 1946. After Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, vol. 2, p. 515)

43. Ruins of the shulhoyf, view from Vokiečių Street: the Gaon’s Kloyz (No. 7) on the right, the Ḥevra Kadisha Synagogue (No. 4) to its left, the interior of the New Kloyz (No. 6) at the utmost left. (Photo, 1944/5. The Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum, no. P3093)

44. The Old Kloyz (No. 3), southeastern façade (left) and the southwestern annex of the Great Synagogue (right). (Postcard, ca. 1916. The Gross Family Collection, Tel Aviv)

45. Lev Antokolsky, the Old Kloyz (No. 3), interior view towards south. (Drawing, ca. 1900. After Evreiskaia entsiklopediia, vol. 5, fig. following p. 571)

46. The Old Kloyz (No. 3), interior: southwestern wall. (Photo, before 1938, from the collection of the S. An-sky Ethnographical Museum in Vilnius. After Klausner, Toldot ha-kehilah, fig. facing p. 102 and Shik, 1000 yor vilne, p. 208)

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Klausner (1905–77), “the Torah ark is beautiful in its simplicity, a simple and beautiful geometric ornament [decorates] its copper doors.”60 The groined vaults of the prayer hall were supported by two Tuscan columns standing on the transverse axis; the bimah was placed between them (Figs. 42, 44–50). The entrance to the kloyz was situated in the an-nex at the corner of the Great Synagogue and the kloyz (Figs. 27, 28, 51, 52). In 1916 there were 27 regular worshippers in the kloyz, and five Talmudic scholars received a monthly stipend for learning there. The kloyz owned two rooms on the ground floor of the building and seven small rooms on the upper floor, and had gas lighting.61 the small number of worshippers in the kloyz in the 1920s and 1930s is the subject of Chaim Grade’s story Zeydes un eyniklekh (Grandparents and grandchildren).62 The inscription from the 1930s above the entrance door read: בית המדרש ישן / נתיסד בשנת ר (The old beit midrash, established in 1440).63 The arched passages under the kloyz, leading to the sec-ond courtyard of the shulhoyf were opened at the beginning of the 19th century,64 and the building was rebuilt in 1838 and renovated in 1891. During the renovation of the 1930s, the prayer hall was painted by the Jewish artist zinnmann.65 There was also a women’s section in the kloyz.66

the shtibl of the Lubavich Hasidim was situated from the 1810s in the upper floor of the building; but from 1908 it was used by the Tiferet Baḥurim Kloyz (see below, Nos. 11, 12).

4. the Ḥevra Kadisha Synagogue (Kabronishe shul) (Fig. 2: В). The burial society Ḥevra Kadisha in Vilnius was probably established in the late 16th cen-tury; though, its first explicit mention dates from 1655 and its “prayer room” noted in 1670. A separate synagogue with a women’s section of the Ḥevra Kadisha existed al-ready in 1707; half of its income belonged to the Tsdakah Gdolah (Great Charity) Soci-ety (see No. 45). The community transferred the synagogue to the exclusive possession of the Ḥevra Kadisha only in 1747; however, in the same year the Ḥevra Kadisha bought from the community a plot in the shulhoyf and erected there its synagogue in 1748. The synagogue was damaged by fires in 1748 and 1749. yesod paid for the construction of a new ceiling and received for this two burial places, for himself and his wife, in the ce-metery. In 1751, being in urgent need for funds, the Ḥevra Kadisha let its synagogue for

47. Ruins of the Old Kloyz (No. 3), northwestern façade. On the right the remnants of the entrance to the New Kloyz (No. 6). (Photo, 1945/6. Yad Vashem Archives, no. 7557/9)

48. Ruins of the Old Kloyz (No. 3), northwestern façade. (Photo, 1945/6. The Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum, no. P3212)

49. Ruins of the Old Kloyz (No. 3). (Photo, 1945/6. Yad Vashem Archives, no. 2696/1)

50. Ruins of the Old Kloyz (No. 3). (Photo, 1945/6. Yad Vashem Archives, no. 7557/7)

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51. The Ḥevra Kadisha Synagogue (No. 4) on the right, the Great Synagogue (No. 1) in the center and the Old and New Kloyzn (Nos. 3, 6) on the left. (Photo: I.A. Tsinoviets [Cynowiec], 1938. After Klausner, Toldot ha-kehilah, fig. facing p. 74 and Shik, 1000 yor vilne, p. 167)

52. The Ḥevra Kadisha Synagogue (No. 4) on the right, the Great Synagogue (No. 1) in the center and the Old Kloyz (No. 3) on the left. (Photo: Jan and Janusz Bułhak, 1944. After Vilnius. 1944. Jano ir Janušo Bulhakų fotografijų archyvas, ed. Margarita Matulytė [Vilnius, 2009], fig. 80)

53. The Ḥevra Kadisha Synagogue (No. 4), interior: Torah ark. (Photo, before 1938, from the collection of the S. An-sky Ethnographical Museum in Vilnius. After Klausner, Toldot ha-kehilah, fig. facing p. 114 and Shik, 1000 yor vilne, p. 211)

54. Ruins of the Ḥevra Kadisha Synagogue (No. 4), interior: Torah ark. (Photo, 1945[?]. After Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, vol. 2, p. 520)

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ten years. The women’s section in the Ḥevra Kadisha synagogue was built in 1768 and one third of the income from the sale of seats there went to the Tsdakah Gdolah.67 the entrance to the synagogue was situated on the northwestern façade, facing the old Kloyz (No. 2), while the women’s section was entered through an outer staircase on the southwest façade (Figs. 51, 52). The Torah ark in the synagogue was an elegant masonry baroque construction, where two Corinthian columns flanked the Torah niche and bore a broken tripartite pediment. The wall above the ark was decorated with painted stucco rocaille (Figs. 53, 54).68 The photographs show that the windows of the women’s section were round-headed, while the windows of the prayer hall were rectangular (Figs. 51, 52, 71).

In the mid-19th century the Ḥevra Kadisha spent two rubles a week for the synagogue maintenance.69 It is noteworthy that official documents from the early 20th century record its name as “Bratskaia” (Brotherhood).70 In 1915 electricity was installed for the 90 reg-ular worshippers and 14 Talmudic scholars who received support from the congregation. The synagogue possessed two small rooms on the ground floor of the building, which were let.71 In the 1930s the Jewish artist zinnmann, who painted the old Kloyz, also decorated the Ḥevra Kadisha synagogue, which had 64 worshippers in 1933.72 with the establishment of the “small” ghetto on September 6, 1941, a Communist-lead yid-dish school was situated in the synagogue.73 Its Torah ark was still preserved in 1944 (Fig. 53).74

5. the Shiv’ah Kru’im Kloyz. A small kloyz without a women’s section was established in the shulhoyf in 1747, on the ground floor of the building of the Ḥevra Kadisha Synagogue. The name Shiv’ah Kru’im means “the seven invited” to read the Torah on Saturday. Until 1919 this kloyz was used as the place where the Jewish court of law (beit din) had its meetings.75 In 1916 there were 32 regular worshippers and the kloyz had electric lighting.76 Chaim Grade writes in Der shtumer minyan (The silent minyan): “in no other kloyz in the shulhoyf did so many Jews pray as in the Shiv’ah Kru’im – a minyan after minyan until late into the night. Fur-thermore, there is not one piece of carving above the Torah ark and amud.”77 in his novel The Agunah Grade elaborates: “The Shiv’ah Kru’im has no regular worshippers, only yor-tsayt Jews and mourners who come in order to say kadish; on weekdays as well as holidays several minyanim prayed there.”78 According to Kremerman’s description, also reflecting the situation of the 1930s, the kloyz “served as a place to recite kadish at all times.”79 By 1942 the kloyz was “heavily damaged.”80

6. The New Kloyz or the Kloyz of yesod (Fig. 2: Д). the kloyz was established by the prominent philanthropist and merchant yehudah son of Eliezer (yesod). It was built in 1755–57 above the existing one-storey houses, attached to the southwestern side of the old Kloyz (Figs. 2, 5, 56–58). Like the old Kloyz, it was intended more for Torah study than for prayer; both kloyzn were connected through a door, so that scholars could easily move from one kloyz to another. From the early 19th century a yeshiva was situated in the kloyz.81 the kloyz was entered through an outer wooden staircase, attached to the northwestern façade (Figs. 47, 58). According to Israel Klausner, the Torah Ark resembled the ark in the Ḥevra Kadisha Synagogue; the low bi-mah railing was of wrought iron work plated with copper, so that it did not block the view towards the ark. The ark was flanked by columns in “rococo style” and its “decorations”

55. Lev Antokolsky, presumably, the doors of the Torah ark in the Ḥevra Kadisha Synagogue (No. 4). (Drawing, ca. 1900. After Evreiskaia entsiklopediia, 5: 577iii)

56. The New Kloyz (No. 6), northwestern façade. (Photo: I.A. Tsinoviets [Cynowiec], 1938. After Klausner, Toldot ha-kehilah, fig. facing p. 76 and Shik, 1000 yor vilne, p. 204)

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reached the vault. Later, the vault disappeared as well as the “decorations,” and only two lions above the ark remained. Probably this ark is captured in the interwar photograph (Fig. 60). In the northwestern wall of the kloyz there was a large window, which gave light to the room; later it was partly blocked by a women’s gallery (Figs. 42, 59).82 on the exterior, this arched window was emphasized by flanking pilasters; the walls were re-tained by buttresses (Figs. 56–58).83 In 1915–17 a kibbutz of Torah students existed in the kloyz.84 During wwI there were 26 regular worshippers, in contrast to 70 before the war; at that time the kloyz already had electric lighting.85 A marble plaque on the northwestern façade of the kloyz (Figs. 56, 58) informed that the city’s Maggid Meir noaḥ Levin (1833–1904) renovated the communal well, which was situated in front of the kloyz (Fig. 2, З).86

7. The Gaon’s Kloyz (Fig. 2: Б). the kloyz occupies the place of a building where the Vilna Gaon, Rabbi Eliyahu son of Shlomo zalman (1720–97) lived. In 1768 his wealthy relative Eliyahu Barats Peseles (d. 1771) bought the house, reconstructed it and on its first floor established a permanent minyan for the Gaon and his students. After the death of the Gaon in 1797, it was decided to convert his minyan into a kloyz. In 1799, after conflicts between the Gaon’s children and his students were settled in court and neighboring apartments bought, the kloyz was established in this house.87 Russian official documents from the 19th and early 20th cen-tury name the kloyz as “the prayer house of the Famous Rabbi Eliash” or “Eliashevskaia prayer house.”88

The Gaon’s kloyz was one of the most prominent prayer and study houses in Vilnius. Among many other outstanding personalities, Rabbi Avraham Danzig (1748–1820), au-thor of Ḥayei Adam and father-in-law of one of the Gaon’s sons, used to pray in this kloyz. Jewish women used to come to the kloyz and pray at its Torah ark for the healing of their relatives.89

57. The New Kloyz (No. 6), southwestern façade. (Photo: I.A. Tsinoviets [Cynowiec], 1938. After Klausner, Toldot ha-kehilah, fig. facing p. 76 and Shik, 1000 yor vilne, p. 204)

58. Moshe Lejbowski, the New Kloyz (No. 6), northwestern façade, and northeastern façade of the Hasidic Shtibl (No. 11) on the right. (Color drawing, 1925. After reproduction in the collection of Zussia Efron, CJA Archives)

59. Ruins of the New Kloyz (No. 6), interior view towards northwest. (Photo, 1945/46. The Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum, no. P 3209)

60. Supposedly, the Torah ark in the New Kloyz (No. 6). (Photo: Stefan Huebner, before 1941. Ghetto Fighters’ House, no. 31457)

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61. The Gaon’s Kloyz (No. 7) at the left and the Great Synagogue (No. 1) at the right, view from southeast. (Drawing, 1834. After Vladas Drėma, Lost Vilnius [Vilnius, 1991], fig. 434, p. 288)

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62. The Gaon’s Kloyz (No. 7), southeastern façade, facing Žydų Street. (Photo 1941/44. LCVA, FDS, A. 1, P. 31)

63. Gaon’s Kloyz (No. 7), southeastern façade: the inscription at the blank window. (Photo 1944/45. The Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum, no. 3092)

64. The Gaon’s Kloyz (No. 7), northeastern façade (on the right) and the entrance to the shulhoyf. (Photo, before 1925. After Grossman, yidishe vilne, p. 27)

65. The Gaon’s Kloyz (No. 7), interior: view towards north. (Photo N. Serebrin, ca. 1900. National Library of Israel, Archives and Manuscripts Department, 1° 29.2)

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66. Marc Chagall, the Gaon’s Kloyz (No. 7), interior view towards southeast. (Oil on canvas, 1935. Courtesy of Sotheby‘s Inc., New York; © ADAGP/LATGA-A, Vilnius, 2011).

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The support to the Torah scholars studying in the kloyz came from the endowment of yitsḥak Aizik from Hitovich made in 1801.90 By 1916 the kloyz owned several proper-ties in the old Jewish quarter, including two shops and an apartment on the ground floor of its own building, and two apartments on the ground floor of the building of the New Kloyz (No. 6). In the same year 13 prominent Talmudic scholars received a monthly sti-pend of 20 rubles for learning in the kloyz and the number of regular worshippers reached 50; this number was the same in 1935.91 Even benches there were made in a way convenient for study: the people sat back to back and each one had a shtender (lectern) for the book he was studying (Fig. 65).92

Initially the building of the kloyz was “small and narrow;” the drawing from 1834 shows it as a small two-story house (Fig. 61). In 1855 the kloyz was enlarged by includ-ing a neighboring apartment.93 Finally, it was completely reconstructed upon the initia-tive of yiraḥmiel Broide in 1867–68.94 The southeastern street façade got a symmetrical composition: a central blank window, two wide segment-headed windows on its sides and two regular segment-headed windows on the edges. The gable with a central win-dow and flanking oculi (Figs. 62, 63) crowned the façade. The blank window, which marked the interior position of the Torah ark, bore an inscription: / בהמ״ד / הגר״א / ז״ל -Beit midrash / of the Gaon Rabbi Eliya) נתיסד בחייו / שנת תקח״י / ונבנה מחדש / שנת תרכ״חhu / of the blessed memory, / established during his lifetime / in the year 1758 / and built anew / in the year 1868).95 A similar inscription was placed at the entrance porch on the northeastern façade, opposite to the Great Synagogue. This façade got four round-head-ed windows (Figs. 4, 64, 71), as well as the southwestern façade (Fig. 43).

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67. L. Durmaskin, Wooden chest at the seat of the Vilna Gaon in the Gaon’s Kloyz, northeastern wall (No. 7). (Drawing, 1920. After Khaykl Lunski, Legendes vegn vilner goen [Vilnius, 1924], p. 24)

68. Wooden chest which stood at the seat of the Vilna Gaon in the Gaon’s Kloyz (No. 7), 1868?, front side (Spertus Institute, Chicago)

69. Wooden chest which stood at the seat of the Vilna Gaon in the Gaon’s Kloyz (No. 7), 1868?, right side (Spertus Institute, Chicago)

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In the interior, the prayer hall was enlarged and its ceiling heightened. The new To-rah ark was flanked with two pairs of Corinthian columns, while marble Corinthian pi-lasters were painted on the walls. The ceiling was decorated with moldings and painted stars (Figs. 65–67, 70).

The only known color depiction of the kloyz’s interior is a painting by Marc Chagall (1887–1985), made during his visit to Vilnius in 1935 (Fig. 66). Comparison with exist-ing photographs shows that Chagall was meticulous in his rendering of the smallest details.96 Thus, he shows that the walls of the kloyz were painted green and the windows had red, blue and yellow color glazing. The painting also reveals that the columns of the Torah ark were surmounted by small triangular pediments and the Torah niche – by a pair of volutes.

The place where the Gaon used to sit and study was marked by a wooden chest with a marble plaque above it at the middle of the northeastern wall (Fig. 67).97 In December 1941 the plaque was rescued and brought to the Jewish library in the “large” ghetto, along with other valuable artifacts.98 The chest apparently remained in situ and was re-moved in 1944 and arrived to Israel. In 1968 Dr. Milton Ratner bought it and donated to the Spertus Institute in Chicago, where the chest is kept today (Figs. 68, 69).99

The chest, apparently made in 1868, is decorated with two carved twisted columns and foliage (Fig. 68). In its center, under a Star of David, a wooden plaque in the form of Tablets of Law bears an inscription: / מקום הגר”א / זצלל”ה / נולד שנת ת”פ / א’ דפסח -The place of the Gaon Rabbi Eliyahu, / may the memo) ונפטר שנת / תקנ”ח / ג’ דחה”מ סוכותry of the righteous be blessed and last in the future world; / born in the year 1720, / on the first day of Passover / and passed away in the year / 1797, / the third day of Sukkot). The right side of the chest, which once faced the Torah ark, is decorated with a carved depiction of a tree, an open book and a feather (Fig. 69), while the left side is blank.

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70. Ruins of the Gaon’s Kloyz (No. 7), interior, southeastern wall with remnants of the Torah ark. (Photo, 1945. Yad Vashem Archives, no. 7557/13)

71. Supposedly, the burial procession with the desecrated Torah scrolls at the shulhoyf on May 13, 1945. The porch of the Gaon’s Kloyz (No. 7) on the left, continued with the northeastern façade of the Ḥevra Kadisha Synagogue (No. 4) and the ruins of the Old Kloyz (No. 3) in the middle. (The Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum, no. 1838)

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In the late 1939 the Gaon’s kloyz housed the “ohel Torah” (Torah Tent) yeshiva from Baranovichi, which escaped from Soviet-occupied Poland; later it moved to Trakai.100

on May 13, 1945, when the burial procession with the desecrated Torah scrolls en-tered the shulhoyf on its way to the Užupis Cemetery, speeches were delivered from the half-destroyed porch of the Gaon’s Kloyz (Fig. 71).101

8. the Gmilut Ḥesed Kloyz (Fig. 2: E). After the death of a brother of the Vilna Gaon, Issachar Ber, in 1807 his apartment near the shulhoyf was bought by an unknown philanthropist and converted into a kloyz in 1811. The same philanthropist established the Gmilut Ḥasadim Society which pro-vided loans without interest and gave its name to the kloyz. The new building was erected in 1843 upon the initiative of Avraham son of Ḥaim Ḥayat (Tailor).102 The name of the kloyz and the year of its establishment appeared on an exterior plaque, apparently mark-ing the position of the Torah ark in the interior (Fig. 72). By 1915 the kloyz had electric lighting and in 1916 there were 42 regular worshippers; the kloyz owned an adjacent apartment, which was rented out.103 By 1936 the number of worshippers remained almost the same, 38 people.104 According to yaffe, “the prayer house is beautifully decorated, its amud is made of stone, and its bimah stands between two outstanding [originellen] thick columns.” By 1942 the kloyz was “heavily damaged.”105

9. The Painters’ (Malarske) Kloyz (Fig. 2: И). A painters’ guild existed in 1840 and its kloyz was mentioned in 1862. It was situated in the premises donated by yosef Karpinsky (d. 1882?).106 In 1916 the congregation num-bered only 38 persons and the board of the kloyz complained a year later: “the worship-pers of the kloyz are not here, some left [for Russia] and some died.”107 In 1933 the num-ber of worshippers reached 50.108 the kloyz had a wide window and a lantern (Figs. 73, 74); its interior, according to yaffe, was decorated with “beautiful” oil paintings “of Bib-lical motifs” made by the Jewish painter zinnmann.109 There was a women’s section, and the kloyz possessed also a room near the prayer hall which was let to the board of the Great Synagogue in the 1910s.110 Chaim Grade described the kloyz in The Agunah: “The walls of the prayer hall were decorated with murals based on Torah scenes: Noah’s Ark floating on the water; Abraham binding Isaac, Lot’s wife turning into a pillar of salt.”111 Avrom Karpinovich described the depiction of the western wall near the Torah ark in his story “Di gzeyre” (The punishment).112 By 1942 the kloyz was “seriously damaged.”113

10. the Ḥevra Poalim Kloyz (Fig. 1, F; Fig. 2, I).114 the Ḥevra Poalim (workers’ Association), providing religious education for young Jew-ish workers and craftsmen was established by Avraham Tsvi Halpern (d. 1915) in 1848–50. Its “large” kloyz on the first floor was built in 1875 and the women’s section was con-structed in 1889. As seen on a photograph (Fig. 75), the interior placement of the Torah ark was marked on the façade by a large pier with an oculus (or a blind round window). In 1916 the upper floor of the kloyz was destroyed by fire. In the 1930s the kloyz was ren-ovated and a new Torah ark was installed; the hall in the upper floor served in the 1930s for the activities of the Tiferet Baḥurim Society (see No. 12). By 1942 the kloyz was “heavily damaged.”115

72. gmilut Ḥesed Kloyz (No. 8), detail of the southeastern(?) façade. (After Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, vol. 1, p. 172)

73. The Painters’ Kloyz (No. 9) on the right and the communal lavatories on the left. (Photo, before 1941. After Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, vol. 1, p. 105)

74. Ruins of the Painters’ Kloyz (No. 9) on the right and the communal lavatories on the left. (Photo: Jan and Janusz Bułhak, 1944. After Vilnius. 1944, fig. 79)

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11. Hasidic, Koidanover or Liakhovicher Shtibl (Fig. 2: Ж). The earliest Hasidic minyanim appeared in Vilnius in the 1790s: in the first one the Hasi-dim of Karlin and Liakhovich prayed; the second one, of the Habad (Lubavich) Hasidim, was situated in the house of Meir son of Rafael (d. ca. 1815) on Evreiskaia (today Žydų) Street; at the same time the Hasidim tried unsuccessfully to take over the old Kloyz (No. 3).116

The first permanent prayer house of the Liakhovich Hasidim in Vilnius is mentioned in 1812.117 The “large and beautiful” Hasidic shtibl was built in the shulhoyf ca. 1840 without a women’s section; the Koidanov Hasidim, the Liakhovich as well as the Slonim Hasidim prayed there. Thus, it was called the Koidanover, Liakhovicher or Slonim min-yan.118 the shtibl was renovated in 1913–14, using the income received from letting the ground floor and the cellar of the building. In 1916 there were ca. 100 regular worship-pers.119 By 1942 the shtibl was “completely destroyed,” although its amud and a chande-lier were still intact.120 The photograph from 1944 shows that the shtibl was situated on the first floor and had round-headed windows (Figs. 75, cf. Fig. 58).

12. the shtibl of the Lubavich Hasidim – Tiferet Baḥurim Kloyz. the shtibl of the Lubavich Hasidim was mentioned in 1814 as existing “for several years” on the upper floor of the building of the old Kloyz (No. 3).121 It was situated there until 1908, when the Lubavich Hasidim bought the opatov’s Synagogue (No. 44).122 However, the premises of the shtibl above the old Kloyz remained the property of the Lu-bavich Hasidim and was rented out to the Tiferet Baḥurim Kloyz for 150 rubles a year.123

the Tiferet Baḥurim (Splendor of young Men) Society was established in 1902 by the rabbi and pedagogue yeḥiel Sroelov in order to attract young workers and craftsmen and to provide them with religious education. Lessons were held here in evenings and on Sat-urdays. In its early years the society was situated in the Tailors’ Kloyz and yogiches’ Kloyz, and later moved to the women’s section of the Dvora Ester Kloyz (Nos. 21, 55 and 17). In 1908 a separate kloyz was established in the former Lubavich Hasidim shtibl, on

75. The Ḥevra Poalim Kloyz (No. 10) on the right and the Hasidic Shtibl (No. 11) on the left. (Photo: Jan and Janusz Bułhak, 1944. After Vilnius. 1944, fig. 70)

76. Tiferet Baḥurim Kloyz (No. 12), interior: Rabbi Yeḥiel Sroelov with the Tiferet Baḥurim Society members. (Photo: June 6, 1934. Ghetto Fighters’ House, no. 38278)

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the upper floor of the old Kloyz building (see above, Nos. 3, 11; and Figs. 49, 50).124 in 1915 refugees exiled by the Russian army from the front areas were accommodated there.125 In the 1930s, the upper floor of the Ḥevra Poalim Kloyz served as an additional place for Tiferet Baḥurim Society and the main figure in the society was a popular reli-gious activist Shmerele Sharafan (d. 1941).126 the kloyz was entered through the entrance of the old Kloyz, in the annex at the corner of the Great Synagogue and the old Kloyz; a signboard with the name of the society was situated in the 1920s on the roof of this annex (Fig. 27).127 The interior photograph from 1934 shows a column on the left of the Torah ark, the metal railing of the bimah and a wall, covered with prayer plaques (Fig. 76).

T h e O l d J e w i s h Q u a r t r e r13. Leib Leizers’ Kloyz at former 8 Żydowska (today Žydų) Street, Leib Leizers’ court-yard.

The house bordering with the shulhoyf was bought in 1759 by Arie Leib son of Eliez-er (d. 1783). The kloyz which he founded there is mentioned in 1776; the Mishnah Soci-ety was established in this kloyz in 1785. In the 20th century mostly members of families, who once lived in the courtyard, prayed there.128 A special custom in this kloyz was to lit a candle with a wick made of 345 threads on the yor-tsayt of Moses (345 is the numeri-cal value of his name).129 In 1916 there were 40 regular worshippers and two Talmudic scholars on a grant; the kloyz possessed six apartments in the same building, the rent of which provided means for its existence.130 the kloyz was situated on the first floor in the northwestern wing of the building. It was entered from the courtyard through a portal with a semicircular gable and carved doors, probably made in the second half of the 19th century (Figs. 77, 78). According to yaffe, it was a “medium size” kloyz without a wom-en’s section, with a “beautifully painted” interior. Moshe Vorobeichic (1904–95) has ap-parently captured this interior in his photograph (Fig. 79). By 1942 the kloyz was “heav-ily damaged.”131 After wwII the entire building was razed.

