The Jewish community lived in Ukmergė since the second half of the 17th century and over few centuries more than one synagogue has been built in this town. However, destroyed by common fires, they changed, and the Great Synagogue, which survived to this day, was built on the second half of the 18th century. Although it was certainly not the first synagogue in Ukmergė, it was built precisely during the period when local Jewish community was growing, so it stood out for its capacity. This synagogue also caught fire, but was rebuilt in the 19th century. The reconstructed building with its neo-baroque facade remained throughout the interwar period and only after the Holocaust it was completely reconstructed during the Soviet era. Then, in order to establish a sports school instead of the prayer house, its annex was demolished and the interior was remodeled. After the restoration of Lithuania`s independence in 1990, a commemorative plaque was attached to the wall of the synagogue – it reminds us about the great Jewish writer Moshe Leib Lilienblum (1843-1910), who lived in Ukmergė from the age of 13, and was an extremely influential Jewish political thinker in the Russian Empire.

Adresas: Vienuolyno g. 2, Ukmergė