Ludza Great Synagogue

About

The Ludza Great Synagogue is a rare surviving timber synagogue whose structure has been dendrochronologically dated to 1783. Ludza was once a major Jewish center and was sometimes called the 'Jerusalem of Latvia'; around the turn of the twentieth century, Jews formed a large share of the town's population. The synagogue survived the upheavals of the twentieth century, while the local Jewish community was devastated during the Holocaust and the Ludza ghetto was destroyed in 1941. The building later deteriorated but was rescued and carefully restored in 2014–2016, preserving much of its historic timber structure and interior character. It now functions as a branch of the Ludza Museum and includes Jewish-history exhibitions and a prayer space; services and Jewish rituals have also been held there since its restoration.

Public links

• ludzasmuzejs.lv
• ludzasnovads.lv