77. Leib Leizer’s courtyard. The entrance to the Leib Leizer’s Kloyz (No. 13) is seen on the right. (Photo 1920s. After Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, vol. 1, p. 119)

78. Leib Leizer’s courtyard. The entrance to the Leib Leizer’s Kloyz (No. 13) is seen in the center. (Photo 1920s. After Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, 1: 119)

79. One of the kloyzn on Żydowska Street (probably Leib Leizer’s Kloyz, No. 13), interior. (Photo: Moshe Vorobeichic, before 1931. Ghetto Fighters’ House, no. 34238)

80. Mikhail Prozorov, design for a staircase in the building of the Ramayles Yeshiva (No. 15). (Drawing, 1896. LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 4, B. 2893, L. 4a)

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Chaim Grade described the kloyz in his story “Leibe-Leizers hoyf” (Leib Leizer’s courtyard): “The ceiling in Leibe-Leyzers kloyz is divided into three vaults. Under the back vault, near the western wall, stand banks and tables for the worshippers who cannot buy a place with a locker. Under the central vault, stands a bimah with stairs on the north-ern and southern sides. Around the bimah, there is a cluster of benches and shtenders for balebatim who inherited places or paid for them on the eve of yom Kippur. The benches on the east wall with beautifully carved backs are intended for the wealthy and gabaim. the amud and the Torah ark are overburdened with carved lions, colonnettes and priest’s hands above the caporet.”132

14. Shoemakers’ Kloyz Tofrei Min’alim at former 8 Evreiskaia (today Žydų) Street, Leib Leizers’ courtyard.

the kloyz was established ca. 1865 on the second floor of a building wing in the courtyard, its women’s section was placed one floor above the men’s prayer hall. The kloyz possessed a copper chandelier, which was evacuated to Moscow in 1915. In 1916 there were 50 regular worshippers; the kloyz possessed also two apartments on the first floor.133 After wwII the entire building was destroyed.

15. Ramayles yeshiva and Kloyz at former 5 Evreiskaia (today Žydų) Street, Ramayles courtyard/passage (Fig. 2: K).

The famous yeshiva was established in the Gaon’s Kloyz (No. 7) in 1825 and moved to the Tailor’s Kloyz on Evreiskaia Street (No. 21) in 1830. In 1831 the yeshiva moved to a purchased building in the Reb Mayle’s (Ramayles) Courtyard on Evreiskaia Street, op-posite the Gaon’s Kloyz (Fig. 2: K).134 Thus it acquired the name Ramayles yeshiva.135 The yeshiva building included also a dormitory for students.136 In 1896 the old wooden staircase leading to the yeshiva was replaced by a new one made of stone (Fig. 80).137 This change caused anxiety among the leaders of another unidentified kloyz, situated in the same building, most probably the kloyz of the bookbinders (No. 16). They thought that the new staircase will block the entrance to their kloyz; however, attempts to prevent the approval of the project were unsuccessful.138 In 1898 a tin roof was installed above the entrance to the yeshiva.139 In 1910 the building of the yeshiva collapsed, killing a woman.140 The yeshiva moved temporary to a house at the corner of Andreevskaia (today Savičiaus) and Bakshta (today Bokšto) Streets141 and later to its new building at 5 Nov-gorodskaia (today Naugarduko) Street (No. 91).

16. Bookbinders’ Kloyz, former 5 Evreiskaia (today Žydų) Street, Ramayles courtyard/passage to former 6 Miasnaia (or Jatkowa I, in the interwar period J. Klaczki, today M. Antokolskio) Street (Fig. 2: Л).

the kloyz was established in 1859. A separate women’s section was situated one floor above the prayer hall, but on holidays it was connected to the men’s prayer hall through an opening in its floor. In 1916 there were 45 regular worshippers; the kloyz possessed al-so an apartment for its sexton. The kloyz was renovated in the 1930s and by 1942 it was “damaged.”142 After wwII the entire building was razed.

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17. the Ḥevra Torah (Torah Society) Kloyz at former 5 Evreiskaia (today Žydų) Street, Ramayles courtyard/passage to former 6 Miasnaia (or Jatkowa I, in the interwar period J. Klaczki, today M. Antokolskio) Street.

the kloyz was established in 1830 by the blind Rabbi yeshayahu Grommer (1772–1848), who knew the entire Talmud by heart, in his apartment in the Ramayles court-yard. In 1846 the kloyz was visited by Sir Moses Montefiori (1784–1885).143 the hat-makers prayed there in the second quarter of the 19th century, before establishing their own kloyz (No. 30). A kolel for rabbinical students was situated in the kloyz in the early 20th century. The small, “simply decorated” kloyz was situated on the first floor of a masonry building; in the 1930s it was not used during winters, and the prayers were held in the women’s section on the second floor. In 1933 there were 32 regular wor-shippers in the kloyz. By 1942 it was heavily damaged.144 After wwII the entire building was razed.

18. dvora ester Kloyz – Kloyz of Shamashim at former 5a Evreiskaia (today Žydų) Street / former 6 Miasnaia (or Jatkowa I, in the interwar period J. Klaczki, today M. An-tokolskio) Street, Ramayles courtyard/passage.

the shamashim (servants) – a rank of the Ḥevra Kadisha members – had their min-yan in the women’s section of the Great Synagogue already in 1721, but only in 1879 were they able to establish a separate kloyz.145 The building in the Ramayles courtyard was bought in 1879 with the help of Dvora Ester Gelfer (ca. 1827–1910) – a peddler, who succeeded to collect donations and to establish a large and popular fund for provid-ing loans without interest. The Dvora Ester Fund was affiliated with the Shamashim As-sociation, since her husband was its member, and Dvora Ester herself was distributing loans in the kloyz. Moreover, since the building was also registered on her name, the kloyz became popularly known as the Dvora Ester Kloyz.146 In 1916 there were 24 regu-lar worshippers in the kloyz.147

Chaim Grade described the kloyz in his story “Der shtumer minyan” (The silent min-yan): “Although the windows of the Dvora-Ester Kloyz look towards the narrow and dark Ramayles courtyard, which is surrounded by the blind back walls of high buildings, a ray of light lapsed miraculously from somewhere above […] Elyakum Pap has not yet seen a sacred place overburdened with carvings. […] Birds with large eyes […]. Deer turning their heads to him […]. A pair of small lions with outstretched red tongues […]. other lions with their tails in their mouths; a serpent, wrapped in a large ring, had two

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81. One of the kloyzn in the Ramayles courtyard (probably Dvora Ester Kloyz, No. 18), facing former 6 M. Antokolskio (J. Klaczki in the interwar period) Street, southeastern façade. (Photo, 1920s. Ghetto Fighters’ House, no. 34255)

82. One of the kloyzn in the Ramayles courtyard (probably Dvora Ester Kloyz, No. 18), facing former 6 M. Antokolskio (J. Klaczki in the interwar period) Street, southeastern façade.iV (Photo, 1944/45. After Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, vol. 2, p. 516)

83. One of the kloyzn in the Ramayles courtyard (probably Dvora Ester Kloyz, No. 18), facing former 6 M. Antokolskio (J. Klaczki in the interwar period) Street, southeastern façade. (Photo 1944/45. After Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, vol. 2, p. 516)

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heads with open mouths […]. Above the Torah ark, a pair of hands stretched towards the Tablets of the Law […]; also above the amud a pair of hands appeared with fingers spread apart, as those of a cohen during the blessing.”148

According to yaffe, “the prayer house occupies a small room, but is artistically dec-orated. The hand of a woman is visible everywhere. The Torah ark, the paintings on the walls, the curtains of the Torah ark, and the whole surrounding are preserved in bright-light and cheerful colors. It is a pleasant and magnificent room, but currently heavily damaged due to the war.”149

If this identification of the pre-war and post-war photographs (Figs. 81–83) is cor-rect, the kloyz was situated on the first floor; it had round-headed windows and a large outer protrusion, comprising the Torah ark. After wwII the entire building was de-molished.

19. Tinsmiths’ (blekher, zhestianshchikov) Kloyz at former 9 Evreiskaia (today Žydų) Street, so-called durchhoyf to former 10 Miasnaia (or Jatkowa I, in the interwar period J. Klaczki, today M. Antokolskio) Street.150

The Society of Tinsmiths was founded in 1754;151 it is not known when their kloyz was established in this house on Evreiskaia Street. In 1899 Moshe Shkliaver made a tes-tament, bequeathing his part of the above mentioned building – two rooms on the first and second floors – to the “Society of Jewish Tinsmiths in Vilnius.” The society had to establish there “a prayer house” and to install a plaque above the entrance in Russian and Hebrew indicating his donation. After Shkliaver’s death in April 1900, the Tinsmith’s Kloyz indeed inherited those rooms and in 1911 a renovation of the outer staircase was carried out under the supervision of architect Antoni Filipowicz-Dubowik.152 In 1916 there were 58 regular worshippers.153 After wwII the entire building was razed.

20. The Glaziers’ Kloyz at former 9 Evreiskaia (today Žydų) Street, so-called durchhoyf to former 10 Miasnaia (or Jatkowa I, in the interwar period J. Klaczki, today M. An-tokolskio) Street.

The association of glassware merchants was mentioned already in 1759, and its kloyz in 1840.154 A small kloyz without a women’s section was established on Evreiskaia Street in 1885. In 1916 it served 46 regular worshippers and possessed two rooms in the same building, above the prayer hall. By 1942 it stood empty and was “slightly dam-aged.”155 After wwII the entire building was destroyed.

21. The Tailor Masters’ Kloyz at former 11 Evreiskaia (today 6 Žydų) Street / former 12 Miasnaia (or Jatkowa I, in the interwar period J. Klaczki, today M. Antokolskio) Street, apartment 10.

The Tailors’ Society was mentioned in 1640.156 In 1799 the owner of the house, Kreyna Gordon (mother of Rabbi Israel Gordon mentioned above) sold two rooms on the first floor, with windows towards the courtyard, to the Society of Tailors and allowed them building a second floor. In these rooms the Tailors’ Kloyz was established. A great chandelier with 60 branches, belonging to this kloyz, was evacuated to Moscow in 1915. In 1916 there were 160 regular worshippers, and 77 in 1935. By 1942 the kloyz was “heavily damaged.”157

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22. The Carpenters’ Kloyz at the corner of former 1 Evreiskaia (today Žydų) Street and former 16 Nemetskaia (today Vokiečių) Street.

After the death of the city’s Maggid Rabbi Velvele (Shlomo zalman zeev Volf, 1788–1866) from Derechin, the association of carpenters bought his apartment at the corner of Evreiskaia and Nemetskaia Streets and converted it into their prayer house, named after the Maggid. It was a spacious kloyz with a women’s section.158 In 1916 there were 80 regular worshippers, and 51 in 1933.159 In 1939–40 the kloyz housed the ostrów Mazowiecka yeshiva, which escaped from German-occupied Poland.160 After wwII the entire building was destroyed.

23. Parnes’ Kloyz at former 18 Nemetskaia (today Vokiečių) Street / former 1 Evreiskaia (today Žydų) Street.

the kloyz was established before 1822 by a prominent head of the community, Ley-bele Reb-Bers (d. 1830). The place was named after his son-in-law, Ḥaim naḥman Parnes (d. 1854), also a prominent leader and rabbi, who prayed and headed a group of torah students in the kloyz, which in 1850 was turned into a yeshiva.161 The founder of the famous Volozhin yeshiva Rabbi Ḥaim Volozhiner (1749–1821) and the prominent Vilnius rabbis Abele Posvoler (1764–1836) and yaakov Barit (1797–1883) prayed and taught in this kloyz.162 In the second half of the 19th century it became the kloyz of turn-ers (tokares), and by 1917 – the kloyz of white Bread Bakers, but it was still called Parnes’ Kloyz.163 In 1916 there were 35 regular worshippers.164 It was a small kloyz with women’s section and “simple paintings,” situated on the third floor of the building; by 1942 it was “completely ruined.”165 After wwII the entire building was demolished.

24. Mikhel Katsin’s Kloyz, also called zetel Kloyz, at former 19 Nemetskaia (today 12 Vokiečių) Street.

yeḥiel-Mikhel Katsin from the town of zhetl (Diatlovo in Belarus) was a wealthy Jew at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries who established a kloyz in his courtyard. His son yitsḥak Leib zetel (d. 1853) changed the family name after his father’s native town.166 during wwi this kloyz was also named “Beit yaakov” (House of Jacob) and the Gmilut Ḥasadim Society “Beit yaakov” was situated there.167 Apparently, this associa-tion moved to the former Kliachko’s Kloyz (No. 37) in the early 1920s.

25. Nelkin’s Minyan at former 29 Nemetskaia (today Vokiečių) Street. the kloyz was probably established by the association of salesmen “Ḥosen yeshuot”

(wealth of Salvation, Is. 33:6), founded ca. 1869, which was reported to have opened its kloyz in two rented rooms on Nemetskaia Street.168 In 1904 and 1915–20 this kloyz was mentioned as a “prayer house without a name;” Meir Nelkin was among its representa-tives for the elections of the Vilnius Crown Rabbi.169 In the 1920s, the kloyz at this ad-dress was mentioned as the Kloyz Somekh Noflim (Upholding the Fallen, Ps. 145:14).170 The building does not exist.

26. Haberdashers’ (galanterey kremer, galantereishchikov) Kloyz at former 4 Miasnaia (or Jatkowa I, in the interwar period J. Klaczki, today M. Antokolskio) Street.

the kloyz situated on the first floor served the owners of haberdashery shops. In 1916 there were 41 regular worshippers.171 The building does not exist.

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27. Dachim Kloyz at former 8 Miasnaia (or Jatkowa I, in the interwar period J. Klaczki, today M. Antokolskio) Street.

According to yaffe, a small kloyz without a women’s section was established by the Dachim family ca. 1740. The kloyz had “delicate” wall paintings; by 1942 it was “con-siderably” damaged.172 However, the fact that such an old kloyz is mentioned neither by Lunski, nor in the lists from 1904 and 1915–20 and in zalman Shik’s guidebook from 1939, allows to suppose that yaffe confused the Daikhes’ Kloyz, situated at 9 Miasnaia Street (No. 30) with the Haberdashers’ Kloyz at 4 Miasnaia Street (No. 26), which he does not mention, and describes the latter under the name of the former.

28. urison Kloyz – Tandetnikes’ Kloyz (dealers in second-hand clothes) at former 8 Mia-snaia (or Jatkowa I, in the interwar period J. Klaczki, today M. Antokolskio) Street.

Apparently, a kloyz was established by Meshulam zalman Urison (d. 1836), a prom-inent leader of the community in the early 19th century, in the courtyard which he inher-ited from his father yaakov Uri son of Avraham (d. 1795).173 Notwithstanding the exist-ence of his kloyz, Meshulam zalman went everyday to pray in the Great Synagogue, “even in winter,” and watched that people would not speak on secular matters while in the synagogue.174 Rabbi Israel Salanter (1810–83) founded his first Beit Musar in this kloyz ca. 1845/46.175

Ca. 1890, the kloyz of tandetnikes was established at 39 Bol’shaia (today Didžioji) Street.176 In the list of 1904 it was registered at 5 Dvorianskii Lane (today Karmelitų Street).177 In 1915 however, it was situated at 8 Miasnaia Street and had 30 regular wor-shippers.178 According to yaffe, the kloyz was “of great beauty, tastefully decorated with paintings, [room] of medium size, and lofty;” by 1942 it was “severely damaged.”179 Judging from post-wwII photographs (Figs. 84, 85), the kloyz, situated on the first floor, was built in the late 19th – early 20th century. Its southeastern façade with two high round-headed windows and an oculus above the Torah ark faced the street – a rare arrangement for a kloyz in the old Jewish quarter. The windows had glazing bars forming Stars of David and the walls were still decorated with paintings. The building does not exist.

29. the Hakhnasat Orḥim (Hospitality Association) Kloyz at former 8 Juliusza Klaczki (today 7 M. Antokolskio) Street.

A small kloyz without a women’s section was established in 1930 or 1934 by Rabbi Shmuel Fried and Shlomo Szmerkowicz, the heads of the Hakhnasat Orḥim Association (re-founded in 1923), in a three-storey building donated by Efraim Levin. The kloyz served guests of the Association’s hotel for respectable needy, and lessons in Talmud were given there. By 1942 the kloyz was “heavily damaged.”180

30. Daikhes’ Kloyz – Hat-makers’ Kloyz at former 9 Miasnaia (or Jatkowa I, in the inter-war period J. Klaczki, today M. Antokolskio) Street / 37 Bol’shaia (in the interwar pe-riod wielka, today Didžioji) Street.

the kloyz was built in 1826 in the courtyard of Issachar Ber Notkin (1795–1870), son-in-law of zavl Germaize (see No. 87).181 Since the late 19th century it was used by the hat-makers (hitl-kirzhner, the society is mentioned in 1741), who previously prayed in the Ḥevra Torah Kloyz (No. 17). Since then it was called the Kloyz “Kova ye-shuah” (כובע ישועה – “hat/helm of redemption” – a phrase from the Saturday prayer Shir

84. Tandetnikes’ Kloyz (No. 28), southeastern façade.V (Photo, 1944/5. Ghetto Fighters’ House, no. 5857)

85. Tandetnikes’ Kloyz (No. 28), northeastern interior wall. (Photo, 1944/5. Ghetto Fighters’ House, no. 5858)

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Ha-kavod).182 the kloyz was named “the prayer house of Daikhes, hat-maker journey-men” in the 1904 list of the Vilnius synagogues.183 The Daikhes was a prominent rabbin-ic family in Vilnius; the last of this lineage, Eliezer Eliyahu (1798–1882), was a rabbi in Vilnius since 1827, and probably was related to this kloyz.184 In 1916 there were 57 reg-ular worshippers; the kloyz had electric lighting and paid a rent for its apartment.185 it was a small kloyz without a women’s section, “beautifully painted,” with a big brass chandelier. By 1942 it was “ruined.”186

31. Be’er Heytev Kloyz on Stekliannaia (today Stiklių) Street. the kloyz was established by one of the rabbis of Vilnius, Moshe zeev Volf Lifshits

(d. 1834) in his house on Stekliannaia Street.187 It is probably one of the kloyzn on this street described below.

32. Furriers’ (futer-kirzhnershe, kirzner, skorniakov) Kloyz at 3 Stekliannaia (today Stiklių) Street.

A “small but nicely painted and decorated” kloyz was established ca. 1880. It had a women’s section which functioned only on holidays. In 1916 there were 65 regular wor-shippers. By 1942 the kloyz was “heavily damaged.”188

33. The Tailor workmen’s Kloyz at 8 Stekliannaia (Stiklių) Street. A small kloyz with a women’s section was established by tailor workmen ca. 1880.

In 1916 there were 60 regular worshippers and 38 in 1933. By 1942 it was “slightly damaged.”189

34. The Printers’ (drukershe) Kloyz – Grushkin’s Kloyz at 9 Stekliannaia (today Stiklių) Street.

A small kloyz without a women’s section was built ca. 1840 with the help of the rich brothers Broide. In 1878 the kloyz was taken over by the Vilnius printers and in 1900s–20s was named Grushkin’s Kloyz. There were 56 regular worshippers in 1916. In 1927 the building was renovated and on February 18, 1928 the fifty-years-jubilee of the Print-ers’ Congregation was celebrated there.190

35. The prayer hall in the Council of yeshivas office at 47 wielka (today Didžioji) Street.The Council of yeshivas (Vaad ha-yeshivot) was established in 1924 as a centralized

organization for providing means to all the yeshivas in the eastern areas of Poland.191 Ac-cording to Shmerele Sharafan, a Torah ark with a Torah scroll was situated in the office of the Council and it was used for prayer on Saturdays and holidays.192

36. The Bronze Casters’ (bronznikes) Kloyz at 5 Dvortsovyi Lane (today 5 Gaono Street), in the building belonging to the Jewish community (Fig. 86).

the kloyz was established by David yabets ca. 1840 and later was taken over by the bronze casters. In 1904 and in 1915–20 it was registered as the prayer house Ḥayei Adam (or Hayad, abbreviated). In 1916 there were 40 regular worshippers. It was a small kloyz with a women’s section, decorated with wall paintings. The Torah ark was made of cop-per and brass by the casters themselves. By 1942 the kloyz was “nearly ruined.”193

86. Building at 5 Gaono Street, which housed the Bronze Casters’ Kloyz (No. 36). (Photo: Vladimir Levin, 2009. CJA Archives)

87. Building at 7 Gaono Street, which housed the Shmuel Kliachko’s Kloyz (No. 37). (Photo: Vladimir Levin, 2009. CJA Archives)

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37. Shmuel Kliachko’s Kloyz – Tanners’ (garbarske) Kloyz – Turners’ (tokershe) Kloyz – Leather Goods Retailers’ (felkremer) Kloyz – Beit Yaakov (House of Jacob) Kloyz at 7 Dvortsovyi Lane (today 7 Gaono St.) (Fig. 87).

the kloyz was established in the early 19th century by Shmuel Kliachko (d. 1837), known as Shmuel yehudas, after his father-in-law yehudah Kliaches.194 Apparently after his death, the kloyz passed to the tanners; the existence of a small kloyz of the tanners was recorded in 1840.195 Probably ca. 1860 the kloyz was taken over by the metal turners. It was “small, simply painted” and without a women’s section. In 1904 and 1915–20 it was still named Kliachko’s Kloyz, but by 1917 the kloyz was used by leather goods retailers (felkremer in yiddish and Lederdetailisten in German sources). In 1916 there were 32 re-gular worshippers; the kloyz paid an annual rent of 100 rubles for its premises. By 1942 the kloyz was “much damaged.”196 Two plaques today exhibited in the Taharat Ha-Kodesh Synagogue (No. 80) probably originate from this kloyz, since their ownership inscriptions read: “The Holy Society Beit yaakov of the leather merchants.” one is titled “Psalms for the Holidays According to the Custom of the Vilna Gaon” and the second, donated in 1921 by the Horovits family, contains several holidays’ prayers (Figs. 88, 89).197

38. The Fish-Mongers’ (fisher) Kloyz – Stitchers’ (shtepershe, kamashin-shteper, zago-tovshchikov) Kloyz at 14 Dvortsovyi Lane and at 14 Gaon (today 6 Gaono) Street in the 1930s (Fig. 90).

The Fish-Mongers’ Kloyz existed already in 1830, and the city’s Maggid Rabbi Vel-vele prayed there until his death in 1866. In the 1880s the kloyz was taken over by the stitchers, who succeeded to acquire their own Torah scroll in 1912.198 In 1916 there were 37 regular worshippers.199 In 1939 the kloyz housed the Łomża yeshiva, which escaped from German-occupied Poland and moved to Plungė in spring 1940.200 The building is preserved and today houses the Embassy of the Republic of Austria; a memorial plaque for the kloyz has been attached to the building in 2001 (Fig. 91).201

88. Plaque “Psalms for the Holidays According to the Custom of the Vilna Gaon,” originating from the Leather Goods Retailers’ Kloyz (No. 37), today in the taharat Ha-Kodesh synagogue (No. 80). (Photo: Vladimir Levin, 2007. CJA Archives)

89. Plaque with holidays’ prayers, donated by the Horovits family in 1921 to the Leather Goods Retailers’ Kloyz (No. 37), today in the Taharat Ha-Kodesh synagogue (No. 80). (Photo: Giedrė Mickūnaitė, 2010. SLC Archives)

90. Building at 6 Gaono Street, which housed the Fish-Mongers’ – Stitchers’ Kloyz (No. 38). (Photo Vladimir Levin, 2005. CJA Archives)

91. Memorial plague on the building at 6 Gaono Street, which housed the Fish- Mongers’ – Stitchers’ Kloyz (No. 38). (Photo: Vladimir Levin, 2005. CJA Archives)

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39. The Passementerie-Makers’ (shmuklershe, pozumentshchikov) Kloyz – yalovtser’s Kloyz at 4 Nikol’skaia (today Šv. Mikalojaus) Street.

The society of Jewish passementerie-makers was mentioned in 1674.202 A small kloyz of the passementerie-makers without a women’s section was established ca. 1860, probably on the first floor of a separate wing in a courtyard. In 1916 there were 34 regu-lar worshippers in the kloyz. By 1942 it was “severely damaged.”203

40. Musia zalkind’s Kloyz at 5 Nikol’skaia (today Šv. Mikalojaus) Street. A small kloyz with a women’s section was established in 1820 by Tsvi Hirsh zalkind

(d. 1837) and named after his wife Mushka (1770?–1862). The kloyz was known as “Reb Hershele zalkinds Kloyz” or as “Mushke Leybele-zalkinds Kloyz.”204 Its interior was “richly painted.”205 this kloyz was mentioned in 1904 as a “prayer house without a name” and as the “prayer house of Kamenetskii.”206 In 1916 there were 35 regular wor-shippers.207

41. Rabbi Shlomo Hacohen’s Kloyz on Nikol’skaia (today Šv. Mikalojaus) Street. Supposedly the kloyz at the apartment of a Vilnius rabbi Shlomo Hacohen (1828–

1905), who lived on Nikol’skaia Street.208 It could also be a kloyz where Rabbi Shlomo Hacohen prayed regularly.

T h e O l d To w n B e y o n d t h e O l d J e w i s h Q u a r t r e r42. zaks’ (Shadurski’s) Kloyz at 4 Kozhevennyi Lane (today odminių St.).

the kloyz was established in Shadurski’s courtyard at Mostovaia (today Tilto) Street, opposite the Cathedral.209 In 1830 it moved to the nearby courtyard of Eliezer zaks (a nephew of the Vilnius Rabbi Abele Posvoler) at Kozhevennyi Lane.210 the kloyz occu-pied its own separate building, which also housed a trade stall. In 1916 there were ca. 70 regular worshippers and 64 in 1936. The kloyz was also named Mikra (Holy Scriptu-res), probably after an association under the same name.211 According to yaffe, it was a medium size kloyz, “beautifully painted,” with a women’s section. By 1942 the kloyz was “completely dismantled.”212

43. Bekker’s Kloyz – Pinḥas Blekher’s minyan at the corner of former 12 Preobrazhen-skaia (today Liejyklos) Street and Tatarskaia (today Totorių) Street and 12 Seme-novskaia (today L. Stuokos-Gucevičiaus) Street.

It is shown as “the kloyz of r. Pinkhos” on the 1909 map by David Maggid.213 In 1916 it was mentioned as “the prayer house of Aron Blekher, formerly of Bekker” and served 30 regular worshippers.214 In the lists of 1917–20 Aron Meir Blekher was registered as a member of the board, while the kloyz was named Piekarzy (bakers).215 The building does not exist.

44. opatov’s Synagogue (Kloyz) at the corner of former 21 Vilenskaia (today Vilniaus) Street and Preobrazhenskaia (today Liejyklos) Street.

The synagogue was built by a rich merchant and philanthropist yehudah opatov (1797–1868) ca. 1850. It was situated in a three-storey courtyard wing and included a synagogue and separate room for studying Torah.216 In 1908 the synagogue and the entire building were bought by the Lubavich Hasidim for 42,000 rubles; a Lubavich

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yeshiva was established there soon afterwards.217 In 1912 the shops belonging to the synagogue were remodelled according to a design by Antoni Filipowicz-Dubowik (Fig. 92).218 In 1916 there were 79 regular worshippers and 5 Talmudic students received monthly stipends; in the 1930s the number of worshippers reached 80–90.219 According to yaffe, “the synagogue is high and spacious, richly decorated, with a carved Torah ark. The vault is covered with magnificent wall paintings, depicting musical instruments such as drums, flutes, harps, violins, mandolins etc. one of the main entrances to the synagogue is very wide, with a heavy iron door. The main wall of the women’s section has a beautiful wall painting, showing the Tomb of Rachel. on the right side of the syn-agogue there is a small prayer room with a Torah ark and a bimah.”220 As could be seen on the preserved drawing, the main prayer hall of the synagogue, devoid of interior supports, was spanned with a cloister vault, and lit, beside the windows, by a lantern (Fig. 93).221 After wwII the building was razed.

