Vilna Shul: Last Synagogue Standing

HUB History - Our Favorite Stories from Boston History

The West End and the North Slope of Beacon Hill have gone through extreme transformations over time. At the turn of the 20th century, these neighboring communities welcomed Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe, though very few signs of those vibrant communities remain today. As the last of the purpose-built immigrant synagogues still standing in downtown Boston, the Vilna Shul is a unique building with a rich history of immigration, community, and the evolving American identity. Vilna Shul Executive Director Dalit Horn joins us this week to talk about the history and future of this unique synagogue.

Full show notes: http://HUBhistory.com/257/

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Vilna Shul

• Visit the Vilna Shul website to plan your visit or check out their upcoming events!

Prior to joining the Vilna, Dalit Horn served as the Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Impact at the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America. Dalit designed and implemented cutting edge and creative approaches to expand the Institute’s partnerships, educational and programmatic agendas, visibility and effectiveness. Prior to this role, Dalit served as Assistant Director at AJC’s Belfer Center for American Pluralism.

Dalit received a BA in History from Columbia University, a BA in Jewish Thought from the Jewish Theological Seminary and a Master’s in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, where she studied management, leadership and organizational design. She is both an alumnus of the Wexner Graduate Fellowship and a Davidson Scholar. She lives in Brookline, Massachusetts with her husband and their two sons.

Reading list:

• The Death of an American Jewish Community: A Tragedy of Good Intentions
• Boston’s West End (Images of America)
• The Jews of Boston
• A Life On Beacon Hill: An Unauthorized History of Phillips Street