Vilnius' flourishing Jewish communities and 100 synagogues gave the city the nickname 'Jerusalem of the north' until WWII. The Choral Synagogue, built in 1903, is now Vilnius' sole surviving Jewish temple. The exterior is an intriguing blend of oriental and modern Romanesque styles; ring the buzzer to enter and view its vaulted interior and ornate Torah ark.
Prayers in the Misnagdim (counter-Hasidic) tradition are heard daily.