Obj. ID: 48366
Jewish Architecture  Choral Ohel Yaakov Synagogue in Kaunas - Interior

To the main object: Choral Ohel Yaakov Synagogue in Kaunas, Lithuania

Quote from the book Cohen-Mushlin, Aliza, Sergey Kravtsov, Vladimir Levin, Giedrė Mickūnaitė, Jurgita Šiaučiūnaitė-Verbickienė (eds.), Synagogues in Lithuania. A Catalogue, vol. 1 (Vilnius: VIlnius Academy of Art Press, 2010):

The interior consists of a two-storey southwestern part with vestibule and staircases, and an elongated prayer hall with women’s galleries on three sides. The galleries rest on two rows of pillars, decorated with sunken panels, which divide the hall into a central nave and side aisles. The flat ceiling of the nave, divided by rectangular coffers, is slightly higher than the ceilings of the aisles. The walls have wooden panels in their lower register.

On the northeastern wall, the Torah ark preceded by a ciborium is situated in a deep apse with a small gallery for the choir in its upper tier. The apse is decorated in the Neo-Moorish style with wooden columns and arches borrowed from theAlhambrapalace. This arrangement is an almost exact but reduced copy of the Torah ark apse in the New Synagogue on Oranienburger Straße inBerlin, built in 1866–69. The original octagonal bimah, which was situated near the Torah ark, has been moved to the center of the prayer hall. Light blue, white and brown have been used for the interior décor; and blue, yellow and red prevail in the stained glass windows. The original long pews with high backs are partially preserved.