45. the Tsdakah Gdolah Kloyz at the corner of Ignat’evskii Lane (today Šv. Ignoto St.) and 4 Prokhodnoi Lane (today Benediktinių St.) (Fig. 94).

the kloyz was situated in the building of the Tsdakah Gdolah (Great Charity) Asso-ciation. Since the 18th century the Tsdakah Gdolah was the main organization in the community, responsible for social welfare. Among other means of funding this society, the establishment of each new kloyz or a permanent minyan in the 18th century was de-pendant on permission from the Tsdakah Gdolah and on payment to its treasury.222 After the abolition of the autonomous kahals in the Russian Empire in 1844, the Tsdakah Gdolah began to fulfill the functions of the communal board. Its gabaim were the gabaim of the Great Synagogue, and the society was the most important communal in-stitution until 1931, when all its property, including the Great Synagogue, was trans-ferred to the official Jewish Community of Vilnius.223 From 1919 the Vilnius Rabbinate and the Beit Din Shtibl (the synagogue of the rabbinical court) were situated in that building; religious judges were present in the shtibl every day from noon to 4 pm.224

94. A building where the Tsdakah Gdolah Kloyz (Beit Din Shtibl, No. 45) was situated. (Photo: Vladimir Levin, 2005. CJA Archives)

92. Antoni Filipowicz-Dubowik, a design for remodelling of shops in the building of Opatov’s Synagogue (No. 44). (Drawing, 1912. LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 4, B. 5664, L. 3)

93. Design for Opatov’s Synagogue (No. 44). (Drawing, 1908. LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 2, B. 1804, L. 8a)

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46. Musicians’ (klezmershe) Kloyz at 3 Lidskii Lane (Lydos St.), apartment 5. the kloyz was situated in a rented apartment, for which 170 rubles were paid annua-

ly. In the first years of the 20th century it served as a meeting place of the Poalei Zion (workers of zion) group – a socialist zionist organization, which later became a political party. In 1916 there were 40 regular worshippers.225 the kloyz probably ceased to exist in the 1930s.

47. Valk’s Kloyz at former 3 zhmudskaia (in the interwar period Straszuna, today Žemaitijos) Street / former 38 zaval’naia (today 36 Pylimo) Street.

According to one version, a large kloyz with a women’s section was established in 1740 by Sender Valk and the Gaon of Vilna prayed there in his youth.226 More reliable da-ta suggest that the kloyz was established by yaakov, known as yeke Ḥalfan of Vilkomir (d. 1833) in his courtyard,227 and Valk’s Kloyz is named after his son, Alexander Sender Valk (1825–91).228 the kloyz was situated on the first floor in a courtyard wing; in 1916 it had electric lighting and there were 45–60 worshippers.229 After the establishment of the ghetto in 1941 the kloyz was “damaged;” it was used as a music school of the ghetto, but on the High Holidays in autumn 1942 a minyan was established there.230 The building was destroyed after wwII (Fig. 95).231

48. Chimney Sweepers’ Kloyz at former 4 zhmudskaia (in the interwar period Straszuna, today Žemaitijos) Street.

the kloyz of chimney sweepers existed in 1840.232 By 1889 it was situated in a rented room in the house of Neltser.233 A two-storey building on zhmudskaia Street was bought and reconstructed into the kloyz after the design by Mikhail Prozorov234 (Fig. 96) in 1890–91 (at the cost of 12,000 rubles).235 In 1891 a new Prozorov’s design for the addition of a

95. Former 3 Žemaitijos Street (site of Valk‘s kloyz, No. 47). (Photo: Vladimir Levin, 2009. CJA Archives)

96. Mikhail Prozorov, design for the Chimney Sweepers’ Kloyz (No. 48). (Drawing, 1889. LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 1, B. 1345, L. 5)

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women’s section was rejected by the city authorities (Fig. 97).236 However, this second design shows that the street façade, designed in 1890 in a Neo-Moorish style, in reality was executed in a mixture of Neo-Gothic and Neo-Renaissance styles (Figs. 98, 99). The prayer hall, which occupied two upper floors, featured a central bimah surrounded with four slender columns. According to yaffe, the interior was “decorated with paintings and wood carvings.”237 In 1916 there were 75 regular worshippers and by 1936 their number dropped to 51. The kloyz was devastated with the establishment of the ghetto on Septem-ber 6, 1941, and later was used by the Judenrat as an asylum for homeless children and a school.238 After wwII the building was demolished (Fig. 100).239

49. Coachmen’s Kloyz at former 8 zhmudskaia (in the interwar period Straszuna, today 6 Žemaitijos) Street.

A small kloyz was established in 1840. In 1916 there were “up to 50” regular worship-pers, who paid rent to the house owner D. Gur’ian. The kloyz possessed a large library and in the 1930s, lectures for women on religious topics were organized there every Sun-day. with the establishment of the ghetto on September 6, 1941, the kloyz was converted into a dwelling place.240 The building is not preserved.

50. Ptashkin’s Kloyz at former 10 zhmudskaia (in the interwar period Straszuna, today 6 Žemaitijos) Street.

A small kloyz was established in 1865. In the early 20th century it was one of the cent-ers of the zionist activity in Vilnius. In 1916 there were 36 regular worshippers. with the establishment of the ghetto on September 6, 1941, the kloyz was converted into a dwell-ing place.241 The building is not preserved.

51. Pundik’s Kloyz at former 11 zhmudskaia (in the interwar period Straszuna, today 9 Žemaitijos) Street, apartment 11.

A kloyz in the courtyard was established by yosef zakheim in the first half of the 19th century and rebuilt in 1882 by Aharon Pundik. The building is still preserved – see de-scription in the main entry.

97. Mikhail Prozorov, design for the women’s section in the Chimney Sweepers’ Kloyz (No. 48). (Drawing, 1891. LVIA, F. 381, Ap. 17, B. 1110, L. 21-22 and F. 382, Ap. 1, B. 1345, L. 9a)

98. Straszuna (today Žemaitijos) Street with the Chimney Sweepers’ Kloyz (No. 48). (Photo, 1920s/30s. After Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, vol. 1, p. 70)

99. The Chimney Sweepers’ Kloyz (No. 48), façade (Photo, 1945/6. The Vilna Gaon State Jewish Museum, P3307)

100. Former 4 Žemaitijos Street, the site of the Chimney Sweepers’ Kloyz (No. 48). (Photo: Vladimir Levin, 2009. CJA Archives)

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52. Kholem’s Kloyz (or the Kloyz of the Brothers Kholem) at former 12 zhmudskaia (in the interwar period Straszuna, today 6 Žemaitijos) Street, apartment 5.

A small kloyz was established by the brothers Kholem in 1880; Ḥaim Kholem orga-nized the Hakhnasat Kalah Society in the kloyz, and it functioned until his death in the early 1930s. The kloyz was decorated with paintings and woodcarvings. There were 52 regular worshippers in 1916. with the establishment of the ghetto on September 6, 1941, the kloyz was converted into a dwelling place. The building was exploded by the Nazis on September 1, 1943, during the liquidation of the ghetto.242

53. Matskevich’s or woodcutters’ (holts-zegershe) Kloyz at former 15 zhmudskaia (in the interwar period Straszuna, today 13 Žemaitijos) Street.

the kloyz was established in ca. 1880 in an apartment by Jewish woodcutters headed by Matskevich. Its interior was “simple; the walls and ceiling beautifully painted.”243 with the establishment of the ghetto on September 6, 1941, the kloyz was used as a dwelling place. The building was blasted by the Nazis on September 1, 1943, during the liquidation of the ghetto. 244

54. yogiches’ Kloyz at former 1 zhmudskii Lane (in the 1920s – Szawli Lane, today Šiaulių St.) – former 1 zhmudskaia (in the interwar period Straszuna, today Žemaitijos) Street.

A large kloyz with a women’s section was established by one of the richest Jewish inhabitants of Vilnius, yaakov yogiches (1778–1848) ca. 1840. It was mainly used by textile merchants and had “beautiful paintings.” In 1933 there were 75 regular worship-pers. with the establishment of the ghetto on September 6, 1941, the kloyz was “slightly damaged.”245 In 1941–43, a religious school and a ghetto Small yeshiva (for children from 12 to 16) were situated in the kloyz.246 In April 1942 “lectures on the history of the Jews, organized by the local Mizraḥi” (religious zionists) were held there.247 The build-ing is not extant.

55. Rabbi Shaul Katsenelenbogen’s (Reb Shaulke’s) Kloyz (or Synagogue)248 at former 5 zhmudskii Lane (in the interwar period – Szawli Lane, today 2 Šiaulių St.).249

Rabbi Shaul Katsenelenbogen (d. 1825) was one of the most prominent rabbis in Vil-nius and a pupil of the Vilna Gaon.250 the kloyz was established in his memory in 1826251 and soon became one of the most important prayer houses in the city. In 1916 there were 50 regular worshippers, while many others left for Russia. In the same year electric lighting was installed in the kloyz. The premises of the kloyz belonged to the owner of the house, Shmuel yitsḥak Gelpey, who was also a member of the kloyz’s board, and the annual rent amounted to 75 rubles.252 during wwi a kibbutz of Torah students “Beit Shaul” operated there.253 with the establishment of the ghetto on September 6, 1941, Reb Shaulke’s kloyz became a center of religious life in the ghetto. During the “yellow Schein Aktion” on october 23–25, 1941, ca. 100 rabbis and other religious functionaries with families hid in the attic of the kloyz, but were discovered and murdered.254 during 1941–43 the ghetto’s Great yeshiva in the name of Rabbi Ḥaim ozer Grodzenski was situated in the kloyz.255 The building is not preserved.

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56. Butchers’ Kloyz “zivḥei Tsedek,” 4 obzhornyi (Jatkowa II, today Mėsinių St.) Lane.

The Butchers’ Society was mentioned for the first time in 1781.256 In 1795 its mem-bers began to pray in a separate minyan, situated in a room in the building of the old Kloyz (No. 3).257 the large kloyz at obzhornyi Lane was established ca. 1840 and was decorated with paintings and carvings.258 A famous yeshiva was situated in the kloyz.259 In 1916 there were 130 regular worshippers.260 During 1941–43 a religious school of the ghetto operated in the kloyz, and public lectures were delivered there; the almshouse was situated on its upper floor.261

57. Eliashberg’s Kloyz at 1 Gospital’naia (Ligoninės) Street / former 40 zaval’naia (to-day 38 Pylimo) Street.

the kloyz was established in 1838 by yosef Eliyahu Eliashberg (1797–1881), a well-known philanthropist, father-in-law of Mattityahu Strashun (see No. 89). Since the early 20th century a study group of talented Talmud scholars existed in the kloyz, under the di-rection of Rabbi Ḥaim ozer Grodzenski – the most prominent rabbinic figure in Vilnius in the first half of the 20th century.262 In 1916 there were 40 regular worshippers and 58 in 1936.263 with the establishment of the ghetto on September 6, 1941, an orphanage was organized in the kloyz. Its bimah and other ritual objects were moved to the ghetto’s Jew-ish library.264

58. Hekdesh Kloyz in the Jewish Hospital at 3 Gospital’naia (Ligoninės) Street. The establishment date of a kloyz in the Jewish hospital (named hekdesh in yiddish)

is unknown. It could be supposed that it opened with the hospital in 1805; however, the description from 1856 does not mention any prayer room in the hospital premises. The hospital building was reconstructed in 1865 and 1891. The kloyz served hospital patients as well as the Jews living nearby, and had no women’s section.265

59. Gutman and Kirzner’s Kloyz – Habad Lubavich Hasidim Kloyz at 9 Gospital’naia (Ligoninės) Street.

A spacious kloyz with a women’s section on Gospital’naia Street was established by the couple Mr. Gutman and Mrs. Ḥayah Kirzner between 1904 and 1915. In 1916 there were 40–50 worshippers and the founders continued to cover the deficit of the kloyz’s budget.266 According to yaffe, the founder transferred the kloyz to the Lubavich Hasidim before his death in ca. 1918. Apparently the worshippers of the Second Minyan of the Lubavich Hasidim (No. 81) moved to this kloyz. Its interior was decorated with paint-ings of Biblical scenes. After the establishment of the ghetto on September 6, 1941, a clinic was installed in the kloyz.267

60. zemel’s Kloyz – zalkind’s Kloyz – The Menaḥem Avelim Kloyz at the corner of former 2 Rudnitskaia (Rūdninkų) Street and former 47 wielka (today Rotušės Sq.) Street.

According to yaffe, a medium size kloyz with a women’s section was established in 1785. Its interior was decorated with paintings and carvings.268 In 1916 it was called “zalkind’s (former zemel’s) prayer house” and had 40 regular worshippers.269

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the Kloyz Menaḥem Avelim (Consolation of Mourners) belonged to the association Niḥum Avelim, which took care of poor widows and orphans. Its kloyz existed before wwI and received support from the korobka tax. In 1915 it was situated in a rented apartment at 3 Novgorodskaia (Naugarduko) Street, apartment 46, and had 38 regular worshippers in 1916.270 According to another source, the association was established in 1923 and initially functioned in the Eliashberg’s Kloyz (No. 57); but in 1925 one of its founders, Leib David zalkind, donated his house at 47 wielka (Didžioji) Street to the as-sociation.271 In this house the society and its kloyz were situated until wwII.272 Remain-ing outside of the ghetto in 1941, the kloyz was abandoned.273

61. zager (Žagarė) Kloyz, former 8 Rudnitskaia (today 10 Rūdninkų) Street, apart-ment 2.

A small kloyz with a women’s section was established in 1834 and called zager after the name of Rabbi Dov Ber Trivush (1724–1804) of zager/zhager (Žagarė) – a rabbi in Vilnius and the author of the book Ravid ha-zahav (Golden Necklace). There were 50 regular worshippers in the kloyz in 1916.274 In 1941 the kloyz was damaged, and with the establishment of the ghetto on September 6, 1941, it was used as a hospital.275

62. Simḥa Bord’s Kloyz – Katsenelenbogen’s Kloyz – Bloch’s Kloyz at former 15 Rud-nitskaia (Rūdninkų) Street.

the kloyz was established by Simḥa son of Shimon Sheyma (d. 1827), called Simḥa Bord because of his long beard (bord in yiddish), in his courtyard.276 In 1822 it was men-tioned in a document issued by the Vilnius kahal.277 According to the memoirs of Shmu-el yosef Finn (1818–90), who prayed there from 1826, “the display of this small kloyz […] had no special features which distinguished it from other small kloyzn.”278 Simḥa Bord’s Kloyz became the first minyan of maskilim, the main role there played Simḥa’s sons, especially the eldest, Tsvi Hirsh Katsenelenbogen (1796–1868), who later became the first inspector of the Vilnius Rabbinic Seminary. This maskilic minyan received an official permission on April 9, 1840,279 and existed until the establishment of the maskilic synagogue Taharat Ha-Kodesh in 1847 (No. 80).280

Nevertheless, after the maskilim left, the Simḥa Bord’s Kloyz continued to exist.281 The list of synagogues from 1904 still names this kloyz “the prayer house of Katsenelen-bogen.”282 In 1915–20 it was called “the kloyz of Bloch” or “the kloyz of Volf Bloch and his wife Sara.” In that period Bloch donated small sums of money every month and was a member of the kloyz’s board.283 zalman Shik’s guidebook from 1939 reads “in the house No. 15, there was Bloch’s Kloyz (does not exist now);” and yaffe states that the kloyz at this address was established by a wealthy Jew Bloch in 1890; a couple of years before wwII the owner sold the kloyz to a hairdresser, who converted it into a dwelling place.284 The building is not preserved.

63. yitsḥak Bloch’s Kloyz on Konnaia (today Bazilijonų) Street. this kloyz on Konnaia Street is mentioned in the 1840s.285

64. Feigelson’s Minyan at 3 ostrovorotnaia (today Aušros Vartų) Street. Most probably, it is a minyan in the house of merchant Leib Feigelson, which he be-

queathed to several Jewish philanthropic institutions (Figs. 101, 102).

101. Building of Leib Feigelson at 3 Aušros Vartų Street (No. 64) (Photo: Giedrė Mickūnaitė, 2011. SLC Archives)

102. Memorial plague on the Feigelson’s building (No. 64) at 3 Aušros Vartų Street. (Photo: Giedrė Mickūnaitė, 2011. SLC Archives)

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65. Maites’ Kloyz at 27 ostrovorotnaia (today Aušros Vartų) Street. Tradition says that a “small and simple” kloyz with a women’s section was estab-

lished already in the 18th century. However, the information that the kloyz was establish-ed in 1852 by the owner of the house, Ester Sara Volkoviski and therefore called Ester Sara’s Kloyz, seems more reliable. After the house passed to Mordechai yaakov Maites (d. 1908), the kloyz became known as Maites’ Kloyz. During wwI his son continued to support the kloyz. In the late 1930s, the house was bought by the Vilnius Private Trade Bank, which closed the kloyz. The books were transferred to the An-sky Ethnographic Museum and the Torah ark with the amud – to the Novisvyater Kloyz (No. 131).286

66. Me’angei Shabat Kloyz at former 9 Sirotskaia (today 11 Subačiaus) Street. The association Me’angei Shabat (literary, making Saturdays pleasurable) was es-

tablished ca. 1893 in order to provide meals for the poor on Saturdays and holidays. Its canteen had “a Torah ark, a Torah scroll and an amud, so that those who eat could also pray there.”287

67. Gordon’s Kloyz at former 11 Sirotskaia (today 13 Subačiaus) Street. the medium size kloyz with a women’s section was established by the wealthy phi-

lanthropist Meir Gordon in 1868; the Jewish intelligentsia used to pray there.288 in the 1870s the worship in Gordon’s Kloyz was organized in the “enlightened” manner: there was a cantor dressed as the cantors in the Reform synagogues in Europe, a regular choir and a harmonium, which accompanied the prayer on weekdays: “a kind of a choral syn-agogue, like the Taharat Ha-Kodesh Synagogue [No. 80], but with much more gloss [glants].”289 The stained glass windows of the kloyz are mentioned in the diary of Viln-ius-born Israeli art historian zussia Efron (1911–2002).290 In 1915, there were 65 regular worshippers and the kloyz had electric lighting.291

68. Rabbi Israel Gintsburg Kloyz (Reb Isroelke’s kloyz) at the corner of former 3 Spasskii (today Išganytojo St.) Lane and 1 Safiannaia (today Maironio) Street.292

the kloyz, named “Beit Israel” (House of Israel), was established in 1860 in memory of Rabbi Israel Gintsburg (zarecher, 1784–1857), who lived in nearby zarech’e (Užupis) suburb and headed a yeshiva there.293 Maggid-Steinschneider writes that “his followers bought the upper houses [=appartments] at the corner of Sufianikes [Safiannaia] Street in our city, on the bank of the Vileika [Vilnia] River.”294 the Vilnius maskil and Hebrew wri-ter Kalman Shulman (1819–99) mentioned that the kloyz was “a large and wide house, and the inhabitants of our city donated more than 2,000 rubles for it.”295 the inauguration festivities with the participation of rabbis from Vilnius and other towns continued for a week in November 1860.296 In 1916 there were 80 regular worshippers, and the kloyz owned an adjacent apartment.297 Chaim Grade described the kloyz in his story Der shtumer minyan and said that the Torah ark there had neither lions nor Tablets of the Law.298 According to yaffe, the kloyz was “seriously damaged” by 1942.299 The building is not preserved.

69. Solts’s Kloyz at 4 Spasskii (today Išganytojo St.) Lane. A large “beautiful” kloyz with a women’s section was established by the community

leader and brewery owner Mone (Mann) Solts (Solz) in 1900. By 1942 it was “seriously damaged.”300

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70. Lontski’s Kloyz at 8 Pokrovskaia (today Literatų) Street. the kloyz is mentioned for the first time in 1904. In the late 1930s the house was

bought by a Christian owner and the kloyz was liquidated.301

B e y o n d t h e O l d To w n71. the Beit Midrash at the Green Bridge (Briker kloyz), at former 45 Vilenskaia (Vil-niaus; today 13 Žygimantų) Street.

the beit midrash was built ca. 1860 and its building is preserved. See description in the main entry.

72. zhirmunsky’s Kloyz – Kamenetsky’s Kloyz at former 7 Portovaia (today 3 Pamėn-kalnio) Street.

The spacious kloyz with a women’s section, “rich with wall-paintings” was estab-lished by the wealthy Jew zhirmunsky in 1890. In 1912 the building was bought by I.M. Kamenetsky and the kloyz was named after him. In 1916 there were 58 regular worship-pers. In 1932 the building passed to new hands and the kloyz’s original name was re-stored. The official rabbi of Vilnius during 1912–40 and a member of the Polish Senate, Isaac Rubinstein (1880–1946) prayed in this kloyz.302 The building is not preserved.

73. Almshouse (Moshav Zkeinim) Kloyz at former 17 Portovaia (today 11 Pamėnkalnio) Street.

The existing building of the kloyz at the courtyard of the Almshouse was erected in 1899. See description in the main entry.

74. the Talmud Torah Kloyz at 3 Novaia (today Islandijos) Street. The Talmud Torah school in Vilnius was first mentioned in 1691 and existed until

wwII. From 1891 it was situated in its own building on Novaia Street; the new building accommodating the kloyz was built in 1899–1901 (Fig. 103). Judging upon the photo-graph kept in yIVo Institute, the kloyz occupied a simple undecorated room, similar to a classroom with rectangular windows facing the courtyard; it had a Torah ark, bimah and rows of pews.303 By 1942 the kloyz was ruined. However, the building is preserved and houses now the Vilnius Vocational School of Railway and Business Services.304

75. Bengen’s Kloyz at the corner of former 17 zaval’naia (today 15 Pylimo) Street and former 2 Bol’shaia Pogulianka (today J. Basanavičiaus) Street, apartment 14 (Fig. 104).

the kloyz was established in 1820 by Aizik Shevelovich (Meretser) on his plot of land on Pylimo Street.305 According to yaffe, the building of the kloyz was bought by the philanthropist Bengis (should be Bengen) “in the last years” and therefore is named after him. However, Iser Vulfovich Bengen participated in the elections of the Vilnius Crown Rabbi in 1904 as a representative of this kloyz, which means that the Bengen family was connected to the kloyz already in the early 20th century. In 1916 there were 65 regular worshippers. By 1942 the “small kloyz with a women’s section” was “ruined.”306

76. The prayer hall in the Rabbinic Seminary on zaval’naia (today 22d Pylimo) Street.307 The Rabbinic Seminary in Vilnius was established in 1847 with an aim to prepare a

new generation of rabbis, possessing general as well as Jewish education. In 1873 it was

103. Building of the talmud torah at 3 Islandijos Street (No. 74). (Photo: Giedrė Mickūnaitė, 2010. SLC Archives)

104. Building at 15 Pylimo / 2 Jono Basanavičiaus Street, which housed Bengen’s Kloyz (No. 75). (Photo: Giedrė Mickūnaitė, 2010. SLC Archives)

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transformed into a Jewish Teacher’s Institute and moved to Georgievskii (today 11 Ge-dimino) Avenue. The prayer in the seminary was held in the maskilic fashion and teach-ers gave sermons in Hebrew or German.308 The prayer hall was decorated with the text of the prayer for the well being of the tsar’s family in a golden frame and a memorial plaque commemorating Alexander II’s visit to the Seminary on yom Kippur in 1858.309 A candelabrum with 70 candles was donated to the prayer hall by the students.310

77. Minyan of Mizraḥi at the corner of 26 zawalna (today Pylimo) and 1 Trocka (Trakų) Streets.

the minyan of Mizraḥi – the party of religious zionists – existed in the Ezra Jewish religious school (former Count Tyszkiewicz palace) from the early 1920s until 1933; later it moved to the Ester Rubinstein Girls School situated at the corner of today’s Gaono and Šv. Jono Streets. Today the former Tyszkiewicz Palace houses Vilnius Gediminas Techni-cal University (Fig. 105), while the building of the Rubinstein School does not exist.311

78. The Passage minyan was situated “near the wood market on zawalna Street” (today at the corner of Pylimo and Naugarduko St.).312

79. Leib Rabinovich’s Minyan at 9 Vengerskii (Vingrių St.) Lane.313

80. Taharat Ha-Kodesh (Choral) Synagogue at former 35 zaval’naia (today 39 Pylimo) Street.

The synagogue was established in 1847 and its present building was built in 1903. It is a functioning synagogue until today. See description in the main entry.

81. The New Hasidic Minyan or the Second Minyan of Lubavich Hasidim at 1 Shirokii (today Plačioji St.) Lane.

In 1916 there were 75 regular worshippers in the minyan.314 In the following years it does not appear in the lists of synagogues; most probably, its worshippers moved to the new Habad Lubavich Kloyz on Gospital’naia Street (No. 59).

82. Sadders’ (rimerishe, shornikov) Kloyz at 3 Kvasnoi Lane (known among Jews as Kleyn Stefn [Small Stephan] St., today Raugyklos St.), apartment 10.

A small kloyz without a women’s section was established ca. 1880 and served main-ly the wholesale merchants of harness articles. In 1916 there were 65 regular worship-pers, who paid rent for the kloyz’s premises, and by 1935 their number diminished to 42. By 1942 it was “completely ruined.”315

83. David Strashun’s (Strashunskii’s) Kloyz at 3 Stefanovskaia (today Šv. Stepono) Street / 4 Kvasnoi Lane (known among Jews as Kleyn Stefn [Small Stephan] St., today Raugyklos St.).

the kloyz was established by the wealthy merchant David Strashun (1755–1842) af-ter 1812.316 the kloyz housed a yeshiva, headed by Rabbi Avraham Ha-Levi Hurvits (1802–57) until 1832 and afterwards by Rabbi Mordechai Meltser (1797–1883), the futu-re head of the Ramayles yeshiva (No. 15).317 It was a “rather small” kloyz with a wo-men’s section; its interior was decorated with oil paintings.318 Already in 1875 a conflict

105. The former Count Tyszkiewicz Palace at 1 Trakų / 26 Pylimo Street, which housed the minyan of Mizraḥi (No. 77). (Photo: Giedrė Mickūnaitė, 2010. SLC Archives)

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regarding property rights for the kloyz arose; arbiters decided that the entire household belongs to the heirs of Naftali Hirsh Strashun (Strashunskii), son of David Strashun, and that the kloyz remains to function in his courtyard.319 In 1904 the elders of the kloyz, sit-uated in a wing facing Kvasnoi Lane (Fig.106), tried to register it as a separate property, but unsuccessfully.320 In 1905 they asked for a permission to convert one window facing Kvasnoi Lane, into a door. Supposedly, this was made with an aim at making the kloyz accessible directly from the street, and not through the Strashun’s courtyard. It could al-so be regarded as another attempt to claim the property rights to the parishioners. The municipal authority permitted the conversion of the window into the door, but the owner of the household, Moshe Strashun, disputed this decision; at the end, the question was brought to the Senate – the Russian Supreme Court for appeals.321 it is interesting that during the dispute the elders of the kloyz claimed that it has no name, while the owner of the courtyard stressed that the kloyz is named after his ancestor.322 In 1916 there were 30 regular worshippers and the kloyz had electric lighting; in 1933 their number reached 54.323 By 1942 the kloyz was “greatly damaged.”324 The building does not exist.

