Designed by Justinas Ušakovas and built in 1910 through the efforts of patron Abram Movsovicius Abelskovas, the Panevėžys Torah Society Synagogue is the only surviving monument to Jewish religious life in the city today. Officially listed in the Register of Cultural Property as an object of regional significance, the synagogue is representative of the architecture of that era.
This house of worship, with its red brick masonry, decorative elements on the façade and Gothic-style windows, was a typical structure for the period. The synagogue operated until 1940, after which the exterior of the building was altered and the interior was destroyed. During the Soviet era, it first housed a metrological verification workshop for scales, and later a tyre-fitting company.
The synagogue was used for its intended purpose until the first Soviet occupation in 1940. During the Soviet period, it housed a weights and measures metrological verification workshop called ‘Matas’, and a tyre fitting company was later established in the building. Until 2012, the synagogue belonged to the Ministry of the Environment and, subsequently, to the Property Bank. Today, the synagogue is under the patronage of the ‘Good Will Foundation’.
It is worth noting that the exterior has been damaged by long-term functional changes – wide entrance gates were cut into the eastern façade in place of the Gothic-style windows, and the western façade was altered the most. Essentially, only the northern façade remains unchanged. Years of improper exploitation of the synagogue after the war also led to the radical disfigurement of its interior, with the aron hakodesh (ark/altar) and the bimah (platform for reading the Torah) being completely destroyed.
The change in the building’s function after the Second World War led to its exterior and interior being destroyed, leaving it in a hazardous condition. Today, the Panevėžys Torah Society Synagogue is in great danger. In addition to a leaking roof, the poor state of the building’s ceilings and masonry is accelerating its potential collapse. The Jewish house of prayer also lacks essential utilities, such as a toilet and a sewerage system. The building requires major repairs, not cosmetic renovations. Unfortunately, it is currently difficult to attract funds for the synagogue’s renovation. As far back as 2008–2012, the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Lithuania promised to contribute to the building’s repair, but an agreement could not be reached. Furthermore, over a decade ago, the Panevėžys Jewish Community found a sponsor willing to contribute to the renovation works, but he subsequently passed away. As the building’s condition deteriorates rapidly over time, quick and effective solutions are needed to ensure the preservation of the Panevėžys Synagogue. However, this is extremely difficult due to insufficient state funding.
The Panevėžys Jewish Community is asking for support to restore and repair the Panevėžys Torah Society Synagogue. Not only was the Torah Society Synagogue a house of prayer, it was also a place for the community to gather, testifying to the flourishing Jewish culture that was tragically cut short during the Holocaust. By preserving this synagogue, we will not only save an architecturally significant building, but also foster the history and memory of the Panevėžys Jewish Community.
You can donate via bank transfer
- Name: PE „Good Will Foundation“
- Legal entity code: 302702699
- Bank: SWEDBANK, AB
- Bank address: Konstitucijos ave. 20A, 03502 Vilnius, Lithuania
- Account No.: LT89 7300 0101 5608 8041
- SWIFT code: HABALT22
- Purpose of payment: Panevezys synagogue