A Jewish community had been living in Kurkliai since as early as the 17th century. By the end of the 19th century, 257 Jews lived here, accounting for 32 percent of the town’s total population. The synagogue was not only a place of worship but also an important meeting place for the community. The Jewish religious community of Kurkliai had all the facilities necessary for the free practice of its faith, including its own synagogue and rabbi.
The Jewish community in Kurkliai did not have its own cemetery, so members of the community were buried in the cemetery in Anykščiai.
The Jews of Kurkliai were primarily engaged in small businesses. The town had a butcher’s shop, a pharmacy, a fabric store and even two mills. Six small-scale craftsmen were registered in Kurkliai: a baker, tailor, shoemaker, stove mason, metalworker and butcher. Some of them lived relatively comfortably, as evidenced by the fact that as many as three telephone subscribers were registered in Kurkliai at the time.
According to the 1923 population census carried out during the period of independent Lithuania, 181 Jewish residents lived in Kurkliai. Before the Second World War, there were approximately 90 Jews in the town. Sadly, the entire Jewish community of Kurkliai was destroyed during the Second World War.
Kurkliai Synagogue is one of the most distinctive surviving synagogues in Lithuania. Designed by construction technician Povilas Jurėnas and built in 1936 beside the small Dubelė stream, the synagogue was constructed from logs joined at the corners. Its overall volume, with a raised corner section, closely resembles that of 18th-century wooden synagogues. The building’s rooms are arranged over two floors, while a distinctive stairwell tower rises above the southern part of the building – an architectural feature unusual among Litvak synagogues. Despite its unconventional appearance, the extravagant tower was decorated with traditional Jewish symbols: two Stars of David. The building follows the traditional layout of a synagogue, with a separate main prayer hall and a women’s section. The synagogue’s window frames were distinctive among Lithuanian synagogues, featuring triangular arches. After the Second World War, the synagogue was converted into a warehouse, and consequently none of its interior elements – including the Aron ha-Kodesh, the cabinet where the Torah scrolls were kept, the bimah, or other decorative features – have survived. The Kurkliai Synagogue remained unused from 1990 onwards.
1993 – Kurkliai Synagogue was returned to the Lithuanian Jewish (Litvak) Community.
2013 – The European Association for the Preservation and Promotion of Jewish Culture and Heritage included Kurkliai Synagogue in the Wooden Synagogues in Central and Eastern Europe route of its Routes of Jewish Heritage programme, alongside 14 other surviving wooden synagogues in Lithuania.
2014 – The building was entered into the Register of Immovable Cultural Heritage (unique register code: 37596). In 2015, the site was granted state-protected status.
2021 – The former Kurkliai Synagogue building was restored.
One of the most famous Jews born in Kurkliai was Moishe David Osinsky (1885–1952). A young tailor from Kurkliai who emigrated to Great Britain before the Second World War, he adopted the name Montague Maurice Burton and founded the Burton chain of clothing stores, which continues to this day. By 1929, he already owned 400 shops. In 1936, Montague Burton opened the largest tailoring factory in Great Britain. During the Second World War, the Burton company produced uniforms for a quarter of the British Army for four years under a government contract. In 1931, he was knighted for his services to industrial relations and became Sir Montague Burton. He supported students at the universities of Cardiff, Cambridge, Leeds, Oxford and Edinburgh.
2023 – On 11 June, a history museum opened in the former Kurkliai Synagogue building. The museum operates during the warmer months, from June to September. Each season, the synagogue hosts exhibitions, concerts and educational activities. In 2023, it presented an exhibition of works by artist Neemija Arbit Blatas.
2024 – Kurkliai Synagogue hosted an exhibition of works by Lithuanian painter Vytautas Kasiulis (1918–1995), drawn from the collections of the Lithuanian National Museum of Art. The exhibition was complemented by a virtual reality film.
2025 – Kurkliai Synagogue hosted the exhibition City of Memories, featuring works by artist Samuel Bak.
2026 – The exhibitions presented at Kurkliai Synagogue included Life and Dreams by South African artist of Litvak heritage Rhona Gorvy; The Burton Phenomenon, exploring the life of Moishe David Osinsky, born in Kurkliai and known worldwide as Sir Montague Burton, who founded one of the largest British menswear companies of the 20th century; and an exhibition of works by ceramic artist Lina Bekerienė.
Kurkliai Synagogue is open to visitors:
Thursday–Sunday, June–September, 12:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.
For more information: +370 604 02 993, +370 686 47096, or email sinagoga@amenucentras.lt
Admission:
Adults – 2 Eur
Schoolchildren*, students, seniors and visitors with disabilities – 1 Eur
*School groups organised by educational institutions in Anykščiai District Municipality and accompanied by responsible adults are admitted free of charge.
You can read more about the history of the Jewish community of Kurkliai HERE.
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