84. Stefn Street Kloyz at 14 Stefanovskaia (today Šv. Stepono) Street. Mentioned in the 1904 list as a “prayer house without a name;” in 1917–20 its ad-

dress is given as 8 Stephanstraße / Stefanowska.325

85. Lapin’s Kloyz at 15 Stefanovskaia (today Šv. Stepono) Street. A small kloyz with a women’s section was built by the house-owner Lapin in 1865.

In 1916 there were 43 regular worshippers. By 1942 the kloyz was “completely de-stroyed.”326

86. Epstein’s Kloyz on Tsvetnoi Lane (today 3 Gėlių / 4 Šv. Stepono St.). the kloyz was built in 1915 and is still preserved. See description in the main entry.

106. Antoni Filipowicz-Dubowik, design for converting a window into a door in David Strashun’s Kloyz (No. 83). (Drawing, 1905. LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 4, B. 4163, L. 3)

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87. zavl’s Kloyz or the Germaize and Levinson Synagogue at 6 Tsvetnoi Lane (today 6 Gėlių St.).

the kloyz was established before 1817 by zavl Germaize and the building is pre-served – see description in the main entry.

88. Soldiers’ Kloyz at former 60 zaval’naia (today 56 Pylimo) Street, apartment 37.the kloyz was established by retired Jewish soldiers of the Russian army in ca. 1880

in a rented apartment; its expenses were, according to yaffe, covered by the Tsarist gov-ernment. It was also named “soldatsko-nikolaevskaia” or “the prayer house of the Ni-cholas’ I soldiers,” indicating that it was established by the former Jewish recruits, who served in the army for 25 years. In 1916 there were 49 regular worshippers. In the late 1930s the kloyz moved to the Strashun Kloyz at 66 zaval’naia (Pylimo) Street (No. 89).327 The building does not exist.

89. Strashun’s Kloyz at former 66 zaval’naia (today 60 Pylimo) Street. According to yaffe, the small wooden kloyz was established ca. 1840; later it was

named after the famous library owner and community leader Mattityahu Strashun (1817–85), who is said to have prayed there. In 1916 there were 45 regular worshippers. By 1942 the wooden building was completely “dismantled.”328

90. Rotstein’s Kloyz – Saikhin’s Kloyz at former 68 zaval’naia (today Pylimo) Street, apartment 12.

According to yaffe, the kloyz was established ca. 1870 by Jewish horse-merchants and later, the plot and the kloyz were bought by a wealthy clothes manufacturer Saikhin (Sauschin). At some point the kloyz was used by the Mishmeret Ḥolim (Care of the Sick) Association.329 Most probably this kloyz is indicated by David Maggid as “the kloyz on Ploshchadka” (small square) on the 1909 map.330 In 1916 its apartment belonged to Sara Rotstein and there were 30 regular worshippers; in 1935 they numbered 37.331

H i s t o r i c S u b u r b sNaujamiestisThe Novyi Gorod (New Town) suburb began to develop in the middle of the 19th centu-ry, west of zaval’naia (today Pylimo) Street.

91. Ramayles Kloyz and yeshiva at the corner of former 5 Novgorodskaia (today 7 Nau-garduko) Street and Kavkazskaia (J. Słowackiego in the interwar period, today Mind-augo) Street.

After the collapse of the old building of the Ramayles yeshiva at 5 Evreiskaia Street in 1910 (No. 15), a new place for it was needed. By 1912 Rabbi Ḥaim ozer Grodzenski and the community leader and banker Israel Bunimovich (d. 1929) initiated the acquisi-tion of a plot in the area of the New Town. The foundations of the new building for the Ramayles yeshiva were laid in June 1912. At the laying of the cornerstone Mrs. Ass do-nated 8,000 rubles for the establishment of a separate kloyz, belonging to the yeshiva.332 the kloyz for teachers and students of the Ramayles yeshiva was opened in 1915 (Fig. 107). In 1916 there were ca. 100 worshippers, but “some of the most prominent” left for Russia, including Rabbi Ḥaim ozer.

107. The new building of the Ramayles Yeshiva on Naugarduko Street (No. 91). (Photo, 1920s. After Shik, 1000 yor vilne, p. 224)

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the kloyz was spacious, with a richly decorated interior and a women’s section. The Torah ark was “carved and decorated with gold.”333 In october 1939 the famous Mir yeshiva, which escaped from Soviet-occupied Poland, was temporarily situated in the building of the Ramayles yeshiva until it moved to the Novogoroder Beit Midrash (No. 102) and from there to Kėdainiai in December 1939.334 By 1942 the kloyz was damaged and used as a furniture storage.335 The buildings of the yeshiva and the kloyz were used as a railway technical school after wwII and destroyed in the 1960s.336

92. Goldberg’s Kloyz at 2 Józefa Piłsudskiego (today Algirdo) Street. A medium size kloyz with a women’s section was established by Goldberg in 1930.

By 1942 it became a ruin.337

93. Brisk yeshiva at 7 Algirdo Street. In 1939 the head of the famous Brisk (Brest) yeshiva Rabbi yitsḥak zeev Solo-

veitchik (1886–1959) and a small group of students escaped from Soviet-occupied Po-land and reestablished the yeshiva in Vilnius, at 7 Algirdo Street (Fig. 108). Rabbi Solo-veitchik emigrated for Palestine in 1941.338

94. Shoemakers’ Kloyz at 17 Józefa Piłsudskiego (today Algirdo) Street. the kloyz was established in the early 20th century by the shoemakers of the “Kiever

Market.” In 1904 it was listed as the “prayer house of shoemakers” in the New Town.339 Before wwI the kloyz received a yearly subsidy of 80 rubles from the korobka tax. In 1916 there were 45 regular worshippers and its address was 43 Shkol’nyi Lane (today the former lane is a built-up area between Naugarduko and Smolensko St.).340 in the 1920s it moved to the plot of the merchant Jospe on Piłsudskiego Street. The kloyz was “rich with wall paintings, but small and without a women’s section.”341 In the late 1939 the Beit Shmuel yeshiva, which escaped from German-occupied warsaw was re-estab-lished in the kloyz, with the support of the Vilnius rabbi Isaac Rubinstein and the reli-gious zionists.342 By 1942 the kloyz was “completely destroyed.”343

95. Khurgin’s Kloyz at 5 Makowa (today Aguonų) Street. the kloyz was established by the house-owner Khurgin in 1925 and is preserved. See

description in the main entry.

96. the Mishmeret Ḥolim Kloyz at 9 Kievskaia (today 7 Kauno) Street. Mishmeret Ḥolim (Care of the Sick) Association was established in 1890. when it

opened its own hospital in 1910–13, a kloyz with a women’s section was built there for the patients and Jews from the vicinity. The kloyz had a modest prayer hall with a Torah ark placed in between two windows and a bimah fenced with a wooden balustrade (Fig. 109). Before wwI there were ca. 150 regular worshippers, while in 1916 their number dropped to 48, and to 35 in 1935. By 1942 the kloyz was “ruined.”344

97. Lomboblat’s or Kievsker Kloyz at 12 Kievskaia (today 22 Kauno) Street. the kloyz of Lomboblat existed from 1895 in the house of Kagan at 41 Aleksan-

drovskii (today Algirdo St.) Boulevard.345 on the initiative of Rabbi Benyamin Dov Ber Pilovski (d. 1943), a two storey masonry building was erected at 12 Kievskaia Street in

108. Building at 7 Algirdo Street, which housed Brisk Yeshiva (No. 93). (Photo: Giedrė Mickūnaitė, 2010. SLC Archives)

109. Mishmeret Ḥolim Kloyz (No. 96). (Photo, 1920s/30s. After Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, vol. 1, p. 114)

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1908–9. The design (Fig. 110) shows the kloyz situated on the first floor, while the ground floor contains a small prayer room, library, dwelling of the sexton and a small shop. The women’s section is shown in a closed gallery, connected to the prayer hall through large windows. The design shows also two slender metal columns standing on the transverse axis near the bimah. Strangely enough, the Torah ark is shown at the northwestern wall, so that it is logical to suppose that the approved design has been im-plemented with significant changes.346 The opening of the kloyz’s windows (contrary to the design) towards the neighboring plot at 14 Kievskaia Street has caused the launching of a court case against the kloyz’s board in 1909.347 In 1915 the kloyz had electric light-ing, but it did not report that it possessed a shop on the ground floor.348 According to yaffe, the kloyz had a women’s section and was “spacious, with high, beautifully painted walls.” In the late 1939 the kloyz housed the Łomża yeshiva, which escaped from Soviet-occupied Poland; later the yeshiva moved to the Stitchers’ Kloyz on Gaono Street (No. 38) and in spring 1940 – to Plungė. By 1942 the kloyz was heavily damaged, but its Torah ark, bimah and brass amud were still intact.349 The building does not exist.

98. the Gmilut Ḥesed Kloyz at 13 Arkhangel’skii (today Vytenio St.) Lane. the kloyz, mentioned in 1915–20, was situated in a rented apartment in Podvinskii’s

house, which by 1916 was officially bought from the owner. However, since the money was not yet paid, the kloyz paid an annual rent of 170 rubles. There were 42 regular wor-shippers; an additional apartment nearby belonged to the kloyz.350

99. Lomdei Torah (Torah Scholars) Beit Midrash at 16 orenburgskaia (today Švitrigailos) Street.

A small beit midrash with a women’s section was established ca. 1890 on the ground floor of an apartment building. It was “poorly lit” by daylight and “simply painted.” In 1941 the beit midrash was damaged and converted into a private dwelling place.351

100. A Kloyz at 38 Novgorodskaia (Naugarduko) Street. Listed in 1904, 1915–20, and 1933 as a “prayer house without a name;” in 1933

there were 52 regular worshippers.352

110. Design for Lomboblat’s Kloyz (No. 97). (Drawing, 1908. LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 2, B. 1675, L. 6).

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101. Novogoroder (New Town) Synagogue at former 41 (later 55) Novgorodskaia (Nau-garduko) Street.

The synagogue in the New Town was established ca. 1840. Its brick building existed by 1900 (Fig. 111: E).353 In 1910 a wooden outer staircase leading to the women’s section was replaced by a masonry one (Figs. 112, No. 1; Figs. 113, 114).354 The drawing from 1910 and the post-wwII photograph (Figs. 113–115) show that the synagogue was a square brick building; the prayer hall had ten large round-headed windows and an oculus above the Torah ark. The bimah was surrounded by four thick columns and a single flight of stairs led to the ark. By 1942 the synagogue was severely damaged and used for stor-age of building materials; only the Torah ark and the bimah standing in the midst of four columns were still intact.355 The building is not preserved.

111. Design for the Novogoroder beit Midrash (No. 102), site plan: the Novogoroder Synagogue (No. 101) is marked E; the wooden Novogoroder beit Midrash is marked G; the planned masonry beit Midrash is marked A. (Drawing, 1900. LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 1, B. 2001, L. 8a)

112. Design for two masonry staircases: for the Novogoroder Synagogue (No. 101), shown under No. 1, and for the Novogoroder beit Midrash (No. 102), shown under No. 2, site plan. (Drawing, 1910. LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 1, B. 2001, L. 70v)

113. Design for a masonry staircase for the Novogoroder Synagogue (No. 101), southern façade and floor plans. (Drawing, 1910. LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 1, B. 2001, L. 70v)

114. Design for a masonry staircase for the Novogoroder Synagogue (No. 101), cross-section. (Drawing, 1910. LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 1, B. 2001, L. 70v)

115. Ruins of the Novogoroder Synagogue (No. 101) with shops, view from south.(Photo, 1944/45. Ghetto Fighters’ House, no. 31117)

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102. Novogoroder (New Town) Beit Midrash at former 41 (later 55) Novgorodskaia (Naugarduko) Street.

The wooden beit midrash in the New Town was established in 1866, to the west of the Novogoroder Synagogue (Fig. 111: G); ritual slaughterers and other Jewish workers from the Vilnius slaughterhouse prayed there.356 However, it received the official recog-nition only in 1891.357 In 1899 the board of the Novogoroder Synagogue (No. 101), which owned also the beit midrash, applied for a permission to build a new masonry be-it midrash instead of the old wooden one as well as two buildings for the meat shops fac-ing the street. In 1900 the design of a new spacious brick beit midrash was approved, while the design for the shops was rejected (Figs. 111, 116–122).358 the beit midrash building was completed by 1903.359 A drawing from 1910 testifies that the design was im-plemented with changes: the 16 windows of the prayer hall were placed differently, the prayer hall was spanned with a vault rather than a flat ceiling, two columns flanking the bimah were missing, and the façades were executed in the so-called “brick style” (Fig. 112, No. 2; Figs. 123, 124).360 Contrary to the design, the entrance to the women’s section was made through an outer wooden staircase. This deviation from the approved design and building norms caused the sealing of the women’s section of the beit midrash by the po-lice in 1909; at the same time, the maximum number of worshippers in the prayer hall was limited to 300 people by the city’s architect.361 Following these measures, the board applied for permission to replace the wooden outer staircase by a masonry one, which was granted in 1910.362 A yeshiva existed in the beit midrash in the early 20th century.363 Before wwI the common board of the Novogoroder Synagogue (No. 101) and the beit midrash received a yearly subsidy from the korobka tax in the amount of 516 rubles; it also possessed meat shops and a poultry slaughterhouse (Fig. 115). In 1916 there were al-togather 300 regular worshippers in the synagogue and beit midrash; by 1936 their

116. Design for the Novogoroder beit Midrash (No. 102), ground plan. (Drawing, 1900. LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 1, B. 2001, L. 8a)

117. Design for the Novogoroder beit Midrash (No. 102), plan of the women’s section. (Drawing, 1900. LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 1, B. 2001, L. 8a)

118. Design for the Novogoroder beit Midrash (No. 102), southern façade. (Drawing, 1900. LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 1, B. 2001, L. 8a)

117. Design for the Novogoroder beit Midrash (No. 102), eastern façade. (Drawing, 1900. LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 1, B. 2001, L. 8a)

120. Design for the Novogoroder beit Midrash (No. 102), cross-section of the prayer hall, view towards east. (Drawing, 1900. LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 1, B. 2001, L. 8a)

121. Design for the Novogoroder beit Midrash (No. 102), longitudinal section, view towards north. (Drawing, 1900. LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 1, B. 2001, L. 8a)

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number diminished to 146.364 this beit midrash was considered the largest prayer house in Vilnius. By 1942 the beit midrash was damaged, but its bimah, Torah ark and the beauti-fully carved benches were still preserved, as well as a painting on the western wall show-ing the western wall of the Jerusalem Temple compound.365 The building is not extant.

103. The Soldiers’ Beit Midrash in the New Town at 58 Novgorodskaia (Naugarduko) Street / 29 Koz’ia Street (today the former street is a built-up area between Naugarduko and Smolensko St.).

the beit midrash was established in 1865 by the ex-service Jewish soldiers of the Russian army, who served at the time of Nicholas I (r. 1825–55).366 In 1887 a beit mid-rash building was erected according to a design by architect Aleksei Polozov367 (Fig.125).368 The design shows an oblong prayer hall, devoid of any interior supports, ac-cessed from a northern lobby; the women’s section is accessed by an exterior open stair-case. The northern and eastern walls of the prayer hall are evenly pierced with tall round-headed windows; other openings are rectangular. In the early 20 th century the beit midrash received subsidy from the korobka tax. In 1916 there were 45 regular worship-pers.369 According to yaffe, it was a medium size “simple” beit midrash with a women’s section. By 1942 there were only “naked” walls, but the Torah ark and bimah were still intact.370 The building is not preserved.

104. Lubavich Hasidim Kloyz in the New Town at 40 Koz’ia Street (today the former street is a built-up area between Naugarduko and Smolensko St.),

A small kloyz with a women’s section was installed in the ground floor of the apart-ment house of Kantorovich ca. 1880. In 1916 it served 40 regular worshippers. The kloyz was rebuilt in the 1930s; by 1942 only “naked walls” remained.371 The building is not preserved.

122. Design for the Novogoroder beit Midrash (No. 102), cross-section of the women’s section, view towards east. (Drawing, 1900. LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 1, B. 2001, L. 8a)

123. Design for a masonry staircases for the Novogoroder beit Midrash (No. 102), southern façade and floor plans. (Drawing, 1910. LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 1, B. 2001, L. 70v)

124. Design for a masonry staircase for the Novogoroder beit Midrash (No. 102), cross-section. (Drawing, 1910. LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 1, B. 2001, L. 70v)

125. Aleksei Polozov, design for the Soldiers’ beit Midrash in the New Town (No. 103). (Drawing, 1887. LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 1, B. 1265, L. 13)

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105. Masons’ (muliarskii, mularski) Kloyz at 9 Kowalski Lane (the lane does not exist; it was situated in the area between today’s Naugarduko, Vytenio and Kauno St.).

The existence of a kloyz of masons was mentioned in 1840.372 A “large” kloyz with a women’s section and a “splendid” Torah ark was established ca. 1900.373 Most probably the building of the kloyz was erected according to the design by Antoni Filipowicz-Dubowik,374 approved in 1908 (Fig. 126).375 It was designed as a square building with an apse for the Torah ark, pointed windows, and a hipped roof. Before wwI the kloyz re-ceived subsidies from the korobka tax; in 1916 there were 60 regular worshippers.376 by 1942 only “naked walls” of the kloyz and the Torah ark remained intact.377 The building is not preserved.

106. Ḥayei Adam Kloyz and the Kloyz of the Carters at 126 Novgorodskaia (Naugarduko) Street.

The prayer house of Jewish carters (lomovykh izvozchikov) in the New Town was es-tablished ca. 1860.378 In 1909 a new kloyz under the name the “prayer house of carters and Ḥayei Adam” was established by the “carters and Jewish inhabitants of Novgorodskaia and Poltavskaia [today Panerių] Streets.”379 Such a double name means that two existing prayer houses merged in order to build a new building.380 The design for the new “mason-ry Jewish prayer house of carters and Ḥayei Adam” was approved in 1909 (Fig. 127).381 It included a prayer hall with a women’s gallery on the first floor and an apartment for the sexton with a back room for the kloyz’s library on the ground floor. The entrance for men was planned from the street, while the entrance for women was from the courtyard. The ceiling of the prayer hall was supported by two slender columns standing on the longitu-dinal axis, in front and behind a rectangular bimah, while the third, a shorter column in the row supported the women’s gallery (Fig. 127). In 1916 there were 65 regular worship-pers and in 1933 – 37.382 By 1942 the kloyz was “heavily damaged.”383 The building is not preserved.

107. Tanners’ (leder arbeter) Kloyz – Piasker Kloyz – Dolne Kloyz at 15 Proviantskaia Street (today at the beginning of Savanorių Av.).

In September 1907 the worshippers from the Lukishker Beit Midrash (No. 108) asked for a permission to convert the existing house of Hirsh Epstein at the corner of 27

126. Antoni Filipowicz-Dubowik, design for the Masons’ Kloyz (No. 105). (Drawing, 1908. LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 2, B. 1711, L. 3)

127. Design for the Ḥayei Adam and Carters’ Kloyz (No. 106). (Drawing, 1909. LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 2, B. 1876, L. 4)

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Nizhegorodskaia Street and Tiuremnyi III Lane in the Lukishki area into a prayer house of the association of tanners. The proposed design (Fig. 128) shows a wooden one-sto-rey house with a masonry cellar and an eastern masonry wall. The prayer hall is in the eastern part of the house, and the women’s section – in an adjacent room on the same level.384 In February 1908 the adjustment of the house for the new kloyz was complet-ed.385 However, in the lists of Vilnius synagogues from 1915–20, the address of the prayer house “Gärber” / “Garbarzy” (tanners) is “Magazinen Str. 15” / “Magazynowa 15.”386 Most probably this prayer house is mentioned by Lunski as Piasker Kloyz and de-scribed by yaffe as Dolne Kloyz at 205 Legionów Street (today Savanorių Av.) – a me-dium size kloyz with a women’s section, established by the Kremer Brothers ca. 1880, and “completely destroyed” by 1942.387 The building is not extant.

Lukiškės108. Lukishker Beit Midrash (Synagogue) or Segalevich’s Kloyz at 12 Tiuremnyi II Lane (today Ankštoji St.).

the beit midrash was built in the Lukishki area, near the prison, by a wealthy timber merchant Shimshon Shasniker (Maze, d. 1853) in 1815.388 In 1913 a small fire destroyed the amud and several shtenders in the beit midrash.389 During wwI there were ca. 170 regular worshippers, but in 1921 the list of worshippers included only 58 names; Rabbi Ḥaim Segalevich (b. 1844), who was the rabbi of Lukiškės from 1884, was registered at the top of this list.390 In the late 1939 – early 1940 the beit midrash housed the “Knesset beit yitsḥak” yeshiva – the Slobodka yeshiva from Kaunas, which was situated in Ka-mieniec Litewski (today Kamenets in Belarus) in the interwar period, and escaped from Soviet-occupied Poland (later it moved to Raseiniai).391 According to yaffe, the beit mid-rash was a “large and high stone building with a women’s section. The interior [was] richly painted, the ceiling decorated with pictures showing the instruments mentioned in the Hallelujah chapter [Ps. 150], on which the priests played during the time of the Temp-le. The ceiling above the bimah shows a beautiful picture of the city of Jerusalem. [In 1942] the synagogue shows certain damages, only the bimah, the Torah ark and the electricity are intact. The openings are closed by wooden planks.”392 The building is not extant.

128. Design for the Tanners’ Kloyz (No. 107). (Drawing, 1907. LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 2, B. 1598, L. 7)

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Žvėrynas109. Beit Israel (House of Israel) Kloyz at former 9 Stanisława Moniuszki (S. Moniuškos) Street.

the kloyz with a women’s section was established by the prominent community lead-er and banker Israel Bunimovich in 1925–26 in order to serve the Jews living in the zw-ierzyniec (Žvėrynas) area (ca. 60 families). In 1932 there were 59 regular worshippers. the kloyz was “spacious, with rich wall paintings.” By 1942 it was “ruined.”393

Šnipiškės Jews settled in the Šnipiškės suburb in the second half of the 17th century. They were sub-ordinated to the Vilnius community, but enjoyed certain autonomy.394 The existence of a synagogue in Šnipiškės was mentioned already in 1680.395 It was probably situated on the plot which later developed as the Šnipiškės’ shulhoyf at 20 Vil’komirskaia (wiłkomierska, today Šnipiškių) Street (Fig. 129).396 The areas adjacent to Vil’komirskaia Street were known among Jews as Great Snipishek, while the areas adjacent to Kal’variiskaia (Ka-lwaryjska, today Kalvarijų) Street – as Small Snipishek.397

110. The Great Synagogue of Šnipiškės at former 20 Vil’komirskaia (today Šnipiškių) Street (Fig. 129, No. 1).

Tradition claims that the Great Synagogue in Šnipiškės was established by Avraham (1765–1809), son of the Vilna Gaon.398 The old wooden synagogue burnt down and the erection of a new masonry synagogue began in 1811. The Napoleonic war of 1812 dis-turbed the construction works. However, in 1836 the building with four columns in the prayer hall was completed with the help of the prominent merchant and maskil nisan Rosenthal (d. 1860).399 In 1858 the interior was spanned with a cupola upon the initiative of Shlomo Lipeles, father of Rabbi yitsḥak Blazer.400 According to yaffe, the synagogue was high and spacious, it had a women’s section, and its interior was decorated with wall paintings. The wooden Torah ark was painted white and decorated with gilded details.401

129. Scheme of the Šnipiškės shulhoyf: 1 – the Great Synagogue of Šnipiškės (No. 110); 2 – the Great beit Midrash of Šnipiškės (No. 111); 3 – auxiliarly buildings; 4 – Vil’komirskaia (today Šnipiškių) Street. (Drawing, Zoya Arshavsky after topographic map from 1938, provided by Gediminas Jucys, 2011)

130. View of Šnipiškės, the Great Synagogue (No. 110) is seen in the center; perhaps, the high building under a hipped roof at the far right is Rogatkes beit Midrash (No. 116).Vi (Photo: Józef Czechowicz, 1870s. After Vilniaus fotografija 1858–1915, ed. Margarita Matulytė [Vilnius, 2001], detail of fig. 7.44, p. 174)

131. The Great Synagogue (No. 110) and the great beit Midrash of Šnipiškės (No. 111). (Photo, 1951/7. VAA, F. 1036, Ap. 11, B. 203)

132. The Great Synagogue (No. 110) and the Great beit Midrash of Šnipiškės (No. 111). (Photo, 1957/63. From Aloyzas Neniškis personal archive)

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Photographs (Figs. 130–132) capture the high square building of the synagogue; its cor-ners are emphasized by pilasters; twelve rectangular windows of the prayer hall, set up high above the ground, are surmounted by triangular and semi-circular pediments. Low-er annexes with lean-to roof are attached to the prayer hall on the southwestern and northwestern walls. The southwestern annex comprised the women’s section.402

In 1894 the board of the Great Synagogue of Šnipiškės planned to build masonry shops for kosher meat in the shulhoyf according to the design of architect Vikentii Gor-skii.403 Such practice was deeply rooted among the Vilnius Jews: from the 18th century the communal meat shops existed in the shulhoyf of the Great Synagogue (No. 1); in the late 19th century the meat shops existed around the Synagogue and Beit Midrash of the New Town (Nos. 101 and 102). However, Jews living in the shulhoyf of Šnipiškės pro-tested against this initiative stating that the Great Synagogue and “many Jewish [prayer] schools” in the shulhoyf attract about 800–900 worshippers, that the shulhoyf is “filthy and unhealthy” and that after the erection of the meat shops there would be not enough space and “clean air.” on these grounds the municipality rejected the project.404

In 1916 only 40 regular worshippers remained in the synagogue.405 the great Syna-gogue was desecrated by Nazi soldiers in August 1941 and its Torah scrolls were burnt.406 By 1942 it was used as furniture storage.407 The photograph from before 1963 shows that the building was still standing, though roofless (Fig. 132). A shopping and service complex was built on the site of Šnipiškės shulhoyf in the 1970s.408

111. the great Beit Midrash of Šnipiškės at former 20 Vil’komirskaia (today Šnipiškių) Street (Fig. 129, No. 2).

