The name of Elijah ben Solomon Zalman (1720–1797), the Vilna Gaon, is well known to many Lithuanians today. The year 2020 is the Year of the Vilna Gaon and the History of the Jews of Lithuania, so it is a very good opportunity to learn why the name is so important to Jews all over the world.
Elijah ben Solomon Zalman was born in the village of Sialiec, in present-day Belarus, into a family of religious scholars. His talents began to show at an early age, and after studying briefly in a Jewish religious primary school, a cheder, he went to study under Rabbi Moses Margalit in the town of Kėdainiai for seven years. His exceptional talents allowed him to progress to individual study very early. His asceticism was one of the most striking features of his personality: he devoted most of his time to private study. But even this closed way of life did not stop rumours circulating about his incredible wisdom. Despite his modest background, the Vilna Gaon was considered a great authority, and other European religious figures appealed to him to help resolve differences that arose between them.
Thus, the Vilna Gaon became a symbolic figure for Jews in this city, embodying hope and faith. It was no accident that he ended up here: his personality matured and developed amid the spirit of Vilnius, and his name and authority ensured that the city itself became one of the world’s most important Jewish centres.
The Gaon died in Vilnius, was buried in the now destroyed old Jewish cemetery, and was later reburied in the Sudervė Cemetery in Vilnius (28 Sudervė Road). A mausoleum was built there for him, and it is visited by Jews from all over the world, where, just like at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, they leave notes with wishes, hoping they will be answered. The Gaon wrote about 70 treatises examining religious issues in all areas; most of his works were only published after his death.
The Gaon made Vilnius famous all over the world. He made the city a spiritual centre for Jews for a long time, and began the large-scale establishment of yeshivas throughout Lithuania.
On 12 September 1997, in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the death of the Gaon, a memorial plaque was put up on the house at 3 Žydų Street (in the Old Town), indicating that the Vilna Gaon once lived in a house that stood there.
A monument to the Vilna Gaon was unveiled on 12 September 1997 next to the house at 5 Žydų Street in Vilnius, created by the sculptor Mindaugas Šnipas, based on a plaster model by the sculptor Teodoras Kazimieras Valaitis.
There is a street named after the Vilna Gaon near Žydų Street in the Old Town, which had its name reinstated in 1989.
The Jewish Museum in Vilnius was named after the Vilna Gaon in 1997, to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the death of the Jewish scholar.
Project partner: Vilnius City Municipality
