Our Story

Our HISTORY Over 100 years ago, immigrants from Vilna Gubernia - the province encompassing the present-day city of Vilnius, Lithuania - bravely set sail for America to build a new life and settled on the north slope of Beacon Hill in Boston’s West End.

A 1920 photo of the synagogue

CONTACT US To learn more about our plans to fully restore our historic building, please contact Christen Hazel, Director of Development, at christen@vilnashul.org.

Creating a majestic spiritual home in their new land was essential to the fast pace of their ever-changing lives in America.

The cornerstone of this historic building was laid in 1919 and the community thrived in the 1920’s and 1930’s. Families gathered to celebrate Shabbat, holidays, and simchas (happy occasions). In the decades that followed, the congregation slowly shrank as families moved out of the city to the suburbs.

In 1985, after most of the Jewish community had long since left Beacon Hill and the West End, the last remaining member, Mendel Miller, held

a service in the synagogue for the last time. The Vilna sat in disrepair for over 10 years until a small but mighty group of prominent Boston leaders spearheaded a dogged effort to purchase and restore this property. They replaced the roof and furnace, rebuilt the windows, installed a sprinkler system, and embarked on a massive cleanup to make the building habitable and safe.

In 2020, The Vilna completed its From Hidden Gem to Rising Star Capital Campaign and now boasts universal access to the building, an ADA-compliant lift into the historic sanctuary, a modern community room for programming and art exhibits, an upgraded HVAC, and a new electrical system with three times the capacity of the original one.

The Vilna is the only surviving landmark of Boston’s immigrant Jewish past and touches something deep inside each of us: a profound yearning for connection to our roots. But it is more than nostalgia that calls to us. It is the future that beckons us.”

-DEBORAH FEINSTEIN, MUSEUM DIRECTOR, EDUCATOR, CURATOR, AND FORMER VILNA BOARD PRESIDENT

Our STORY

Our VISION

The Vilna is the fulcrum for Jewish culture and engagement in downtown Boston. We celebrate Jewish culture, heritage, and values through arts and entertainment, holiday celebrations, and adult learning. We seek to be a radically welcoming and inclusive space for Boston’s diverse adult populations to engage in Jewish life.

Through concerts, author talks, film screenings, art exhibits, museum tours, adult learning and more, The Vilna gives voice and meaning to the histories and experiences of Boston’s immigrants and newcomers.

Our

PRECIOUS MURALS

Hidden beneath layers of cream-colored paint, lie extremely rare examples of 20th century immigrant folk art. These precious murals, which envelope the historic sanctuary, are the only known multi-layer Jewish murals in North America. They evoke an age of American history when immigrants came to start a new life while still remembering their traditions.

WHAT’S NEXT? Only when our historic building has been fully restored will our sacred space reflect the beauty of its original inhabitants and the vibrant promise of future generations.

The Vilna is a compelling destination and welcoming backdrop for urban adult populations to deepen their Jewish identity, foster new relationships, and feel a greater sense of connection and belonging.”

–DALIT BALLEN HORN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR THE VILNA SHUL

Works of art, whether they are masterworks by artists such as Titian and Rembrandt or the mural decorations at The Vilna, have varying artistic purposes but they are all worthy of preservation.

–GIANFRANCO POCOBENE, CHIEF PAINTINGS AND RESEARCH CONSERVATOR, ISABELLA STEWART GARDNER MUSEUM

Our HISTORY Over 100 years ago, immigrants from Vilna Gubernia - the province encompassing the present-day city of Vilnius, Lithuania - bravely set sail for America to build a new life and settled on the north slope of Beacon Hill in Boston’s West End.

A 1920 photo of the synagogue

CONTACT US To learn more about our plans to fully restore our historic building, please contact Christen Hazel, Director of Development, at christen@vilnashul.org.

Creating a majestic spiritual home in their new land was essential to the fast pace of their ever-changing lives in America.

The cornerstone of this historic building was laid in 1919 and the community thrived in the 1920’s and 1930’s. Families gathered to celebrate Shabbat, holidays, and simchas (happy occasions). In the decades that followed, the congregation slowly shrank as families moved out of the city to the suburbs.

In 1985, after most of the Jewish community had long since left Beacon Hill and the West End, the last remaining member, Mendel Miller, held

a service in the synagogue for the last time. The Vilna sat in disrepair for over 10 years until a small but mighty group of prominent Boston leaders spearheaded a dogged effort to purchase and restore this property. They replaced the roof and furnace, rebuilt the windows, installed a sprinkler system, and embarked on a massive cleanup to make the building habitable and safe.

In 2020, The Vilna completed its From Hidden Gem to Rising Star Capital Campaign and now boasts universal access to the building, an ADA-compliant lift into the historic sanctuary, a modern community room for programming and art exhibits, an upgraded HVAC, and a new electrical system with three times the capacity of the original one.

The Vilna is the only surviving landmark of Boston’s immigrant Jewish past and touches something deep inside each of us: a profound yearning for connection to our roots. But it is more than nostalgia that calls to us. It is the future that beckons us.”

-DEBORAH FEINSTEIN, MUSEUM DIRECTOR, EDUCATOR, CURATOR, AND FORMER VILNA BOARD PRESIDENT

Our STORY