The Jerusalem of Lithuania: The Story of the Jewish Community of Vilna

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The Jewish community of Vilna which had flourished for hundreds of years was almost completely destroyed during the Holocaust years. Through video testimonies, photos, documents, letters, art, literature and film, this exhibition tells their story.

This is an online exhibition that involved original research and is not a presentation of that which could already be seen in the physical Holocaust History Museum.

A unique feature of this project is that the exhibition commemorates and presents an entire community. It encourages the visitor to explore and discover the rich tapestry of Jewish life that existed in Vilna before the Holocaust, the fate of the community during the Holocaust, and the various ways the few who survived attempted to rebuild their lives and commemorate what was lost.

Highlighting individual stories provides a gateway for people to relate to the historical content on a more personal level. This exhibition is an invaluable pedagogic tool for educators as well as providing a rich learning experience for the visitor to the site. The use of multiple forms of media makes it accessible for different learning styles – audio, visual, textual, etc. while the extensive integration of primary sources create a valuable resource for historical researchers who are looking for background information about related topics. All of the content is available for download so that it can used in any formal or informal learning environment.

All video included within the exhibition is hosted on YouTube and the video descriptions on YouTube all contain links back to the exhibition. In this way the use of video acts as