The first wooden beit midrash was built by Rabbi Avraham Meir Epstein in 1758;409 according to another version – by Rabbi Aharon yoffe, ca. 1774.410 A new wooden beit midrash on that site was erected in 1854 upon the initiative of Mordechai Hacohen.411 the amud for the beit midrash was donated by a famous Jewish physician Dr. Mor-dechai Menaḥem Mendel Trachtenberg (1806–90).412 In 1886 the wooden beit midrash was replaced by a masonry one according to the design of Aleksei Polozov (Fig. 133).413 The cornerstone was laid on August 26, 1886, and by December 1887 the works were basically finished.414 Dr. Trachtenberg donated the two flights of stairs and metal railings

133. Aleksei Polozov, design for the Great beit Midrash of Šnipiškės (No. 111). (Drawing, 1886. LVIA. F. 382, Ap. 1, B. 1249, L. 10)

134. View of Ukmergės Street; part of the two-storey façade of the Great beit Midrash of Šnipiškės (No. 111) is seen on the left.Vi (Photo: Aloyzas Neniškis, 1967. Aloyzas Neniškis personal archive)

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of the bimah and one of his daughters presented the “stairs leading to the Torah ark on both sides of the amud.”415 Polozov’s design shows four columns supporting the ceiling of the prayer hall and a mixture of Neo-Classicism and Neo-Renaissance on the exterior. Howe-ver, the existing photographs (Figs. 131, 132) reveal that the building was erected with significant changes in comparison to the design: fourteen round-headed windows of the prayer hall were made taller and without decorative frames; the southeastern façade fea-tured six windows instead of four, and an oculus indicated the place of the Torah ark. Nonetheless, the decorations of the windows on the northwestern façade, seen on a pho-tograph from 1967, completely fit Polozov’s design (Fig. 134). Before wwI the beit mi-drash received subsidies from the korobka tax; in 1916 there were 80 regular worship-pers, and by 1936 their number dropped to 68.416 By 1942 the beit midrash was “completely ruined,”417 but its building was extant at least until 1967 (Fig. 132, 134). The shopping and service complex was built on the site of Šnipiškės shulhoyf in the 1970s.418

112. Soldiers’ Kloyz at former 41 (or 58) Vil’komirskaia Street (today between Kon-stitucijos Av. and Upės St.).

This prayer house is mentioned in the 1904 and 1915–20 lists of the Vilnius syn-agogues, and in 1935. In 1916 it was called the “prayer house of the reservist soldiers” and had 50 regular worshippers; by 1935 their number diminished to 41.419 The building does not exist.

113. Kloyz of Hasidim at former 59 Vil’komirskaia Street (today between Konstitucijos Av. and Upės St.).

This prayer house is mentioned in the 1904 and 1915–20 lists of the Vilnius syn-agogues.420 The building does not exist.

114. Bengis’ Kloyz at former 70 Vil’komirskaia Street (today between Konstitucijos Av. and Upės St.).

A wooden kloyz of “middle size” with a women’s section was built in 1854 by the wealthy benefactor yitsḥak Aizik, son of Bendet (known as Bendils) on his own plot in Šnipiškės. There were 90 worshippers in the kloyz in 1916. By 1942 the kloyz was “com-pletely dismantled.”421 The building does not exist.

115. Rosenson’s Kloyz at former 99 (103) Vil’komirskaia Street (today between Kon-stitucijos Av. and Upės St.).

the kloyz is shown on David Maggid’s map of Vilnius from 1909 and mentioned in the lists of synagogues from 1904 and 1915–20.422 The building does not exist.

116. Rogatkes Beit Midrash (Synagogue) at former 114 (100) Vil’komirskaia Street (to-day between Konstitucijos Av. and Upės St.).

the beit midrash was built ca. 1870 and called Rogatkes since it was situated near the checkpoint at the entrance to the city.423 It is possible that the beit midrash is seen on Józef Czechowicz’s photograph from the 1870s as a high building under a hipped roof at the far end of Vil’komirskaia Street (Fig. 130). This beit midrash was probably noted in the 1904 and 1915–20 lists of the Vilnius synagogues as a “prayer house without a

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name” at 100 Vil’komirskaia Street. In 1916 it had 45 regular worshippers.424 In 1939 the Novardok (Navahrudak) yeshiva, which escaped from Soviet-occupied Poland, moved into the beit midrash. By 1942 the beit midrash was “completely ruined.”425 The build-ing does not exist.

117. Lemelshtraykh’s Kloyz at 48 Kal’variiskaia (today Kalvarijų) Street. the kloyz with a women’s section was established by Moshe Lemelshtraykh (Lemel-

streich) in his own building, in ca. 1860. By 1915 it had electric lighting. By 1942 the kloyz was completely dismantled.426

118. Gamarski’s Kloyz, also “the kloyz on the hill” at 104 Kal’variiskaia (today Kalvarijų) Street.

the kloyz was built by Simon and Hadassah Gamarski ca. 1860; at the turn of the 20th century its gabbai was Leib Gamarski. A large group of Torah students (among them his-torian Ben-zion Dinur) were accommodated in the kloyz and received assistance from the congregation. There were 90 regular worshippers in 1916 and 109 in 1935; the kloyz owned the premises on the ground floor of the building. According to yaffe, “the kloyz is high and spacious and has a women’s section. It is beautifully painted; all music in-struments mentioned in the Hallelujah chapter [Ps. 150] are deppicted on one of the walls.” By 1942 the Torah ark was still preserved there.427

AntakalnisJews settled in Antakalnis suburb in the early 18th century. They were subordinated to the Vilnius community, but enjoyed certain autonomy.428 In 1744 the Vilnius community per-mitted the Jews in Antakalnis to conduct prayers in the suburb during the holidays.429 in 1766 the Vilnius Bishop Ignacy Jakub Massalski (1726–94), the overlord of part of Anta-kalnis, allowed the Jews living in his territory to build a synagogue and to establish a cemetery. In his permission the bishop stated that a wooden synagogue or prayer house should be built “in a simple form, i.e. without towers, high roof, and without any splendor and decoration, it should be neither larger than a Catholic church, nor similar to it.”430 A synagogue with a women’s section was mentioned in 1774 and a new synagogue was noted by Massalski in 1787. Another synagogue was established in another part of An-takalnis belonging to the Sapieha family. The owner donated a destroyed building, which was sold by the community in 1777; a synagogue and a bathhouse were built nearby.431

119. Antakoler Synagogue at 8 Sukhaia (interwar Sucha, does not exist today) Street. The synagogue existed before 1836 because it served as the seat of the moreh tsedek

of Antakalnis, Rabbi Israel Lifshits (Antakoler, d. 1836).432 In 1903–6 the synagogue re-ceived an annual subsidy of 325 rubles “for up-keeping and repair” from the korobka tax.433 According to yaffe, it was a spacious building with a women’s section close to the Neris River, and has not suffered much from wwII.434 The building does not exist.

120. Virshubskaia Synagogue at former 105 (later 113) Antokol’skaia (Antakalnio) Street. The wooden synagogue was built ca. 1830.435 A beit midrash “of Virshupe” (today

Viršupis) in Antakalnis is mentioned as a place where the yeshiva of Rabbi yitsḥak Gro-denski (Shirvinter) (1800–67) was situated in the 1830s–40s.436 In the 1860s it served as

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the seat of the moreh tsedek of Antakalnis Rabbi Arie Leib Lurie (1822–88).437 Notwith-standing the long history of the synagogue, it was officially recognized only in 1891.438 In July 1907 a design for a brick synagogue instead of the wooden one was approved. The design shows a spacious, almost square prayer hall free of any interior supports; the women’s section is located on the first floor, above the vestibule. The synagogue’s exte-rior combines features of Neo-Baroque and Neo-Gothic (Fig. 135).439 However, the lo-cal police prevented the construction works, since a planned Simbirskaia Street had to pass through the synagogue’s plot according to the city plan from 1875. The synagogue board succeeded to overcome the police resistance in January 1908, but the building had not begun. In october of the same year, the board asked for a permission to build a wooden and not a masonry synagogue according to the same design, but this request was turned down. In the end, in September 1910, the edifice of the synagogue, built after the 1907 design, was accomplished.440 According to yaffe, the synagogue was damaged in 1941, but the “Torah ark with its columns and two beautiful artistic chandeliers” were preserved by 1942.441 The building does not exist.

Užupis121. zarech’e (Užupis) Synagogue (Beit midrash) at 36 zarechnaia (today Užupio) Street.

The synagogue was built in 1841 and is still preserved. See description in the main entry.

122. Butchers’ Kloyz – Barukh yudel’s Kloyz at 30 Polotskaia (today Polocko) Street. A small kloyz with a women’s section was established by the butchers of Ravnopole

(today Lyglaukiai) and Belmont (today Belmontas) areas ca. 1875, and named after the owner of the house. In 1916 there were 36 regular worshippers. By 1942 it was com-pletely destroyed.442 The building does not exist.

135. Design for the Virshubskaia Synagogue in Antakalnis (No. 120). (Drawing, 1907. LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 2, B. 1577, L. 5a)

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123. belmonter Beit Midrash at 4 Bel’montskaia (today Belmonto) Street. A small beit midrash without a women’s section was built ca. 1840 by the benefac-

tors Parsus and Gordon, who had their summer houses in the Belmontas suburb. In 1910 the building was “considerably” enlarged. The beit midrash served mainly those who came to Belmontas for vacation. yaffe states that the beit midrash was demolished to make way for a new road in 1914. However, this date is a mistyping, since the beit mid-rash was still registered in 1915.443 The building does not exist.

124. the Beit-Olam (cemetery) Kloyz. A small kloyz without a women’s section was built after the establishment of the New

Jewish Cemetery in Užupis in 1830. It was situated near the waiting hall; and behind it was the building for ritual cleansing (taharah). The kloyz was mainly used by the mourn-ers and by the employees of the cemetery. By 1942 it was “seriously damaged.”444 the building does not exist.

Paplavos125. Poplaver Beit Midrash (kloyz, synagogue), also called the prayer house of Aron Tau-ber,445 at 19 Poplavskaia (today Paupio) Street.

A small wooden beit midrash at Poplavy (Paplavų) suburb was built in 1830. In 1858 its dilapidated building was replaced by a new wooden one.446 It was a modest one-storey building with a prayer hall at the southeast and a women’s section above the vestibule (Fig. 136).447

In 1903 a permission to build a new masonry beit midrash was received and its de-sign approved, but not executed. A new design for the building was submitted to the au-thorities and approved in May 1910. The cornerstone of the new masonry beit mid-rash was laid on July 19, 1910. The design shows a three-storey building; two rooms on the ground floor were separated from the staircase by a passage for carriages; a prayer hall was situated on the first floor, and a vaulted women’s section – on the second-floor

136. Wooden Poplaver beit Midrash (No. 125), northwestern façade.Viii (Photo: Albert Swieykowski, 1866, detail. After Vilniaus fotografija 1858–1915, p. 80)

137. Design for the Poplaver beit Midrash (No. 125). (Drawing, 1910. LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 2, B. 2240, L. 2)

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gallery. The symmetrical street façade was articulated with two pediments, and pierced with tall biforate round-headed windows on the first floor (Fig. 137).448 As seen on the photograph from ca. 1912, the southwestern façade of the prayer hall comprised six round-headed windows, situated evenly and not in pairs, as designed, as well as two rec-tangular windows for the women’s section (Fig. 138). According to yaffe, the interior of the “large” beit midrash was “beautifully painted” and the Torah ark was “of special beauty.”449 In 1915 electricity was installed in the beit midrash.450 the beit midrash was a place of study of Rabbi Shmuel Strashun (1794–1872, father of Mattityahu Strashun), and in the early 20th century it housed the yeshiva of Rabbi Meir Korelits (1875–1955).451 During wwI 367 Torah scrolls from Lithuanian towns, from which the Jewish popula-tion was exiled by the Russian army, were kept there.452 In 1933 there were 57 regular worshippers in the beit midrash.453 By 1942 the beit midrash was completely ruined.454 The building was demolished by 1965 and today only several stones from beit midrash’s foundations could be seen on the site.455

126. A kloyz. Listed in 1904 and 1923 as a “prayer house without a name, Poplavy suburb, house

of yogiches.”456 yogiches owned a watermill on the Vilnia River, between Saska-Kępa and Ruzele suburbs, in the vicinity of today’s zarasų Street.457

127. A kloyz at former 29 Sirotskaia (today Subačiaus) Street. the kloyz is listed in 1904 and 1915–20 as a “prayer house without a name.”458

Markučiai128. Cheap Houses (Bilike heyzer in yiddish) Kloyz at 47 and 49 Sirotskaia (Subocz, to-day Subačiaus) Street (Figs. 139, 140).

Two six-storied buildings with cheap apartments for the Vilnius Jews were built in 1899–1900 according to the design of Edward Goldberg (1842–1928) from warsaw.459

138. View of Paplavos, the Poplaver beit Midrash (No. 125) is seen on the left.I x (Photo: Jan Bułhak, ca. 1912. After wilno Jana Bułhaka, eds. J. Kucharska, M. Skrejko, A. Rybacki [Krakow, 1996])

139. Cheap apartment houses at 47 and 49 Subačiaus Street, one of which housed the Cheap Houses Kloyz, No. 128. (Photo: Giedrė Mickūnaitė, 2010. SLC Archives)

140. Cheap apartment house at 47 Subačiaus Street. (Photo: Giedrė Mickūnaitė, 2010. SLC Archives)

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The houses belonged to the Society of Cheap Hygienic Apartments for the Jewish Popu-lation, the main shareholder of which was the Jewish Colonization Association. Accord-ing to the report of this society for 1907, 177 Jewish and 14 Christian families rented apartments in the houses; there were a day nursery, an elementary school, a bathhouse, and a laundry.460 Inhabitants of the houses asked for establishment of a kloyz already in 1904, and in 1907 the kloyz was indeed opened in the premises of the former laundry.461 According to yaffe, it was a small kloyz with a women’s section. Since August 1941 the houses were used for accommodation of the families of Soviet soldiers, and the kloyz was “damaged.”462 with the establishment of the Jewish work camp of H.K.P. (Heeres Kraftfahrpark, Army Moor Vehicles Depot) in those buildings in 1943, a secret prayer room was organized by the Shtranshus family, with collective prayers three times a day; “on holidays the place was full of people.”463

141. Antoni Filipowicz-Dubowik, design for a synagogue at 44 Subocz (today Subačiaus) Street. (Drawing, 1926. AAN, Ministerstwo Spraw Wewnętrznych, Departament Techniczno-Budowlany, Dokumentacja Techniczna, sygn. 3826, k. 1)

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129. Ruzeler Synagogue at former 50 Sirotskaia (Subocz, today Subačiaus) Street. According to yaffe, a synagogue in the Ruzele area (derived from the name of Jeru-

salem and used among the Jews for the Markučiai suburb) was established ca. 1860; its existence was mentioned in 1887.464 on the 1909 map by David Maggid, “Ieruzalimskii” kloyz is shown directly to the east of Poplavy and the bridge across the Vilnia River.465 In 1915 the kloyz of the “Jerusalem area association Gmilut Ḥesed” was registered at 53 Sirotskaia Street in rented premises, and it served 61 worshippers.466 In the late 1910s – early 1920s its address was given as 61 “Jerusalem” / “Jerozolimska” Street, and in the early 1940s as 50 Subačiaus Street.467 According to yaffe, the synagogue was rebuilt in 1930. It was a high building, with spacious prayer hall and a women’s section. By 1942 the synagogue was completely destroyed.468 It makes sense to suppose that the 1926 de-sign by Filipowicz-Dubowik for 44 Subačiaus Street, which attempted to coin a “native” synagogue style, was prepared for rebuilding of this synagogue (Fig. 141).469

130. A kloyz at former 61 Sirotskaia (today Subačiaus) Street. the kloyz existed by 1916 and had 43 regular worshippers.470

Naujininkai131. novisvyater Kloyz – Bonk’s Kloyz at 6 Snegovaia (today Sniego) Street.

A small kloyz with a women’s section was established ca. 1860 by Matskevich in a building in his courtyard in the Novyi Svet (Nowy Świat, today Naujininkai) suburb. Its interior was “nicely painted.” In 1916 there were 75 regular worshippers. By 1942 the kloyz was heavily damaged.471

132. Skaplerner Kloyz at the corner of former 1 Shkaplernaia (today Dzūkų) and former 4 (or 11) Radunskaia (today Darius ir Girėno) Streets.

A kloyz with a women’s section was built ca. 1840 in the Novyi Svet (Nowy Świat, today Naujininkai) suburb. It was situated on the first floor of a wooden building and served 40 regular worshippers in 1916; in 1924 their number grew to 61. By 1942 the kloyz was “considerably damaged.”472

133. Komine Kloyz at former 70 Radunskaia (today Darius ir Girėno) Street. A small kloyz with a women’s section in Kominy (Kaminai) suburb (today part of

Naujininkai) was built ca. 1860. Its prayer hall was situated on the first floor of the build-ing. There were 56 worshippers in September 1915 and 40 in April 1916. By 1942 the kloyz was “completely dismantled.”473

Liepkalnis134. Lipovker Beit Midrash at former 39 ostrovorotnaia (Beliny, today Liepkalnio) Street.

A spacious beit midrash with a women’s section was established in Lipovka (Liep-kalnis) suburb ca. 1860. Its prayer hall was situated on the first floor of a building. In 1916 there were 55 regular worshippers. By 1942 it was “ruined.”474

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Kirtimai135. Porubanker Beit Midrash.

A beit midrash in the village Porubanok (in Russian, Porubanek in Polish, Kirtimai in Lithuanian), south of the city, today Kirtimai area near the airport.475

P r a y e r h o u s e s , a d d r e s s e s o f w h i c h h a v e n o t b e e n i d e n t i f i e d 4 7 6 :Alperovich’s Kloyz. Drabkin’s Minyan.Elkin’s Kloyz.Falan’s Kloyz.Ginitsiski’s Kloyz.Gloybishuve Kloyz.477

Goldfayn’s Minyan.grad Kloyz.Kuritski’s Kloyz.Lazurski’s Kloyz.Rosenthal’s Kloyz.Tsvi Rozovski’s Kloyz.Kloyz Shomer Emunim (“the one that remains faithful,” Is. 26:2).Shops-owners’ (Kremer balebatim) Kloyz.478

Faivel Valk’s Kloyz, established by the rabbi and precious stones merchant Faivel Valk (1806–72).479

Vendrof’s Minyan.water Carriers’ Kloyz.480

yakobson’s Kloyz.yoselevich’s Minyan.

V.L.

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n o t e si This plan has been republished many times, for example Leyzer Ran,

Jerusalem of Lithuania, (New york, 1974), vol. 1, 105; Algė Jankevičienė, Vilniaus Didžioji sinagoga / The Great Synagogue of Vilnius (Vilnius, 1996), 24; David Katz, Lithuanian Jewish Culture (Vilnius, 2004), 114. It should be mentioned that the depiction of the Strashun Library (charac-ter г) and the shops is misleading: the shops (character д) were situated on the ground floor of the library building. Please note that Г in the site plan scheme is erroneously named in Hebrew “Kloyz of yesod” instead of old Kloyz, while in yiddish and Russian the inscriptions are correct.

ii Photographs collected in Ran’s Jerusalem of Lithuania are reproduced with the explicit permission of the editor, as stated in vol. 3, p. 40.

iii The drawing was published as the Torah ark doors of the Great Syna-gogue; but the comparison of its photographs (Fig. 16) with the doors kept in the Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum (Fig. 21) shows that this identification is wrong. The comparison of the drawing with the photo-graph of the Torah ark in the Ḥevra Kadisha Synagogue (Fig. 54) and stylistic analysis of the doors allow supposing that the drawing depicts the doors in the Ḥevra Kadisha Synagogue. I thank Dr. Aistė Niunkaitė-Račiūnienė for her help in this issue.

iV The identification of the photographs (Figs. 82, 83), published by Ran without captions, was made according to the drawing by Kamarauskas’ in Drėma, Lost Vilnius, 282.

V The identification of this and next photographs, published also in Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, 2: 520–21 without captions, was made according to the drawing by Kamarauskas’ in Vladas Drėma, Dingęs Vilnius / Lost Vilnius / Ischeznuvshii Vilnius (Vilnius, 1996), 283.

Vi I am grateful to Dr. Aistė Niunkaitė-Račiūnienė for bringing these photo-graphs (Figs. 127–129) to my attention and dating them.

Vii I am grateful to Mr. Gediminas Jucys for bringing this photograph to my attention.

Viii I am grateful to Mr. Gediminas Jucys for bringing this photograph to my attention. The panoramic view made of two photographs can be seen at www.heritage.lt/km/laik/000b.asp?view=02VF_24P21

(accessed 10-2-2011). Ix I am grateful to Mr. Gediminas Jucys and Dr. Aistė Niunkaitė-Račiūnienė

for their help in attributing this photograph.

1 without the generous help of Dr. Katrin Keßler and Ms. Dovilė Tros-kovaitė this appendix could not have been written. I wish to express my gratitude to Prof. Mordechai zalkin who read this text, made useful sug-gestions and pointed to important sources. My thanks go also to Dr. Aistė Niunkaitė-Račiūnienė, Mrs. Irina Guzenberg, Mr. Gediminas Jucys, Mr. Benjamin Lukin, Prof. ziva Amishai-Maisels, Mr. william Gross and Ms. Ilana Segal for their assistance.

2 Israel Klausner, Toldot ha-kehilah ha-ivrit be-vilna (The history of the Jewish community in Vilna) (Vilnius, 1938), 98; Mordechai zalkin, “’Mkomot she-lo mats’ah adain ha-ḥasidut ken la klal’? Bein ḥasidim le-mitnagdim be-lita ba-meah ha-19” (“Places where Hasidism did not yet find a nest?” Between Hasidim and Mitnagdim in Lithuania in the 19th century), in Be-maagalei ḥasidim: Kovets meḥkarim le-zikhro shel pro-fessor mordekhai vilenski (within Hasidic circles: Studies in Hasidism in memory of Professor Mordecai wilensky), eds. Immanuel Etkes, David

Assaf, Israel Bartal, Elchanan Reiner (Jerusalem, 1999), 29.3 Klausner, Toldot ha-kehilah, 98.4 Counted from the financial reports of the kloyzn in 1915–17, LVIA,

F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 1–99 (microfilms in CAHJP, inv. 9407).5 LVIA, F. 378, Ap. 1834, B. 1842, L. 6v; Israel Klausner, Vilna – yerusha-

laim de-lita: dorot aḥaronim, 1881–1939 (Vilna – Jerusalem of Lithua-nia: last generations, 1881–1939) (Jerusalem, 1983), 92–93.

6 LVIA, F. 378, Ap. 1847, B. 1682, L. 9 (microfilm in CAHJP, HM2/9763.4).7 LVIA, F. 388, Ap. 1, B. 473, L. 22.8 Isaak Rülf, Drei Tage in Jüdisch-Russland: Ein Kultur- und Sittenbild

(Three days in Jewish Russia: a view on culture and customs) (Frankfurt am Main, 1882), 4; Klausner, Vilna: dorot aḥaronim, 93. Cf. idem, Vil-na – yerushalaim de-lita: dorot rishonim, 1495–1881 (Vilna – Jerusalem of Lithuania: first generations, 1495–1881) (Jerusalem, 1988), 390.

9 Klausner, Vilna: dorot aḥaronim, 93 after Ha-mazkir [Hillel Noaḥ Maggid-Steinschneider], “Vilna (Vilnius)” Ha-yom 71 (26-3-1887 [7-4-1887]): 1.

10 LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 21–45v. Cf. Vilniaus Žinios 1 (1-1-1905 [14-1-1905]): 3, which wrote about 97 Jewish prayer houses in 1905.

11 Klausner, Vilna: dorot aḥaronim, 93.12 “Budzhet fun di vilner kehile” (Budget of the Vilna Community), Vilner

zamlbukh (Vilne anthology), ed. Tsemaḥ Shabad (Vilnius, 1916), 262. For financial reports of the kloyzn see LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 1–99 (microfilms in CAHJP, inv. 9407).

13 Jarosław wołkonowski, Stosunki polsko-żydowskie w Wilnie i na Wileńszczyźnie, 1919–1939 (The Polish–Jewish relations in Vilnius and the Vilnius region) (Białystok, 2004), 150; Klausner, Vilna: dorot aḥaronim, 194. Cf. 104 prayer houses mentioned in 1937 – yeḥezkel Kremerman, Mi-vilna “yerushalaiym de-lita” ad heifah (From Vilnius, Jerusalem of Lithuania to Haifa) (Haifa, 1995), 36, 241.

14 Khaykl Lunski, Fun vilner geto: geshtalten un bilder (From the ghetto of Vilna: figures and pictures) (Vilnius, 1920), 57–58. The last chapter of the book, “Vilner kloyzn, di yidishe gas un der shul-hoyf” (Vilnius kloyzn, the Jewish street and the synagogue courtyard), has a separate title page, but its pagination continues that of the previous chapter. The Hebrew ver-sion of the chapter was published under the name “Ha-kloyzim be-vilnah, ḥatsar beit-ha-kneset u-reḥov ha-yehudim,” Ha-tsfirah 138 (4-7-1921): 2; 139 (5-7-1921): 2; 140 (6-7-1921): 2; 141 (7-7-1921): 2.

15 Avraham Nisan yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” LCVA, F. R-1421, Ap. 1, B. 505.

16 Leyzer Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania (New york, 1974), vol. 1, 104.17 Kremerman, Mi-vilna, 241–46.18 LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 21–45v.19 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 1–99 (microfilms in CAHJP, inv. 9407). This

collection includes also file 100, where two undated lists of kloyzn with names of their board members are kept. The first list, written in German, was obviously prepared for the German authorities which governed Viln-ius in 1915–18; however, there are corrections made in 1921 (L. 7v). The second list repeats the first one in Polish and was prepared for the Polish authorities which took over Vilnius in 1920.

20 zalman Shik, 1000 yor vilne (1000 years Vilnius) (Vilnius, 1939) (I am grateful to Prof. Mordechai zalkin for lending his copy of this book).

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21 I would not have been able to identify different street names if not for the useful website “Starye karty Vilniusa” (old maps of Vilnius), www.vil-nius.skynet.lt/map.html (accessd 10-10-2010). whenever a kloyz was not listed by Ran, this is mentioned in notes.

