Green House (Holocaust Exhibition), Vilnius

The Green House, also known as the Holocaust Exhibition, is a branch of the Vilna Gaon State Jewish Museum located in Vilnius. The exhibition is housed in a green former house, which provides a compact and intimate environment for visitors to reflect on the Holocaust and the Jewish experience during that period.

The exhibition comprises seven rooms that tell the story of the Lithuanian Jewish community, also known as the 'Litvak' community, from the times of the grand duchy of Lithuania until their persecution and extermination in the 20th century. The museum was renovated in 2010 and includes many new documents, exhibits, and audio-visual material such as testimonies. The entire exhibition is in English and Lithuanian.

The Green House focuses primarily on the Jewish experience of the Holocaust, from the time of the Nazi invasion until the Soviet Union. The museum houses a collection of artefacts, maps, letters, photographs, and more that provide a comprehensive narrative of over 600 years of Lithuanian Jewish history. The exhibition also touches on notable Lithuanian Jews, such as violinist Jascha Heifitz and the Cubist artist Jacques Lipschitz.

One particularly interesting section of the exhibition showcases photographs of female Jewish partisans, providing a unique perspective on the role of women during the Holocaust. Additionally, a re-created attic hideout with a short video gives visitors a sense of the daily life for Jews during Nazi occupation.

The Vilna Gaon State Jewish Museum was established in 1989 by the Lithuanian Ministry of Culture and gained its name in 1997 during the commemoration of 200 years since the death of Talmudic scholar, Vilna Gaon. The museum has five branches that focus on different parts of Jewish history and culture.

Visitors can explore Jewish life in Lithuania, past and present, by taking a short walk from the Choral Synagogue to the Vilna Gaon State Jewish Museum and on to the Holocaust Museum at the Green House. The exhibition is open to the public. The Green House provides a vital space to reflect on the Holocaust and to honor the lives of those who were lost.