Jewish Museum

The Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum (Valstybinis Vilniaus Gaono Žydų Muziejus) is housed in three separate branches. The Jewish History Exhibits has displays upstairs on Jewish partisan resistance, life in the Vilnius ghetto, and an exhibit on Lithuanians who risked their lives to save Jews during the Nazi occupation. The Green House, slightly uphill contains a harrowing display on the fate of Vilnius and Kaunas Jews during World War II, including eyewitness accounts, and many extremely disturbing photographs with some captions in English. Guided museum tours in English can be arranged, as well as “history of Jewish Vilnius” tours. The Centre for Tolerance inside a restored former Jewish theatre, houses some excellent twentieth-century Jewish artwork, as well as fine religious items and an excellent display in English on the second floor charting the history of Jews in Lithuania from the fourteenth century until the present day.