22 on 12 synagogues in the shulhoyf see Kremerman, Mi-vilna, 241.23 Cf. Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 126; Kremerman, Mi-vilna, 243. For the depic-

tion of the street façades of the houses 6–12 on Vokiečių Street see the drawing by Juozapas Kamarauskas from 1944 in Drėma, Lost Vilnius, 198–99.

24 on the shulhoyf see Lunski, Fun vilner geto; Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 171–217; and recently Katz, Lithuanian Jewish Culture, 114–19.

25 Lunski, Fun vilner geto, 66–67; Klausner, Toldot ha-kehilah, 100–04; Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 172, 197.

26 Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 173.27 LVIA, F. 378, Ap. 1828, B. 140 (microfilm in CAHJP, HM2/9773.3).28 Genrikh Agranovskii and Irina Guzenberg, Vilnius: 100 Memorable

Sites of Jewish History and Culture (Vilnius, third revised edition, 2008), 14.

29 Chaim Grade, The Agunah, translated by Curt Leviant (New york and Indianopolis, 1974), 69–71; idem, Der Shulhoyf (New york, 1958); idem, Di kloyz un di gas (The kloyz and the street) (New york, 1974), 9–44.

30 Avrom Karpinovich, Af vilner vegn (on Vilnius’ paths) (Tel Aviv, 1987), pp. 79–89, 111–22.

31 on the Great Synagogue see: Jankevičienė, The Great Synagogue of Vil-nius; Maria and Kazimierz Piechotka, Bramy Nieba: Bóżnice murowane na ziemiach dawnej Rzeczypospolitej (The gates of heaven: masonry synagogues in the old Commonwealth) (warsaw, 1999), 224–29; Marija Rupeikienė, A Disappearing Heritage: The Synagogue Architecture of Lithuania (Vilnius, 2008), 40–43, 97–98.

32 Klausner, Toldot ha-kehilah, 9; idem, Vilna: dorot rishonim, 9.33 Klausner, Vilna: dorot rishonim, 12–14.34 Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 179. Photograph of the 1640 door is published in

Evreiskaia entsiklopediia (Jewish encyclopedia), vol. 5 (St. Petersburg, 1910), 579.

35 Jankevičienė (The Great Synagogue of Vilnius, 17) mistakenly connects the galleries with the kuna – an iron collar, chained to a wall in the polish (vestibule) of the Great Synagogue. Those convicted by the kahal were chained in the kuna and thus exposed to shame in front of the whole com-munity.

36 Sergey R. Kravtsov, “Juan Bautista Villalpando and Sacred Architecture in the Seventeenth Century,” Journal of the Society of Architectural His-torians 64.3 (2005): 322.

37 Klausner, Toldot ha-kehilah, 23–24; Idem, Vilna: dorot rishonim, 54–55.38 Klausner, Toldot ha-kehilah, 73. An interior view of the Great Synagogue

drawn by Franciszek Smugliewicz in 1786 (Fig. 5) depicts the surmount-ing element of the Torah ark as a Polish heraldic crowned eagle standing on an orb; however, no other evidence testifies to such image, see Pie-chotka, Bramy Nieba, 225.

39 Klausner, Toldot ha-kehilah, 73.40 Marija Rupeikienė, “Sinagogos” (Synagogues), in Lietuvos architektūros

istorija (A history of Lithuanian architecture), eds. Algė Jankevičienė

et al., vol. 2, Nuo XVII a. pradžios iki XIX a. vidurio (From the early 17th untill the middle of the 19th century) (Vilnius, 1994), 158.

41 See Sergey R. Kravtsov, “Synagogue Architecture in Lithuania” in the first volume of this Catalogue, p. 57.

42 Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 185; yitsḥak Broydes, Agadot yerushalaim de-lita (Stories of Jerusalem of Lithuania) (Tel Aviv, 1947), 61–66.

43 E.g. Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 185.44 Shmuel yosef Finn, Kiryah neemanah (Vilna, 1860), 220–21; Klausner,

Toldot ha-kehilah, 73.45 Kremerman, Mi-vilna, 242.46 See, for example, Broydes, Agadot yerushalaim de-lita, 23.47 Klausner, Toldot ha-kehilah, 74; Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 182, 187. It is in-

teresting that the little-known Russian-Polish war of 1794 was substituted in some stories by the famous Napoleonic war – see, for example, Karpi-novich, “Der shulhoyf,” 116.

48 yetser, “Vilna,” Ha-melits 151 (7-7-1892 [19-7-1892]): 3 (I am grateful to Mr. Dror Segev who brought this source to our attention); Moyshe Shalit, “Vilner biblioteken,” 31; Israel Klausner, “Batei eked sfarim bi-rushalayim de-lita“ (Libraries in Jerusalem of Lithuania), in Vilner zaml-bukh – Measef vilna (Vilna anthology), ed. Israel Rudnitski, (Tel Aviv, 1975), 51.

49 Shalit, “Vilner biblioteken,” 31.50 Jankevičienė, The Great Synagogue of Vilnius, 29; Rupeikienė, A Disap-

pearing Heritage, 124. Konstantin Koroedov (1862– after 1912), held the office of the Vilnius City Architect during 1894–1904. His designs are characteristic of heavy rusticated façades and a mixture of features bor-rowed from “neo-styles.” For his professional biography see Nijolė Lukšionytė-Tolvaišienė, “Vilniaus architektai” (The architects of Viln-ius), in Europos dailė. Lietuviškieji variantai (European art. Lithuanian versions), ed. Aleksandra Aleksandravičiūtė, Acta Academiae Artium Vilnensis (Vilnius, 1994), 245–46.

51 Drėma, Lost Vilnius, 288.52 Civil engineer Leonid Viner (b. 1860) arrived to Vilnius from St. Peters-

burg and was employed as a junior engineer at the Vilnius City Construc-tion Department; in 1895–1901 he was appointed Engineer of the Vilnius Province, on his professional biography see Lukšionytė-Tolvaišienė, “Vil-niaus architektai,” 235.

53 Jankevičienė, The Great Synagogue of Vilnius, 26; LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 1, B. 1513. Cf. yetser, “Vilna,” Ha-melits 151 (7-7-1892 [19-7-1892]): 3.

54 The drawings are kept in the Institute of Polish Architecture at the war-saw University of Technology (zakład Architektury Polskiej Politechniki warszawskiej); their copies redrawn by Arkadii Konduralov (1883–1971) in 1949 are kept in KPCA, Nos. 418–21.

55 KPCA, F. 5, Ap. 1, B. 1257.56 Drėma, Lost Vilnius, 291; Jankevičienė, The Great Synagogue of Vilnius

(Vilnius, 1996), 32.57 Rülf, Drei Tage, 7; Eliezer Eliyahu Friedman, Sefer ha-zikhronot (Book

of memoirs) (Tel Aviv, 1926), 138; Lunski, Fun vilner geto, 65–66. 58 Kremerman, Mi-vilna, 242.59 Klausner, Toldot ha-kehilah, 23–24; Idem, Vilna: dorot rishonim, 54–55.60 Klausner, Toldot ha-kehilah, 74.61 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 84 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407).

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62 Grade, Di kloyz un di gas, 9–44.63 Moshe Vorobeichic, Ein Ghetto im Osten (Wilna) (A ghetto in the East:

wilna) (zurich, 1931), 4; Klausner, Toldot ha-kehilah, 74.64 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 24; Klausner, Toldot ha-kehilah, 74.65 Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 209; yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 24;

Klausner, Vilna: dorot rishonim, 177; idem., Vilna: dorot aḥaronim, 93. Cf. LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 33v.

66 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 24.67 Lunski, Fun vilner geto, 67; Klausner, Toldot ha-kehilah, 77–78, 98, 105,

114; Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 209–12.68 Ran (Jerusalem of Lithuania, 1: 110 and 2: 520) and after him Rupeikienė

(A Disappearing Heritage, 77) misattributed the photographs of a Torah ark in an unknown synagogue (reproduced in Kravtsov’s article in the first volume of this Catalogue, Fig. 7, p. 84) as well as the southeastern façade of Tandetnikes’ Kloyz (No. 28, Fig. 80) to the Ḥevra Kadisha Syn-agogue. The actual photograph of the Torah ark of the Ḥevra Kadisha Synagogue was published in 1938 and 1939 by Klausner, Toldot ha-kehi-lah, ill. facing p. 114, and by Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 211 (see Fig. 53).

69 David Maggid, “Me-atikot vilna” (From the Vilnius antiquities), He-avar 1 (1918), 79, 83.

70 LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 32v; LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 81 (micro-film in CAHJP, inv. 9407).

71 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 81 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407).72 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 28; LCVA, F. 53, Ap. 23, B. 1639,

L. 104 (microfilm in CAHJP, НМ3/541.1). Cf. a small photograph, showing the painted pilasters on the walls in Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, 1: 110.

73 Kremerman, Mi-vilna, 77.74 Karpinovich, “Di kats,” in Af vilner vegn, 88.75 Lunski, Fun vilner geto, 65; Klausner, Toldot ha-kehilah, 78; Shik, 1000

yor vilne, 203; Mendel zalmanovich, “Vilner bes-din” (Vilnius court of law) in Vilner almanakh (Vilnius almanac), ed. E.I. Grodzeǹski (Vilnius, 1939), 334; yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 56. Cf. Rülf, Drei Tage, 73; Israel Cohen, Vilna (Philadelphia, 1943), 112; Kremerman, Mi-vilna, 241; Rupeikienė, A Disappearing Heritage, 79; LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 33v.

76 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 86 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407).77 Chaim Grade, Der shtumer minyan (The silent minyan) (New york,

1976), 11. I am grateful to Mrs. Svetlana Amosova for bringing this source to my attention.

78 Chaim Grade, Di agune (New york, 1961), 75. This passage is missing in the English translation from 1974.

79 Kremerman, Mi-vilna, 241.80 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 56.81 Mordechai zalkin, “‘Ir shel torah’ – torah ve-lomdeiha ba-merḥav ha-

ironi ha-litai ba-meah ha-tsha-esreh” (‘City of Torah’: the Torah and To-rah-students in the Lithuanian urban space in the 19th century), in Yes-hivot ve-batei midrashot (yeshivas and batei midrash), ed. Immanuel Etkes (Jerusalem, 2006), 148.

82 Klausner, Toldot ha-kehilah, 74–76; Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 203–07. Cf. Friedman, Sefer ha-zikhronot, 139. The 1904 list of the Vilnius synago-gues names this kloyz as “shkola Eisot” and gives its address at 8 Evreis-kaia Street, LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 34v.

83 A photograph of the northwestern façade is published in Vorobeichic, Ein Ghetto im Osten, 15. A drawing by Moshe Lejbowski of the northwestern façade of the kloyz appears on the title page of Moritz Grossman, Yidishe vilne in vort un bild: ilyustrirter almanakh (Jewish Vilna in word and picture: An illustrated almanac) (Vilnius, 1925) (I am grateful to Prof. Mordechai zalkin for providing his copy of this publication) and it was reprinted on the title page of Yidishe vilne in vort un bild (Jewish Vilna in word and picture), ed. Leyzer Ran (New york, 1955).

84 Lunski, Fun vilner geto, 63.85 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 96 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407).86 Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 172.87 Klausner, Toldot ha-kehilah, 78–80; Hillel Noaḥ Maggid-Steinschneider,

Ir vilna (The city of Vilnius), vol. 1 (Vilnius, 1900), 104–05.88 LVIA, F. 378, Ap. 1856, B. 934 (microfilm in CAHJP, HM2/9766.4);

LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 34; Ap. 4, B. 5887.89 Lunski, Fun vilner geto, 60; Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 217.90 Finn, Kiryah neemanah, 154–55, 274–76. Cf. LVIA, F. 378, Ap. 1856, B.

934 (microfilm in CAHJP, HM2/9766.4).91 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 67, L. 7, 14 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407);

LCVA, F. 53, op. 23, d. 3554, L. 45–54 (microfilm in CAHJP, НМ3/547.5).92 Additional photograph of a bench in the Gaon’s Kloyz is published in

Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, 1: 111.93 Ben-Tsiyon Eisenstadt, Dor rabanav ve-sofrav (Generation of rabbis and

writers), vol. 2 (Vilnius, 1900), 26; Klausner, Vilna: dorot aḥaronim, 93; Drėma, Lost Vilnius, 288; LVIA, F. 378, Ap. 1856, B. 934, L. 33 (micro-film in CAHJP, HM2/9766.4).

94 Eisenstadt, Dor rabanav ve-sofrav, 2: 26; Klausner, Vilna: dorot aḥaro-nim, 93; Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 216; see photographs in Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, 2: 519 and the drawing by Kamarauskas in Drėma, Lost Vil-nius, 290–91.

95 This façade is seen also on the photographs published in Vorobeichic, Ein Ghetto im Osten (Wilna), 10; Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, 2: 519.

96 I am grateful to Prof. ziva Amichai-Maisels for bringing this painting to our attention.

97 Finn, Kiryah neemanah, 154–55; Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 215–16; Klausner, Toldot ha-kehilah, 80; Khaykl Lunski, Legendes vegn vilner goen (Leg-ends about the Vilna Gaon) (Vilnius, 1924), 24; Ran, Jerusalem of Lithua-nia, 1: 111. Cf. Cohen, Vilna, 111; David Livni (weissbord), Yerushalayim de-lita (Jerusalem of Lithuania) (Tel Aviv, 1930), vol. 1, 33; Kremerman, Mi-vilna, 241.

98 Herman Kruk, The Last Days of the Jerusalem of Lithuania: Chronicles from the Vilna Ghetto and the Camps, 1939–1944, ed. Benjamin Harshav, trans. Barbara Harshav (New Haven and London, 2002), 165.

99 I am grateful to william Gross for revealing the existence of the chest and to Ilana Segal, Curator of Collections in Spertus Institute for sharing in-formation on its provenance.

100 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 79; Ben-Tsiyon Klebansky, “Ha-yeshivot ha-litaiyot be-mizraḥ eiropah bein shtei milḥamot ha-olam” (The Lithuanian yeshivas in Eastern Europe between the two world wars), Ph.D. diss., Tel Aviv University, 2009, 353.

101 Tsvi Rayak, “Di levye fun profanirte sefer-toyres” (The funeral of dese-crated Torah scrolls), in Israel Rudnitski (ed.), Vilner zamlbukh – Measef vilna (Vilna anthology) (Tel Aviv, 1975), 83.

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102 Hillel Noaḥ Maggid-Steinschneider, “Vilna,” Ha-melits 231 (25-10-1888 [6-11-1888]): 2328; Klausner, Vilna: dorot rishonim, 395. Cf. Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 213–14; LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 37; Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, 1: 172. The establishment of the kloyz is misdated to 1840 in Rupeikienė, A Disappearing Heritage, 111.

103 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 97 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407).104 LCVA, F. 53, Ap. 23, B. 3554, L. 231–239 (microfilm in CAHJP,

НМ3/547.5)105 Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 213; yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 37–38.

Cf. LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 33v.106 Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 193–97; Lunski, Fun vilner geto, 67.107 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 90 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407), citation

from L. 11.108 LCVA, F. 53, Ap. 23, B. 1639, L. 81 (microfilm in CAHJP, НМ3/541.1).109 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 56.110 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 90 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407).111 Grade, The Agunah, 69.112 Avrom Karpinovich, “Di gzeyre,” in Afn vilner gasn (on Vilnius’ streets)

(Tel Aviv, 1981), 11–24. The story was translated into Hebrew by Avra-ham yavin under the name “Ha-onesh” (The punishment) and is pub-lished in Avraham Karpinovich, Sipurei vilna (The Vilnius stories) (Tel Aviv, 1995), 60–73. Karpinovich mentiones that the Tiferet Baḥurim Kloyz was situated one floor above the Painters’ Kloyz (Afn vilner gasn, 12; Sipurei vilna, 61; Afn vilner vegn, 118). Most probably he had in mind the upper hall of the Ḥevra Poalim Kloyz, which was used by the Tiferet Baḥurim Society in the 1930s (No. 12).

113 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 56.114 Most probably this kloyz is mentioned also under the name Poalei Tsedek

(Righteous workers), (Vilna: A Jewish Community in Times of Glory and in Time of Destruction, YIVO Exhibition Catalogue [New york, 1960], 34, no. 335; Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, 1: 104) and as Anshei Ḥefets Kloyz, as it appears in a leaflet reproduced by Ran (ibid., 104, 115). In the early 20th century, this kloyz was probably named “shkola subbotniaia” (Saturday prayer house), LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 37; LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 100, L. 6, 27 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407).

115 Lunski, Fun vilner geto, 66; Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 188–92; Shmaryahu Sharafan, “Di religieze vilne” (Religious Vilnius), in Vilner almanakh (The Vilnius almanac), ed. E.I. Grodzeǹski (Vilnius, 1939), 325; LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 55 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407); yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 52 (yaffe gives the establishment year as 1865); Kremerman, Mi-vilna, 243. Cf. Klausner, Vilna: dorot aḥaronim, 95; Grade, The Agunah, 69–70.

116 Shimon Dubnov, Toldot ha-ḥasidut (The history of Hasidism) (Tel Aviv, 1930-32), 223–24; Israel Klausner, Ha-pulmus ha-pnimi be-kehilat vilna ba-maḥatsit ha-shniyah shel ha-meah ha-yud-ḥet (Internal conflict in the Vilnius community in the second half of the 18th century) (Jerusalem, 1940), 24–25; Finn, Kiryah neemanah, 264.

117 Klausner, Ha-pulmus ha-pnimi, 45 n. 4; zeev Rabinovich, Ha-ḥasidut ha-litait me-reshita ve-ad yemeinu (Lithuanian Hasidism from its begin-ning to the present day) (Jerusalem, 1961), 113.

118 Lunski, Fun vilner geto, 66; Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 191, 199; Friedman, Sefer ha-zikhronot, 139; yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 28–29.

Cf. LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 36v; Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, 1: 172; Grade, The Agunah, 70; Grade, “Di shvue” (The oath), in Di kloyz un di gas, 162, 191–92. In the “large” ghetto, on the High Holidays of autumn 1942, the Hasidim prayed in the kindergarten at 3 Szawelska (today Šiaulių) Street, Kalman Farber, Olkeniki, radin, vilna: me-yomano shel ben torah ba-shoah u-lefaneha (olkieniki [i.e. Valkininkai], Radun, Vilnius: From the diary of a Torah man during and before the Holocaust) (Jerusalem, 2007), 87.

119 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 45 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407).120 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 28–29.121 Klausner, Ha-pulmus ha-pnimi, 45 n. 3. Cf. LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141,

L. 33.122 Maggid-Steinschneider, Ir vilna, 1: 290; Lunski, Fun vilner geto, 66;

Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 191, 199; Friedman, Sefer ha-zikhronot, 139.123 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 63, L. 5 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407).124 Lunski, Fun vilner geto, 66; yeḥiel Sroelovich, Tiferet Baḥurim (Splen-

dor of young Men) (Vilnius, 1904), 15; Grossman, Yidishe vilne, 63; Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 198–202; Sharafan, “Di religieze vilne,” 324; yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 49. Cf. Vilna: A Jewish Community in Times of Glory and in Time of Destruction, 34, no. 339; Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, 1: 261; Broydes, Agadot yerushalaim de-lita, 132–38.

125 Lunski, Fun vilner geto, 67.126 on the activities of Tiferet Baḥurim in the 1930s see Kremerman, Mi-vil-

na, 31–36. See also Karpinovich’s “Di gzeyre” in Afn vilner gasn, 11–24.127 Vorobeichic, Ein Ghetto im Osten (Wilna), 61.128 Klausner, Toldot ha-kehilah, 72; Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 231; Pinkas of the

Mishnah society, GARF, F. P-9531, op. 1, D. 35 (microfilm in CAHJP, HMF/701). Cf. Finn, Kiryah neemanah, 183; Lunski, Fun vilner geto, 59; LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 34.

129 Ben-Tsiyon Alfas, Maaseh alfas: toldot ve-zikhronot (Deed of Alfas: his-tory and reminiscences) (Jerusalem, 1941), 90.

130 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 24, L. 7 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407).131 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 29 (yaffe states that the kloyz

was established in 1788). Cf. Klausner, Vilna: dorot aḥaronim, 95. Ru-peikienė, who names the owner Liozer, states that the kloyz was given to the Bible Society in 1788 (A Disappearing Heritage, 100). However, Ḥevra Torah (The Bible Society) was only one of several societites which functioned in this kloyz (should not be confused with the Ḥevra Torah Kloyz in a house across the street at 17 today’s Žydų St.). For a depiction of the street façade of the building see the drawing by Kamarauskas in Drėma, Lost Vilnius, 291; Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, 1: 119. The en-trance to the kloyz appears also on the photographs by Vorobeichic, Ein Ghetto im Osten (Wilna), 20, and the drawing by Mečislovas Bulaka (1945), published in Drėma, Lost Vilnius, 396.

132 Grade, Di kloyz un di gas, 50. 133 Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 232, 150; LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 14, L. 6–7 (mi-

crofilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407). Cf. LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 34v; Lunski, Fun vilner geto, 60. For the depiction of the street façade of the building in 1944 see the drawing by Kamarauskas in Drėma, Lost Vilnius, 291; Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, 1: 119.

134 Maggid-Steinschneider, Ir vilna, 1: 119–20. Cf. Klausner, Vilna: dorot rishonim, 175; LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 32v.

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135 on the Ramayles yeshiva see zalkin, “Ir shel torah,” 151–53.136 “Unzere yeshives” (our yeshivas), Vilner vokhenblat 23 (7-6-1913): 2.137 LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 4, B. 2893, L. 1-6.138 LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 4, B. 2893, L. 7-14.139 LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 4, B. 2893, L. 15-19.140 Ha-modia 8 (10-6-1910): 126.141 Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 225.142 Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 154, 218–19; LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 37, L. 16

(microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407); yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 60. Cf. LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 36; Lunski, Fun vilner geto, 59.

143 Klausner, Vilna: dorot rishonim, 312.144 Maggid-Steinschneider, Ir vilna, 1: 123–24; Lunski, Fun vilner geto, 59;

Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 154, 220–22; yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 31; zalkin, “Ir shel torah,” 154; LCVA, F. 53, Ap. 23, B. 3554, L. 126–137 (microfilm in CAHJP, НМ3/547.5). Cf. Klausner, Vilna: dorot aḥa-ronim, 95. This kloyz was also sometimes named Or Torah [Light of the Torah] Kloyz (e.g. LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 36; LCVA, F. 53, Ap. 23, B. 3554, L. 45–54). The kloyz is misnamed as “the Friends of the Torah” in Rupeikienė, A Disappearing Heritage, 101. Shaia yankel yose-lev Grommer, probably a grandson of yeshayahu, participated in the elec-tions of Vilnius Crown Rabbi in 1904 as a representative from this kloyz (LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 36). For the depiction of the street façades of the building in 1944 see the drawing by Kamarauskas in Drėma, Lost Vilnius, 282, 289.

145 Klausner, Toldot ha-kehilah, 114.146 Lunski, Fun vilner geto, 59; Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 222–23; Klausner,

Vilna: dorot rishonim, 396; LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 36.147 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 18, L. 3 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407);148 Grade, Der shtumer minyan, 175–76.149 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 49–50. For the depiction of the

street façades of the building in 1944 see the drawing by Kamarauskas in Drėma, Lost Vilnius, 282, 289.

150 Lunski, Fun vilner geto, 59; Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 154; LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 34v. Cf. Klausner, Vilna: dorot rishonim, 391. For the depiction of the street façades of the building in 1944 see the drawing by Kamarauskas in Drėma, Lost Vilnius, 282, 289.

151 Klausner, Toldot ha-kehilah, 123.152 LVIA, F. 936, Ap. 4, B. 5397. on Filipowicz-Dubowik see note 374

below.153 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 30, L. 15 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407).154 Klausner, Toldot ha-kehilah, 123; idem, Vilna: dorot rishonim, 178; idem,

Vilna: dorot aḥaronim, 93.155 LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 35; LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 75, L. 5

(microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407); yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 60; Lunski, Fun vilner geto, 59; Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 154, 230; Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, 2: 521; Kremerman, Mi-vilna, 244. For the de-piction of the street façades of the building in 1944 see the drawing by Kamarauskas in Drėma, Lost Vilnius, 282, 289.

156 Klausner, Toldot ha-kehilah, 123.157 Ibid., 66, 125; Lunski, Fun vilner geto, 59; Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 154,

158; LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 71, L. 13 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407); LCVA, F. 53, Ap. 23, B. 3554, L. 93–94 (microfilm in CAHJP,

НМ3/547.5); yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 60; Kremerman, Mi-vilna, 245. Cf. LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 35. on a conflict in the tailors’ guild in 1822 and the appearance of a splinter group, which might have established the second tailors’ kloyz (No. 33) see Mordechai zalkin, Mi-ginzei vilna: teudot historiyot le-toldot yehudei lita (From the hidden treasures of Jewish Vilnius: Historical documents from the Annals of Lithuanian Jewry) (Beer-Sheva, 2001), 22–23. For the depiction of the building in 1944 see the drawing by Kamarauskas in Drėma, Lost Vilnius, 283, 288.

158 Maggid-Steinschneider, Ir vilna, 1: 91; Lunski, Fun vilner geto, 58–59; Klausner, Vilna: dorot rishonim, 390–91; yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 38; LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 32. This kloyz is mislo-cated in the shulhoyf in Rupeikienė, A Disappearing Heritage, 111. For the depiction of the street façades of the building in 1944 see the drawing by Kamarauskas in Drėma, Lost Vilnius, 196, 289.

159 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 72, L. 1 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407); LCVA, F. 53, Ap. 23, B. 1639, L. 131 (microfilm in CAHJP, НМ3/541.1).

160 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 77; Klebansky, “Ha-yeshivot ha-litaiyot,” 353.

161 Maggid-Steinschneider, Ir vilna, 1: 63, 187; Lunski, Fun vilner geto, 58; Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 152; zalkin, “Ir shel torah,” 149–50. on Leybele Reb-Bers see Finn, Kiryah neemanah, 257–58. Cf. Klausner, Vilna: dorot rishonim, 174.

162 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 30; Maggid-Steinschneider, Ir vilna, 1: 63; Alfas, Maaseh alfas, 113. The kloyz is mentioned in Broydes, Agadot yerushalaim de-lita, 164.

163 LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 37v; Lunski, Fun vilner geto, 58; Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 152.

164 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 62, L. 7 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407).165 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 30 (stating that the kloyz was

established in 1760); Kremerman, Mi-vilna, 27, 244. Cf. Rupeikienė, A Disappearing Heritage, 79. For the depiction of the street façades of the building in 1944 see the drawing by Kamarauskas in Drėma, Lost Vilnius, 196, 289.

