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Great Synagogue of Vilna |
The Great Synagogue
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In many of his pieces, David Labkovski depicts the Vilna Jewish community in the shadow of the Great Synagogue of Vilna. He painted these pieces long after it was destroyed. He had a photographic memory, you can see the details as compared to the photograph of the synagogue.
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To Consider:
The Great Synagogue of Vilna is central to all four pieces shown above. In the prewar pieces, it is surrounded by the daily comings and goings of the Vilna Jewish community. Labkovski's work commemorates the people, the culture, and the life the victims of the Holocaust.
Of Interest: The shell of the Great Synagogue did survive the war; it needed great repair. The Vilna survivors petitioned the Soviet government to repair the building; they refused. Eventually the Soviets destroyed the building and constructed a school on the site.
There is an ongoing discussion about the site where the synagogue stood. How should it be commemorated? How can current residents use the space but with deference to its long history? To learn more about this issue, listen to this report, "Excavation of Lithuania's Great Synagogue Highlights a Painful Page of History", featured on National Public Radio.
The Great Synagogue of Vilna is central to all four pieces shown above. In the prewar pieces, it is surrounded by the daily comings and goings of the Vilna Jewish community. Labkovski's work commemorates the people, the culture, and the life the victims of the Holocaust.
Of Interest: The shell of the Great Synagogue did survive the war; it needed great repair. The Vilna survivors petitioned the Soviet government to repair the building; they refused. Eventually the Soviets destroyed the building and constructed a school on the site.
There is an ongoing discussion about the site where the synagogue stood. How should it be commemorated? How can current residents use the space but with deference to its long history? To learn more about this issue, listen to this report, "Excavation of Lithuania's Great Synagogue Highlights a Painful Page of History", featured on National Public Radio.
