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The Tallinn Synagogue

Tallinn, Estonia

Established in 2007, Tallinn's Synagogue is by far the most modern house of worship in the city.

It was a long time coming. During World War II, the Jewish community that had existed in Tallinn was all but wiped out, and its Synagogue bombed. In the years following the war, a few native Jews returned to Tallinn, joined by many more Russian Jews, but the Soviet regime had outlawed any open observance of Judaism.

It was only after Estonia regained independence in 1991 that a real Jewish religious community was re-established here. It started with a cultural centre, then a Jewish school. In 2000, following the appointment of Rabbi Shmuel Kot as the chief rabbi of Estonia, a prayer centre was set up in a nearby building. 

With the opening of the Synagogue, the Jewish community was given a new focus. In addition to hosting religious services and Jewish holiday celebrations in its 200-seat main hall, it oversees the preparation and distribution of kosher food, as well as hosting a Mikvah and a Jewish museum.

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