166 Maggid-Steinschneider, Ir vilna, 1: 245. This kloyz is mentioned as Ze-tel’s in Lunski, Fun vilner geto, 58. Among the representatives of this kloyz (listed as a “prayer house without a name”) for the elections of the Crown Rabbi in 1904 there was yankel zetel (LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 30v).

167 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 17 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407).168 Klausner, Vilna: dorot rishonim, 391.169 LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 30v; LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 100, L. 11v,

31 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407). Nelkin’s Minyan is named in Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, 1: 104. Shilem Nelkin was mentioned as a stu-dent in the yeshiva of Forty and as a maskil in the first half of the 19th century, Maggid-Steinschneider, Ir vilna, 1: 122; 2: 191. on the yeshiva of Forty see zalkin, “Ir shel torah,” 150–51. For the depiction of the street façade of the building in 1944 see the drawing by Kamarauskas in Drėma, Lost Vilnius, 200–01.

170 Ran, Yidishe vilne in vort un bild, page devoted to the Gmilut Ḥesed as-sociations.

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171 LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 35v; LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 74, L. 4 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407); Lunski, Fun vilner geto, 57.

172 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 31–32. The identification of the kloyz as “Drochim Hasidic prayer house” is not correct, Rupeikienė, A Dis-appearing Heritage, 77. For the depiction of the street façade of the buil-ding in 1944 see the drawing by Kamarauskas in Drėma, Lost Vilnius, 283.

173 Maggid-Steinschneider, Ir vilna, 1: 140; Finn, Kiryah neemanah, 191; Klausner, Vilna: dorot rishonim, 173. For this family’s ownership of the courtyard see Klausner, Toldot ha-kehilah, 68.

174 Maggid-Steinschneider, Ir vilna, 1: 140.175 Ibid., 129; S. Ia. Rozenfeld, “Rabbi Isroel Salanter (Lipkin), ego

deiatel’nost’ i posledovateli” (Rabbi Israel Salanter [Lipkin], his activi-ties and followers), Perezhitoe 1 (1909): 73; Immanuel Etkes, Rabbi Is-rael Salanter and the Mussar Movement: Seeking the Torah of Truth (Philadelphia, 1993), 99.

176 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 78.177 LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 24. Cf. Lunski, Fun vilner geto, 57.178 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 52, L. 7 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407).179 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 78 (names it “Klause der Kon-

fektionäre”). For the depiction of the street façade of the building in 1944 see the drawing by Kamarauskas in Drėma, Lost Vilnius, 283.

180 Sharafan, “Di religieze vilne,” 327; yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 62; Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 158; Klausner, Vilna: dorot aḥaronim, 635–36; Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, 1: 139; Kremerman, Mi-vilna, 244. For the depiction of the street façade of the building in 1944 see the drawing by Kamarauskas in Drėma, Lost Vilnius, 283.

181 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 63. on Notkin see Maggid-Steinschneider, Ir vilna, 1: 242–44.

182 Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 221; Klausner, Toldot ha-kehilah, 123; Ran, Jerusa-lem of Lithuania, 2: 251; Kremerman, Mi-vilna, 244. “The helm of re-demption” is mentioned in a midrash as being placed by God on the head of the Messiah before his appearance on earth.

183 LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 36v.184 on Eliezer Eliyahu Daikhes see Maggid-Steinschneider, Ir vilna, 1: 61–62;

on the family see ibid., 105–06; Finn, Kiryah neemanah, 248–49.185 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 52, L. 1–4; B. 31, L. 2–3 (microfilm in CAHJP,

inv. 9407).186 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 63. For the depiction of the street

façades of the building in 1944 see the drawing by Kamarauskas in Drėma, Lost Vilnius, 193, 282.

187 Maggid-Steinschneider, Ir vilna, 1: 36 (“he had houses on Glezer [Stiklių] Street and established there a beit midrash for Torah [study] and prayer, named “Be’er heytev” [Good commentary]).

188 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 62.189 LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 38; LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 82 (microfilm

in CAHJP, inv. 9407); LCVA, F. 53, Ap. 23, B. 1639, L. 200 (microfilm in CAHJP, НМ3/541.1); yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 62. See also the drawing from 1944 by Kamarauskas in Drėma, Lost Vilnius, 279.

190 LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 38; LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 60, L. 23 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407); Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 160; yaffe, “wil-na und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 46; Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, 2: 521; Kremerman, Mi-vilna, 244.

191 on the Council of yeshivas see Klebansky, “Ha-yeshivot ha-litaiyot,” 179–95. I am grateful to Dr. Ben-Tsiyon Klebansky for providing the ad-dress of the Council of yeshivas.

192 Sharafan, “Di religieze vilne,” 323. This prayer hall is not listed by Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, 1: 104.

193 LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 31v; LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 16 (micro-film in CAHJP, inv. 9407); Lunski, Fun vilner geto, 60; Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 157; yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 61.

194 Maggid-Steinschneider, Ir vilna, 1: 141–42; Finn, Kiryah neemanah, 188. Cf. Klausner, Vilna: dorot rishonim, 174; Ran, Jerusalem of Lithua-nia, 1: 104.

195 Klausner, Vilna: dorot rishonim, 178; Klausner, Vilna: dorot aḥaronim, 93.196 LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 32; Lunski, Fun vilner geto, 60; LVIA, F.

1215, Ap. 1, B. 7, L. 3 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407); Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 156–57; Sharafan, “Di religieze vilne,” 322; yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 61. I am grateful to Dr. Ulrich Knufinke for his help with deciphering the German name.

197 A leaflet with the text identical to the plaque “Psalms for the Holidays According to the Custom of the Vilna Gaon,” printed for the Printers’ Kloyz (No. 34) is reproduced in Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, 1: 111.

198 LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 32; Lunski, Fun vilner geto, 60; Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 156; yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 61; “Siem tore” (Concluding writing a Torah scroll), Vilner vokhenblat 48 (30-11-1912): 1.

199 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 33, L. 6 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407).200 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 76; Klebansky, “Ha-yeshivot ha-

litaiyot,” 347–48, 353.201 Agranovskii and Guzenberg, Vilnius, 14.202 Klausner, Toldot ha-kehilah, 123.203 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 64; LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 10,

L. 3 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407); LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 30.204 Maggid-Steinschneider, Ir vilna, 1: 144; Lunski, Fun vilner geto, 58.205 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 35. The name is misspelled as

Calkind in Rupeikienė, A Disappearing Heritage, 100 and as Moyshe Leyb zalkind’s kloyz in Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, 1: 104; then re-peated in Kremerman, Mi-vilna, 245.

206 LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 30, 72; David Tal, “Dr. yehudah leib kan-tor: intelektual, publitsist ve-rav” (Dr. yehuda Leib Kantor: an intellec-tual, publicist and rabbi), Ph.D. diss., Ben-Gurion University of the Ne-gev in Beer-Sheva, 2007, 280.

207 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 27, L. 1 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407). It is listed by Ran also as Nikolaevsker kloyz, after the name of the street (Kremerman, Mi-vilna, 245; Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, 1: 104).

208 Klausner, Vilna: dorot aḥaronim, 84–85; Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, 1: 69, 104; Kremerman, Mi-vilna, 245.

209 Maggid-Steinschneider, Ir vilna, 2: 166.210 Ibid., 1: 19 (“in his courtyard at the end of the Tatar Street”). Cf. Shik,

1000 yor vilne, 265; LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 35v; Rupeikienė, A Disappearing Heritage, 101. Cf. also Vilnius map by David Maggid, Evreiskaia entsiklopediia, vol. 5, following p. 572.

211 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 89 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407); LCVA, F. 53, Ap. 23, B. 1639, L. 78 (microfilm in CAHJP, НМ3/541.1).

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212 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 53.213 LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 37v. Vilnius map by David Maggid, Evre-

iskaia entsiklopediia, vol. 5, following p. 572; Ran, Jerusalem of Lithua-nia, 1: 104. Aron Meir Mendelev Blekher participated in the elections of Vilnius Crown Rabbi in 1904 as a representative of this kloyz (LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 37v).

214 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 28 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407).215 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 100, L. 6v, 27 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407).

this kloyz is probably alluded to as the “Black bread bakers’ Kloyz” – Lunski, Fun vilner geto, 57; Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, 1: 104.

216 Maggid-Steinschneider, Ir vilna, 1:237; zalkin, “Ir shel torah,” 156. Cf. LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 31v. on opatov see Mordechai zalkin, “yehudah opatov ve-ha-tmurot be-maamada shel ha-elit ba-kehilah ha-yehudit be-vilna ba-mea ha-19” (yehudah opatov and the changes in the status of the elite in the Vilna Jewish community in the 19th century), Tsion 71.1 (2006): 41–72.

217 Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 144, 227; LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 63, L. 5–6 (mi-crofilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407); Sharafan, “Di religieze vilne,” 322; yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 41–42.

218 LVIA, F. 9368, Ap. 4, B. 5664, L. 3.219 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 63, L. 5–6 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407);

LCVA, F. 53, Ap. 23, B. 1639, L. 155, 174, 279 (microfilm in CAHJP, НМ3/541.1).

220 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 41–42. Cf. Rupeikienė, A Disap-pearing Heritage, 111.

221 LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 2, B. 1804, L. 8a.222 Klausner, Toldot ha-kehilah, 97–98. on Tsdakah Gdolah see Mordechai

zalkin, “‘Ha-katsavim de-po parku ol’: meafyenim u-megamot be-feilut maarekhet ha-revaḥah be-kehilat vilna be-reshit ha-meah ha-19” (Char-acteristics and trends of the activity of the system of welfare in the Vilna Jewish community in the early 19th century), in Mi-vilna li-rushalaim: meḥkarim be-toldoteihem ve-tarbutam shel yehudei mizraḥ eiropah muga-shim le-profesor shmuel verses (From Vilna to Jerusalem: Studies in East European Jewish history and culture in honor of Professor Shmuel wers-es), eds. David Assaf et al. (Jerusalem, 2002), 25–42; idem, “who wields the Power? The Kahal and Chevrot in Vilna at the Beginning of the 19th Century,” in The Gaon of Vilnius and the Annals of Jewish Culture, eds. Izraelis Lempertas and Larisa Lempertienė (Vilnius, 1998), 354–60.

222 Klausner, Vilna: dorot aḥaronim, 227–28.224 Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 144; zalmanovich, “Vilner bes-din,” 334; Kremer-

man, Mi-vilna, 244. The kloyz is marked on the map of Vilnius in The YIVO Encyclopedia of Jews in Eastern Europe, ed. in chief Gershon David Hundert (New Haven and London, 2008), 1972.

225 LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 29v; LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 67, L. 4 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407); yitsḥak Broydes, Vilna ha-tsionit ve-askaneiha (The zionist activists in Vilna) (Tel Aviv, 1939), 114. Cf. Lun-ski, Fun vilner geto, 57.

226 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 33. Cf. Rupeikienė, A Disap-pearing Heritage, 79.

227 “Donated a house in his courtyard at the Kamenitsker Street for a prayer house, named after him until today,” Maggid-Steinschneider, Ir vilna, 1: 298. Cf. idem, Ir vilna, vol. 2, ed. Mordechai zalkin (Jerusalem, 2003),

131. Kamenitsker St. is the yiddish name for today’s Žemaitijos St., Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 306.

228 Lunski, Fun vilner geto, 58. on Alexander Valk see Maggid-Steinschnei-der, Ir vilna, 1: 298–300. yankel Valk participated in the elections of Vilnius Crown Rabbi in 1904 as a representative of this kloyz (LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 29v).

229 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 47, L. 6 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407).230 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 33; Farber, Olkeniki, radin, vil-

na, 87.231 Genrikh Agranovskii and Irina Guzenberg, Litovskii Ierusalim: kratkii

putevoditel’ po pamiatnym mestam evreiskoi istorii i kul’tury v Vilniuse (Jerusalem of Lithuania: short guide for memorable places of the Jewish history and culture in Vilnius) (Vilnius, 1992), 34.

232 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 32; Maggid-Steinschneider, Ir vilna, 1: 123; Klausner, Vilna: dorot rishonim, 390.

233 LVIA, F. 381, Ap. 17, B. 1110.234 Mikhail Prozorov (1860 – after 1914), graduated in 1883 from the Insti-

tute of Civil Engineering and worked in the Construction Department of the Vilnius Province, where he quickly reached the position of Provincial Engineer (in 1906). Prozorov is reputed for introducing the Art Nouveau style and new constructive solutions in Vilnius architecture; for his pro-fessional biography see Lukšionytė-Tolvaišienė, “Vilniaus architektai,” 234–35.

235 Ḥaim Leib Egoz, “Vilna,” Ha-melits 186 (19-8-1890 [31-8-1890]): 1 (I am grateful to Mr. Dror Segev for bringing this source to our attention); LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 1, B. 1345, L. 5. Cf. also zalkin, “Ir shel torah,” 154; LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 28.

236 LVIA, F. 381, Ap. 17, B. 1110, L. 21–22; F. 382, Ap. 1, B. 1345, L. 9a. Cf. Rupeikienė, A Disappearing Heritage, 134.

237 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 32.238 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 35, L. 7 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407);

LCVA, F. 53, Ap. 23, B. 3554, L. 211–214 (microfilm in CAHJP, НМ3/547.5); yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 32; Kremerman, Mi-vilna, 107.

239 Agranovskii and Guzenberg, Litovskii Ierusalim, 33.240 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 57; LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141,

L. 28; Tal, “Dr. yehudah leib kantor,” 280; LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 39, L. 3 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407).

241 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 54 (called Potaschnik’s kloyz); Broydes, Vilna ha-tsionit, 108; LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 13, L. 7 (micro-film in CAHJP, inv. 9407). Cf. Lunski, Fun vilner geto, 57. Moshe Ptashkin participated in the elections of Vilnius Crown Rabbi in 1904 as a representative of this kloyz (LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 28v) and was a member of its board in the 1910s (LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 100, L. 7v, 28 [microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407]).

242 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 57; Sharafan, “Di religieze vilne,” 328; LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 80 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407). Cf. Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, 1: 172; Kremerman, Mi-vilna, 245. Shevel Kholem participated in the elections of Vilnius Crown Rabbi in 1904 as a representative of this kloyz (LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 29); in 1915–16 the brothers Kholem donated 5 rubles a month to the kloyz (LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 80, [microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407]).

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243 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 56; LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 93 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407). Mendel Matskevich participated in the elections of Vilnius Crown Rabbi in 1904 as a representative of this kloyz (LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 29). Cf. Lunski, Fun vilner geto, 57.

244 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 56.245 Ibid., L. 57; LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 27v, 110. LCVA, F. 53, Ap.

23, B. 3554, L. 159–164 (microfilm in CAHJP, НМ3/547.5); on yog-iches see yankev Shatski, Kultur-geshikhte fun der haskole in lite (Cultu-ral history of the Haskalah in Lithuania) (Buenos-Aires, 1950), 97, 135.

246 Mark Dvorzhetski, “Dos togbukh fun lerer moshe olitski” (The diary of teacher Moshe olitski), in Vilner zamlbukh – Measef vilna (The Vilnius anthology), ed. Israel Rudnitski (Tel Aviv, 1975), 100; Kremerman, Mi-vilna, 106. Cf., Farber, Olkeniki, radin, vilna, 87.

247 Kruk, The Last Days of the Jerusalem of Lithuania, 263.248 The photograph published in Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, 1: 112 and ti-

tled “Katzenellenbogen’s synagogue” actually captures the Kloyz Moshav Zkeinim in the Almshouse (No. 73).

249 LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 28 (the address mistakenly given as 5 zhmudskaia St.); LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 12, L. 5 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407). The kloyz is mentioned in a poem “yatkever gas” by Chaim Grade, published in Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 163; in his novel “The Agu-nah,” Grade described this kloyz as the stronghold of the Jewish ortho-dox political party Agudat Israel in Vilnius.

250 on Rabbi Shaul Katsenelenbogen see Finn, Kiryah neemanah, 236–38.251 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 12, L. 5 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407).252 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 12, L. 3, 5; B. 100, L. 12 (microfilms in CAHJP,

inv. 9407).253 Lunski, Fun vilner geto, 63.254 Farber, Olkeniki, radin, vilna, 284–85. 255 Dvorzhetski, “Dos togbukh fun lerer moshe olitski,” 100; Kremerman,

Mi-vilna, 106. on the prayer of Passover 1942 in the kloyz see Farber, Olkeniki, radin, vilna, 81–82.

256 Klausner, Toldot ha-kehilah, 123–24.257 Ibid., 125.258 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 58; LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141,

L. 30v; Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, 2: 521. 259 “Unzere yeshives” (our yeshivas), Vilner vokhenblat 25 (12-6-1913): 2;

zalkin, “Ir shel torah,” 154; Alfas, Maaseh alfas, 33. In 1913, the dormi-tories of the yeshiva were situated on Stefanovskaia (Šv. Stepono) St. and at 11 zhmudskaia (Žemaitijos) St., see “Unzere yeshives,” Vilner Vokhen-blat 18 (3-5-1913): 2; 25 (12-6-1913): 2.

260 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 77, L. 15 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407).261 Dvorzhetski, “Dos togbukh fun lerer moshe olitski,” 100; Vilna: A Jewish

Community in Times of Glory and in Time of Destruction, 74, no. 905; Kremerman, Mi-vilna, 106–07.

262 Maggid-Steinschneider, Ir vilna, 1: 269; yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 33. Cf. Lunski, Fun vilner geto, 57; Grossman, Yidishe vilne, 99; Sharafan, “Di religieze vilne,” 322. Moshe Eliashberg partici-pated in the elections of Vilnius Crown Rabbi in 1904 as a representative of this kloyz (LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 29v).

263 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 47 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407); LCVA, F. 53, Ap. 23, B. 3554, L. 245–254 (microfilm in CAHJP, НМ3/547.5).

264 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 33; Kruk, The Last Days of the Jerusalem of Lithuania, 166; Kremerman, Mi-vilna, 107, 246.

265 RGIA, F. 1287, op. 13, D. 1145, L. 77; Sharafan, “Di religieze vilne,” 330; yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 58; Klausner, Vilna: dorot rishonim, 297; Nijolė Lukšionytė-Tolvaišienė, “Buildings in Vilnius,” in Jewish Cultural Heritage in Lithuania, ed. Alfredas Jomantas (Vilnius, 2006), 73. Cf. Rupeikienė, A Disappearing Heritage, 100.

266 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 8, L. 7 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407).267 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 58. Cf. Lunski, Fun vilner geto,

57.268 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 34. Cf. Rupeikienė, A Disap-

pearing Heritage, 100 (misspelled as Galkind). In the 1904 list of Vilnius synagogues this kloyz is listed as a “prayer house without a name;” among its representatives for elections of the Crown Rabbi was Leiba Movshev zalkind (LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 26). This kloyz is not listed by Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, 1: 104.

269 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 9 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407).270 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 23, L. 15, 23 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407).

Cf. Lunski, Fun vilner geto, 58. Sharafan, “Di religieze vilne,” 327, indi-cating that the society is situated in the Jewish community’s building at 6 Strašuno (today Žemaitijos) Street. Kremerman (Mi-vilna, 244, 256) gives the address of the kloyz according to Sharafan’s article.

271 Grossman, Yidishe vilne, 99; Klausner, Vilna: dorot aḥaronim, 657.272 Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 132.273 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 34.274 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 67, L. 4 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407).275 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 34; Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 131–

32; Kremerman, Mi-vilna, 27. The “beit midrash of the rabbi of zager on Rudnitski street” is mentioned as the regular study place of Rabbi yosef Shishkes (d. 1841), one of the Vilnius rabbis after 1814 (Maggid-Stein-schneider, Ir vilna, 1: 43). In the 1904 list of the Vilnius synagogues this kloyz is listed as a “prayer house without a name” (LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 26).

276 Maggid-Steinschneider, Ir vilna, 1: 228.277 LVIA, F. 620, Ap. 1, B. 25, L. 29 (microfilm in CAHJP, HM2/9826.2).278 Shmuel yosef Finn, “Dor ve-dorshav” (The generation), in Rashi finn: mi-

haskalah loḥemet le-haskalah meshameret (S.J. Fuenn – from a militant to a conservative maskil), ed. Shmuel Feiner (Jerusalem, 1993), 57–58.

279 LVIA, F. 378, Ap. 1847, B. 1682, L. 7v (microfilm in CAHJP, HM2/9763.4).

280 Mordechai zalkin, Ba-alot ha-shaḥar: ha-haskalah ha-yehudit ba-im-periyah ha-rusit ba-meah ha-19 (A New Dawn: The Jewish Enlighten-ment in the Russian Empire in the 19th century – Social Aspects) (Jerusa-lem, 2000), 105–07; idem., “Ha-mishpaḥah ha-maskilit u-mkomah be-hitpatḥut tnuat ha-haskalah ha-yehudit be-mizraḥ eiropah” (The maskilic family and its role in the development of the Haskalah move-ment in Eastern Europe), in Eros, eirusin ve-isurim: miniyut u-mishpaḥah be-historiyah (Sexuality and the family in history), eds. Israel Bartal and Isaiah Gafni (Jerusalem, 1998), 242–43; idem, “‘Kavu le-shalom ve-ain’ – perek be-toldot beit ha-kneset ha-maskili ‘taharat ha-kodesh’ be-vil-na” (A chapter in the history of the maskilic synagogue Taharat Ha-Ko-desh in Vilnius), in Yashan mipnei ḥadash: meḥkarim be-toldot yehudei

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mizraḥ eiropah u-ve-tarbutam: shai le-imanuel etkes (Let the old make way for the new: Studies in the social and cultural history of Eastern European Jewry, presented to Immanuel Etkes), eds. David Assaf and Ada Rapoport-Albert (Jerusalem, 2009), 386–87; Klausner, Vilna: dorot rishonim, 191.

281 Maggid-Steinschneider, Ir vilna, 1: 228.282 LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 31.283 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 91 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407), ibid., B. 100,

L. 12v, 33.284 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 34.285 Mordechai zalkin, “yissakhar u-zvulun – le-dmuto shel lamdan litai ba-

meah ha-19” (Issachar and zebulon – a portrait of a Jewish scholar in 19th-century Lithuania), Gal-Ed 18 (2002), 131. I did not find another mention of this kloyz.

286 Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 101–02; LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 19, L. 1 (micro-film in CAHJP, inv. 9407); yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 50–51. The list of Vilnius synagogues from 1904 notes this kloyz as a “prayer house without name;” yosef and Hirsh, sons of Mordechai Meites, par-ticipated in the elections of the Vilnius Crown Rabbi as representatives of this kloyz (LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 25v).

287 Sharafan, “Di religieze vilne,” 329; Klausner, Vilna: dorot aḥaronim, 643; Kremerman, Mi-vilna, 244; Agranovskii and Guzenberg, Litovskii Ierusalim, 46. on the beginning of the association Me’angei Shabat see Ḥaim Tabris, “Vilna ha-atikah” (old Vilnius), Hed lita 6 (20 of Second Adar, 5684 [=1924]), 8.

288 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 50. Cf. Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 254. In the 1904 list of Vilnius synagogues this kloyz is most probably listed as a “prayer house without a name” at 9 Sirotskaia Street; its representative for the elections of the Crown Rabbi was Naum Meerovich Gordon (LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 41).

289 B.M.B., “zum yubileum fun tohores-hakoydesh” (To the jubilee of Taha-rat Ha-Kodesh), Vilner vokhenblat 46 (15-11-1913): 3. Meir Gordon was one of the founders of the Taharat Ha-Kodesh maskilic synagogue, see zalkin, “Kavu le-shalom ve-ain,” 398.

290 zussia Efron, Diary of the expedition to Romania, 12-7-1968 (CJA Ar-chives). on Efron see Sarah Harel Hoshen, “In Memoriam: zussia Efron (1911–2002),” Ars Judaica 2 (2006): 179–81.

291 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 87 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407).292 Agranovskii and Guzenberg, Vilnius, 17.293 Maggid-Steinschneider, Ir vilna, 1: 51; Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 257; yaffe,

“wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 39. Cf. Vilnius map by David Maggid, Evreiskaia entsiklopediia, vol. 5, following p. 572; LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 40v (listed as a “prayer house without name”). on rabbi Israel Gintsburg see Maggid-Steinschneider, Ir vilna, 1: 50–51; zalkin, “Ir shel torah,” 147. This kloyz is erroneously located in Užupis in Rupeikienė, A Disappearing Heritage, 112.

294 Maggid-Steinschneider, Ir vilna, 1: 51.295 Kalman Shulman, “Vilna” (Vilnius), Ha-maggid 2 (10-1-1861): 6.296 Kalman Shulman, “Vilna” (Vilnius), Ha-maggid 1 (2-1-1861), ibid., 2

(10-1-1861): 6–7.297 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 98 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407).298 Grade, Der shtumer minyan, 11. The kloyz is mentioned also in The Agu-

nah, 68.

299 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 39.300 Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 257; yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 39;

LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 42v (listed as a “prayer house without a name”); LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 100, L. 1 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407). Cf. Lukšionytė-Tolvaišienė, “Buildings in Vilnius,” 77.

301 LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 42; LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 2 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407) (listed in both files as a “prayer house without name”); Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 258.

302 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 51 (listed as “Sirmjanski”); LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 70, L. 17–19 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407). Cf. LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 31; Lunski, Fun vilner geto, 57; Vilna: A Jewish Community in Times of Glory and in Time of Destruction, 33, no. 328; Agranovskii and Guzenberg, Litovskii Ierusalim, 39 (naming it also the kloyz of wood Merchants). Moses zhirmunsky was a member of the kloyz’s board in the 1910s (LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 100, L. 11v [mi-crofilm in CAHJP], inv. 9407).

303 yIVo photographic archive, No. 8254.304 Moyshe Senitski, “Di vilner shtotishe talmud-torah” (The city’s Talmud

Torah in Vilnius) in Vilner almanakh (Vilnius’ almanac), ed. E.I. Gro-dzenski (Vilnius, 1939), 337–40; LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 4, B. 3050, B. 1977, 5434; yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 73; Klausner, Toldot ha-kehilah, 118; Lukšionytė-Tolvaišienė, “Buildings in Vilnius,” 74; Agra-novskii and Guzenberg, Litovskii Ierusalim, 10; idem, Vilnius, 27.

305 Maggid-Steinschneider, Ir vilna, 1: 116 (“zaval’naia St., near Pogulanka, in front of Trocka St.”). Cf. LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 24.

306 LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 24; yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 52; LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 58 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407); Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 268; Agranovskii and Guzenberg, Litovskii Ierusalim, 37; Rupeikienė, A Disappearing Heritage, 100.

307 Agranovskii and Guzenberg, Vilnius, 15.308 yaakov Gurland, Kvod ha-bait (The house) (Vilno, 1858), 66–68.309 Verena Dorn, Jüdische Eliten im Russischen Reich: Aufklärung und Inte-

gration im 19. Jahrhundert (Cologne, 2008), 165.310 Gurland, Kvod ha-bait, 67.311 Kremerman, Mi-vilna, 246. on Rubinstein School see Vilner almanakh,

343–44.312 Kremerman, Mi-vilna, 245.313 Ibid., 246.314 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 58 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407).315 LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 25v; LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 36 (micro-

film in CAHJP, inv. 9407); LCVA, F. 53, Ap. 23, B. 3554, L. 98–108 (microfilm in CAHJP, НМ3/547.5); yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 65.

316 Maggid-Steinschneider, Ir vilna, 1: 250 (“A short time [after the Napo-leonic war] R. David bought a masonry house at the beginning of Stefan [Šv. Stepono] Street and established there a beit midrash for the [study of] Torah and prayer, which is known until present under the name R. David Strashuner’s kloyz”). Cf. LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 26v.

317 Maggid-Steinschneider, Ir vilna, 1: 49, 123; zalkin, “Ir shel torah,” 147.318 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 36 (he gives 1830 as the year of

the establishment). It is misidentified as “Hasidic prayer house” in Rupei-kienė, A Disappearing Heritage, 101.

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319 LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 4, B. 4163, L. 14-16v.320 LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 4, B. 4163, L. 14, 17.321 LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 4, B. 4163.322 LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 4, B. 4163, L. 1, 24v.323 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 46 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407); LCVA, F. 53,

Ap. 23, B. 1639, L. 23 (microfilm in CAHJP, НМ3/541.1).324 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 36.325 LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 26v; LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 100, L. 4v, 24

(microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407). 326 Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 119; LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 27; LVIA,

F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 5 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407) (in both files it is listed as a “prayer house without a name”); yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 65. The kloyz is mentioned also in zalkin, “yissakhar u-zvulun”: 138, 151. Isaak Shevelev (i.e. son of Shaul) Lapin participated in the elections of the Vilnius Crown Rabbi in 1904 as a representative of this kloyz (LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 27).

327 LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 25; LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 78, L. 1–3 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407); yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 63. Cf. Agranovskii and Guzenberg, Litovskii Ierusalim, 36.

328 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 35; LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 4, L. 3 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407). Cf. Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 137; LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 25 (listed as a “prayer house without a name”); Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, 1: 104 (listed as yitsḥak Strashun’s kloyz); Agranovskii and Guzenberg, Litovskii Ierusalim, 36. on Mattit-yahu Strashun see Mordechai zalkin, “Samuel and Matittyahu Strashun: Between Tradition and Innovation,” in Matittyahu Strashun 1817–1885: Scholar, Leader and Book Collector, ed. Aviva Astrinsky (New york, 2001), 1–28.

329 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 54; LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 25 (listed as a “prayer house without name”); Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 137; Agranovskii and Guzenberg, Litovskii Ierusalim, 36. Since Itska Mordukhov Volozhinskii was a representative of this prayer house at the elections of the Crown Rabbi in 1904 (LVIA, ibid.) Ran’s listing of Vo-lozhinski’s Kloyz (Jerusalem of Lithuania, 1: 104) may refer to this house of prayer; Saikhin’s Kloyz is not listed by Ran.

330 Vilnius map by David Maggid, Evreiskaia entsiklopediia, vol. 5, follow-ing p. 572.

331 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 34, L. 3 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407); LCVA, F. 51, Ap. 4, B. 255, L. 32 (microfilm in CAHJP, HM3/950.9); LCVA, F. 53, Ap. 23, B. 3554, L. 45–54 (microfilm in CAHJP, НМ3/547.5).

332 “Der binyen fun ramayles yeshiva” (The building of the Ramayles yes-hiva), Vilner vokhenblat 30 (27-06-1912): 1; Ha-modia 44 (03-08-1912): 995. Cf. Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 225–27.

333 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 49 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407); yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 45–46. Photographs of the interior of the kloyz are kept in yIVo Institute in New york, one is published in Kremerman, Mi-vilna, 259.

334 Klebansky, “Ha-yeshivot ha-litaiyot,” 345–46. 349, 351.335 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 46. 336 Agranovskii and Guzenberg, Litovskii Ierusalim, 44; Agranovskii and

Guzenberg, Vilnius, 15.

337 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 55.338 Ibid., L. 80; Klebansky, “Ha-yeshivot ha-litaiyot,” 350, 353.339 LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 44v.340 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 73, L. 21, 23 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407).341 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 66.342 Ibid., L. 77; Klebansky, “Ha-yeshivot ha-litaiyot,” 353.343 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 66.344 Klausner, Vilna: dorot aḥaronim, 646, 650; LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 21,

L. 3 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407); LCVA, F. 53, Ap. 23, B. 3554, L. 60–72 (microfilm in CAHJP, НМ3/547.5); A. Korobchinski, “Mish-meret-Ḥolim” in Vilner almanakh (Vilnius almanac), ed. E.I. Grodzenski (Vilnius, 1939), 319–20; yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 65. Cf. Sharafan, “Di religieze vilne,” 330; Agranovskii and Guzenberg, Lito-vskii Ierusalim, 41; idem, Vilnius, 23.

345 LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 2, B. 1675, L. 2–2v, 11; F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 43.346 LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 2, B. 1675, L. 6.347 LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 2, B. 1675, L. 7–10.348 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 92 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407).349 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 54–55, 76; Rupeikienė, A Disap-

pearing Heritage, 124–26; Klebansky, “Ha-yeshivot ha-litaiyot,” 352–53. Mentioned as the ezrat Aḥim (Brothers’ help) Kloyz in Agranovskii and Guzenberg, Litovskii Ierusalim, 41.

350 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 51 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407). Cf. ibid., B. 100, L. 10v, 31.

351 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 48–49.352 LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 27v; LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 100, L. 7,

27 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407); LCVA, F. 53, Ap. 23, B. 1639, L. 91 (microfilm in CAHJP, НМ3/541.1).

353 LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 1, B. 2001, L. 14. Cf. LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 44.354 LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 1, B. 2001, L. 70. Cf. Rupeikienė, A Disappearing

Heritage, 110.355 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 53.356 Ibid., L. 66.357 LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 1, B. 2001, L. 2.358 LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 1, B. 2001, L. 14. Cf. Rupeikienė, A Disappearing

Heritage, 128.359 LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 1, B. 2001, L. 45v.360 LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 1, B. 2001, L. 70.361 LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 1, B. 2001, L. 29, 48–67.362 LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 1, B. 2001, L. 69–73.363 Lunski, Fun vilner geto, 58.364 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 41, L. 21, 23 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407);

LCVA, F. 53, Ap. 23, B. 3554, L. 183–194 (microfilm in CAHJP, НМ3/547.5).

365 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 66.366 Ibid., L. 67; Agranovskii and Guzenberg, Litovskii Ierusalim, 44.367 Aleksei Polozov (1820–1903) began his career in architecture as a free

lance technician, collaborating with the Construction Division of the Vil-nius Province in 1868 and held the position of the Vilnius City Architect-during 1885–1903. Several of his designs for the Jewish community of Vilnius are known; for his professional biography see Lukšionytė-Tol-vaišienė, “Vilniaus architektai,” 232–33.

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368 LVIA, F. 381, Ap. 1, B. 1265, L. 13. Cf. Rupeikienė, A Disappearing Heritage, 130–31; LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 44. The address 58 Novgorodskaia Street is given in LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 100, L. 10, 30 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407).

369 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 44 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407).370 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 67.371 LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 44v (gives the address as “the suburb New

Town, house of Kantorovich”); LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 32, L. 1 (micro-film in CAHJP, inv. 9407) (gives the address as Novgorodskaia Street / 8 Soldatskii Lane, in its own house); ibid., B. 100, L. 10v, 30 (gives the address as “Nowogorodska Street, the house of Kantorovich”); yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 68; Agranovskii and Guzenberg, Lito-vskii Ierusalim, 44.

372 Klausner, Vilna: dorot rishonim, 178; Klausner, Vilna: dorot aḥaronim, 93.373 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 66; LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141,

L. 42v. This kloyz is not listed by Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, 1: 104.374 Antoni Adam (Antonii Adamovich) Filipowicz-Dubowik (1865–1930),

was educated as a construction technician, but made numerous designs and has been acknowledged for his practical experience. He studied in St. Pe-tersburg Cadets’ Corpus during 1880–83. In 1883 he passed exams at the Technical Construction Commission in St. Petersburg and received the right to supervise construction works. He graduated from the Vilnius Jun-kers School, where he studied engineering in 1884–85. In 1899–1910 he held the office of assistant architect of Vilnius City Board. In addition to supervising construction of public buildings, Filipowicz-Dubowik made more than 160 designs of private houses and earned the reputation for be-ing one of the first followers of Art Nouveau Style in Vilnius architecture. In 1926 he prepared an interesting project of a “native style” synagogue in Vilnius on Subačiaus St., which was never executed (Fig. 141). For his pro-fessional biography see Lukšionytė-Tolvaišienė, “Vilniaus architektai,” 258–60.

375 LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 2, B. 1711, L. 3. Cf. Rupeikienė, A Disappearing Heri-tage, 131–33.

376 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 38, L. 6, 8 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407). Its address is given as “Schmiedegasse 9” (ibid, B. 100, L. 10v).

377 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 66.378 Ibid., L. 68.379 LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 2, B. 1876, L. 1. This kloyz was apparently listed by

Ran as “Poltavskaia Street Kloyz” (Jerusalem of Lithuania, 1: 104).380 However, both prayer houses are not in the list of Vilnius synagogues of

1904, LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 44–44v.381 LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 2, B. 1876, L. 4. Cf. Rupeikienė, A Disappearing Herita-

ge, 124, 127, strangely named “winter prayer house on Pohuliankos street.”382 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 50 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407); LCVA,

F. 53, Ap. 23, B. 1639, L. 142 (microfilm in CAHJP, НМ3/541.1).383 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 68. Cf. Kremerman, Mi-vilna,

244; Agranovskii and Guzenberg, Litovskii Ierusalim, 39.384 LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 2, B. 1598, L. 7.385 LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 2, B. 1598, L. 4.386 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 100, L. 9, 29 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407).

Piasker kloyz is mentioned in Lunski, Fun vilner geto, 58; the leather workers’ kloyz – ibid., 57. The matching of both kloyzn is based on the

memoirs of Mstislav Dobuzhinskii / Mistislavas Dobužinskis (1875–1957), whose family lived in the area Peski (sands), at the end of Bol’shaia Pogulianka Street, in the early 1880s (http://emsu.ru/lm/cc/D3.htm, ac-cessed 20-11-2010).

387 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 79. This kloyz is not listed by Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, 1: 104.

388 Maggid-Steinschneider, Ir vilna, 1: 176; yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 44. Cf. Vilnius map by David Maggid, Evreiskaia entsiklo-pediia, vol. 5, following p. 572. The list of Vilnius synagogues from 1904 and documents from 1915–20 name this beit midrash as “Segalevich’s prayer house,” LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 40v; LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 48 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407).

389 “A srife in lukishker bes-medrash” (A fire in the Lukiškės Beit Midrash), Vilner vokhenblat 10 (8-3-1913): 1.

390 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 48 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407), L. 8–14. 391 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 79; Klebansky, “Ha-yeshivot ha-

litaiyot,” 353, 354.392 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 44. Cf. Rupeikienė, A Disap-

pearing Heritage, 100. The beit midrash is mentioned in Chaim Grade’s Der shtumer minyan, 118–19.

393 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 72; Kremerman, Mi-vilna, 244; LCVA, F. 51, Ap. 4, B. 59, L. 31–38 (СAHJP, HM3/950.3); LCVA, F. 53, Ap. 23, B. 1639, L. 222 (microfilm in CAHJP, НМ3/541.1)

394 Klausner, Toldot ha-kehilah, 147–53; Cohen, Vilna, 156–60.395 Klausner, Toldot ha-kehilah, 151, 153.396 Vilnius map by David Maggid, Evreiskaia entsiklopediia, vol. 5, follow-

ing p. 572. The shulhoyf of Šnipiškės was mentioned in the list of Vil-nius houses from 1836, under No. 964 – David Maggid, “Iz moego arkhi-va: Evreiskoe domovladeniie v Vilne 30-kh gg. proshlogo veka” (From my archives: Jewish-owned houses in Vilnius in the 1830s), Perezhitoe 4 (1913): 196, 208.

397 Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 280.398 Lunski, Fun vilner geto, 58; Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 280. According to

yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 71, it was built in 1758. Cf. Ru-peikienė, A Disappearing Heritage, 79.

399 Alb’m Kats, “Shnipishok” (Šnipiškės) Ha-melits 95 (21-8-1886 [2-9-1886]): 1253; Klausner, Vilna: dorot rishonim, 184.

400 Alb’m Kats, “Shnipishok” (Šnipiškės) Ha-melits 95 (21-8-1886 [2-9-1886]): 1253.

401 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 71–72. In the 1904 list of the Vilnius synagogues this synagogue is listed as a “prayer house without name No. 1,” LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 38v.

402 The authors and editors of the Catalogue are grateful to Dr. Aistė Niunkaitė-Račiūnienė for sharing those photographs with us.

403 Vikentii Gorskii (b. 1848) graduated from the Institute of Civil Engineer-ing in 1873 and worked as an agent at the Vilnius Land Bank and a free lance architect. over 70 of his designs for Vilnius are known. He was still active in 1901; for his professional biography see Lukšionytė-Tolvaišienė, “Vilniaus architektai (1850–1914),” 237–40.

404 LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 4, B. 2523, L. 1–8. 405 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 43, L. 5 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407) (named

“synagogue No. 1”).

ע נ ל י ו ו

352

406 Kremerman, Mi-vilna, 62. Cf. yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 71.

407 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 72. 408 Jokūbas Minkevičius, “Visuomeninis prekybos centras Ukmergės g. 12”

(The public shopping center at 12 Ukmergės St.), in Vilniaus architektūra (The achitecture of Vilnius), ed. Algė Jankevičienė et al. (Vilnius, 1981), 326–27.

409 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 43. Cf. Evreiskaia entsiklopediia, vol. 5 (St. Petersburg, 1910), 590; Rupeikienė, A Disappearing Heritage, 79.

410 Alb’m Kats, “Shnipishok” (Šnipiškės) Ha-melits 95 (21-8-1886 [2-9-1886]): 1253.

411 Ibid., 1252–53; Klausner, Vilna: dorot aḥaronim, 93.412 Ha-mafteaḥ, “Vilna,” Ha-melits 11 (14-1-1890 [26-1-1890]): 2; Klausn-

er, Vilna: dorot aḥaronim, 93.413 LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 1, B. 1249, L. 10. Cf. Rupeikienė, A Disappearing

Heritage, 130–31.414 Alb’m Kats, “Shnipishok” (Šnipiškės) Ha-melits 95 (21-8-1886 [2-9-

1886]): 1252; “Vilna,” Ha-melits 206 (15-9-1887 [27-9-1887]): 2192; Ben-Tsiyon Tsunzer, “Vilna,” ibid., 269 (17-12-1887 [29-12-1887]): 2860; Klausner, Vilna: dorot aḥaronim, 93.

415 Ha-mafteaḥ, “Vilna,” Ha-melits 11 (14-1-1890 [26-1-1890]): 2; Klausn-er, Vilna: dorot aḥaronim, 93. The list of Vilnius synagogues from 1904 notes this synagogue as a “prayer house without name No. 2,” LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 39.

416 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 40, L. 2, 9 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407) (named “synagogue No. 2”); LCVA, F. 53, Ap. 23, B. 3554, L. 220–225 (microfilm in CAHJP, НМ3/547.5).

417 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 43. Cf. Evreiskaia entsiklopedi-ia, vol. 5 (St. Petersburg, 1910), 590; Rupeikienė, A Disappearing Heri-tage, 79.

418 Minkevičius, “Visuomeninis prekybos centras Ukmergės g. 12,” 326–27.419 LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 39 (gives address at 41 Vil’komiskaia St.);

LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 79 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407), gives ad-dress at 58 Vil’komiskaia St.; LCVA, F. 53, Ap. 23, B. 3554, L. 32–41 (microfilm in CAHJP, НМ3/547.5), also address at 58 Vil’komiskaia St.

420 LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 39; LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 20 (micro-film in CAHJP, inv. 9407);

421 Maggid-Steinschneider, Ir vilna, 1: 145; LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 40; LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 69, L. 1 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407); yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 72; Rupeikienė, A Disappearing Herit-age, 112. Apparently this kloyz is shown on David Maggid’s map of Vil-nius as Hirsh Idels’ Kloyz – Vilnius map by David Maggid, Evreiskaia entsiklopediia, vol. 5, following p. 572; and listed twice by Ran, as Beng-is’ and as Bendet’s kloyz (Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, 1: 104).

422 Vilnius map by David Maggid, Evreiskaia entsiklopediia, vol. 5, fol-lowing p. 572; LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 22v; LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 100, L. 2v, 18, 19 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407). The list from 1917 gives the address at 103 Vil’komiskaia St., ibid., L. 2v.

423 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 64.424 LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 40; LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 1 (microfilm

in CAHJP, inv. 9407).

425 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 64.426 LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 40; LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 95 (microfilm

in CAHJP, inv. 9407); yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 71 (naming it Lewenstricht’s Kloyz). Elia Movshev (son of Moshe) Lemelshtraykh participated in the elections of Vilnius Crown Rabbi in 1904 as a repre-sentative of this kloyz (LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 40). This kloyz was probably called by Kremerman “Small Shnipishker Beit Midrash at Kal’variiskaia Street,” where a branch of the Tiferet Baḥurim Society (see No. 12) existed from 1936, Kremerman, Mi-vilna, 245.

427 Ben-zion Dinur, Ba-olam she-shaka: zikhronot u-reshumot mi-derekh hayyim, 1884-1914 (The world that sunk: memoirs, 1884–1914) (Jerusa-lem, 1958), 130, 136; LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 83 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407); LCVA, F. 53, Ap. 23, B. 3554, L. 110–16 (microfilm in CAHJP, НМ3/547.5); yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 71. Abram Shimelevich Gamarskii participated in the elections of Vilnius Crown Rabbi in 1904 as a representative of this kloyz, LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 45.

428 Klausner, Toldot ha-kehilah, 153–55; Cohen, Vilna, 160–63.429 Klausner, Toldot ha-kehilah, 153.430 Cited from a Russian translation of the document, LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 2,

B. 1577, L. 23.431 Klausner, Toldot ha-kehilah, 154–55; idem, Vilna: dorot rishonim, 95;

Cohen, Vilna, 161. The shulhoyf of Antakalnis was mentioned in the list of Vilnius houses from 1836, under No. 1421, David Maggid, “Iz moego arkhiva”, Perezhitoe 4 (1913): 198, 209.

432 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 70 (gives address at “Trock-eniostr. 8”). Cf. Rupeikienė, A Disappearing Heritage, 111. The list of the Vilnius synagogues from 1904 gives address at 6 Antokol’skaia St., LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 42v. on Rabbi Israel Lifshits see Maggid-Steinschneider, Ir vilna, 1: 37. Probably, this synagogue is listed by Ran as “Lower Antakoler,” Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, 1: 104.

433 LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 92 (microfilm in CAHJP, HM3/287.7). Cf. also LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 42, B. 42 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407).

434 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 70.435 Ibid., L. 44. The lists of Vilnius synagogues from 1904 and 1915–20 give

address at 113 Antokol’skaia St., LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 43; LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 61 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407). Probably this synagogue is listed by Ran as “Upper Antakoler” and “New Anta-koler,” Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, 1: 104.

436 Maggid-Steinschneider, Ir vilna, 1: 53; Klausner, Vilna: dorot rishonim, 177.

437 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 44. on Rabbi Lurie see Maggid-Steinschneider, Ir vilna, 1: 78–79.

438 LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 2, B. 1577, L. 2–2v. 439 LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 2, B. 1577, L. 5a. Cf. Rupeikienė, A Disappearing

Heritage, 126–28. Most probably the words of yaffe that “in the last dec-ades the synagogue was reconstructed and considerably enlarged” and that it had “a large women’s section” refer to the erection of the new synagogue, designed in 1907, yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 45.

440 LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 2, B. 1577, L. 16–41. 441 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 45.

V i l n i u s

442 LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 42; LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 94 (micro-film in CAHJP, inv. 9407); yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 69. this kloyz is not listed by Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, 1: 104.

443 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 70; LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 25 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407); Ha-mazkir [Maggid-Steinschneider], “Vilna,” Ha-yom 71 (26-3-1887 [7-4-1887]): 1; LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 42v.

444 Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 418; yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 78. Cf. Grade, The Agunah, 240; Rupeikienė, A Disappearing Heritage, 101. this kloyz is not listed by Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, 1: 104.

445 Ustav Poplavskogo Evreiskogo Obshchestva Gmilas Khesed (blagotvo-ritel’nost’) pri Molitvennom dome “Taubera,” nakhodiashchemsia v gor. Vil’ne po Poplavskoi ulitse v dome no. 19 (Bylaws of the Poplavy Jewish Society Gmilut Ḥesed [philanthropy] at the prayer house of Tauber, situ-ated in the city of Vilnius, at 19 Poplavskaia Street) (Vilnius, [1907-1914]); LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 2, B. 2240, L. 1.

446 Lunski, Fun vilner geto, 58; yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 41; Appeal of the Poplaver Kloyz, 1910 in Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, 1: 82; Cf. Rupeikienė, A Disappearing Heritage, 101; Vilnius map by David Maggid, Evreiskaia entsiklopediia, vol. 5, following p. 572; LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 41.

447 This building is also seen on the photograph by Stanisław Filibert Fleury from 1900, www.heritage.lt/km/laik/000b.asp?view=02VF_24P21 (ac-cessed 4-3-2011). I am grateful to Mr. Gediminas Jucys for pointing out this photograph.

448 LVIA, F. 382, Ap. 2, B. 2240, L. 1–2; Appeal of the Poplaver Kloyz, 1910 in Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, 1: 82. Cf. Rupeikienė, A Disappearing Heritage, 124–27.

449 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 41.450 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 54, 56 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407).451 Lunski, “Ha-kloyzim,” Ha-tsfirah 138 (4-7-1921): 2; yaffe, “wilna und

wilnaer Klausen,” L. 41.452 Lunski, Fun vilner geto, 58. Cf. Ḥaim Tabris, “Sifrei-Toyres” (Torah

scrolls), in Vilner zamlbukh (Vilnius anthology), ed. Tsemaḥ Shabad (Vil-nius, 1916), 124–25.

453 LCVA, F. 53, Ap. 23, B. 1639, L. 65 (microfilm in CAHJP, НМ3/541.1).454 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 41.455 I am grateful to Mr. Gediminas Jucys from providing this information.

For a photograph from 1965 see www.heritage.lt/km/laik/000b.asp?view= 1009020030 (accessed 4-3-2011).

456 LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 41; LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 21, L. 2 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407).

457 Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 247.458 LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 41v; LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 100, L. 9v,

30 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407).459 Lukšionytė-Tolvaišienė, “Buildings in Vilnius,” 81.460 Russian National Library in St. Petersburg, Manuscripts Department, F.

183 (Baron David Gintsburg), D. 26, L. 7–16. For description of the en-terprise see Klausner, Vilna: dorot aḥaronim, 650–51. Cf. Agranovskii and Guzenberg, Litovskii Ierusalim, 48.

461 CAHJP, JCA Lon, file 63(4), p. 2; Russian National Library, F. 183, D. 26, L. 10.

462 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 68–69. This kloyz is mentioned by Ran (Jerusalem of Lithuania, 1: 104) under the name Me’onot be-zol (Cheap apartments).

463 Farber, Olkeniki, radin, vilna, 314. on the H.K.P. see Agranovskii and Guzenberg, Vilnius, 44.

464 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 69; Ha-mazkir [Maggid-Stein-schneider], “Vilna,” Ha-yom 71 (26-3-1887 [7-4-1887]): 1.

465 Vilnius map by David Maggid, Evreiskaia entsiklopediia, vol. 5, fol-lowing p. 572.

466 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 53, B. 56, L. 6 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407).467 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 53, B. 100, L. 9v, 30 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv.

9407); yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 69.468 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 69.469 The address of the building designed by Filipovicz-Dubowik is 44 Sub-

ocz St., Archiwum Aktów Nowych, Ministerstwo Spraw wewnętrznych, Departament Techniczno-Budowlany, Dokumentacija Techniczna, sygn. 3826, k. 1. Cf. Rupeikienė, A Disappearing Heritage, 163. See also Ser-gey Kravtsov’s “Synagogue Architecture in Lithuania” in the first volume of this Catalogue, 66.

470 LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 99 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407).471 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 55 (gives address at 6 Danilovi-

ciausstr. [i.e. J. Danilevičiaus]; Ha-mazkir [Maggid-Steinschneider], “Vilna,” Ha-yom 71 (26-3-1887 [7-4-1887]): 1; LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 26v; LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 22, L. 13 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407). Cf. Rupeikienė, A Disappearing Heritage, 112.

472 LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 27; LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 53, B. 57 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407) (gives the address as 11 Raduńska St. in 1925); yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 73 (gives address at 4 Darius ir Girėno St.); Ha-mazkir [Maggid-Steinschneider], “Vilna,” Ha-yom 71 (26-3-1887 [7-4-1887]): 1.

473 yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 45 (gives address of Kaminai No. 18); LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 64, L. 1, 6 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407). Cf. Ha-mazkir [Maggid-Steinschneider], “Vilna,” Ha-yom 71 (26-3-1887 [7-4-1887]): 1; Livni, Yerushalayim de-lita, 1: 72; LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 43v (gives address of Kaminy No. 70).

474 Shik, 1000 yor vilne, 301; yaffe, “wilna und wilnaer Klausen,” L. 78; LVIA, F. 938, Ap. 5, B. 141, L. 43v; LVIA, F. 1215, Ap. 1, B. 3, L. 2 (microfilm in CAHJP, inv. 9407). Cf. Grade, The Agunah, 69 (its name is mentioned only in the yiddish original and the Hebrew translation, and not in the English translation).

475 Kremerman, Mi-vilna, 245.476 If not stated otherwise, all these prayer houses are mentioned in Ran, Je-

rusalem of Lithuania, 1: 104.477 Lunski, Fun vilner geto, 57; idem, “Ha-kloyzim,” Ha-tsfirah 138 (4-7-

1921): 2; Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, 1: 104. Lunski places this kloyz among the kloyzn named after their benefactors.

478 Lunski, Fun vilner geto, 57. This kloyz is not listed by Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, 1: 104.

479 Maggid-Steinschneider, Ir vilna, 1: 299. This kloyz is not listed by Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, 1: 104.

480 Lunski, Fun vilner geto, 57; Ran, Jerusalem of Lithuania, 1: 104.

ע נ ל י ו ו