Belarusian Jewish Heritage Center Achieves Cultural Milestone: VR Reconstruction of the Destroyed Volpa Synagogue Joins the Permanent Collection of the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire du Judaïsme in Paris

The virtual reconstruction of the Volpa Synagogue has become part of the permanent exhibition at the Musée d'Art et d'Histoire du Judaïsme (MAHJ) in Paris. The project, created by the Belarusian Jewish Heritage Center, represents one of the first examples of multimedia presentation of Belarusian-Jewish heritage at an international museum platform.

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The Volpa Synagogue is considered one of the most beautiful wooden synagogues in European history. This unique building, located on the territory of present-day Belarus, was completely destroyed during World War II. Thanks to the integration of archival sources, historical research, and cutting-edge 3D technologies, the team at the Belarusian Jewish Heritage Center has created a virtual model of the synagogue with the highest historical accuracy.

“It all started with my residency in Paris, in this very museum, in the spring of 2022,” said Maja Katsnelson, the project’s producer. “At that time, we were already developing the concept for the multimedia exhibition Belarus Shtetl, based on VR reconstructions of various Belarusian synagogues. So when I saw the wooden model of the Volpa Synagogue made by ORT students in the 1950s in the MAHJ exhibition, the idea for a partnership was born.”

The Volpa Synagogue is considered one of the most beautiful wooden synagogues in European history. This unique building, located on the territory of present-day Belarus, was completely destroyed during World War II. Thanks to the integration of archival sources, historical research, and cutting-edge 3D technologies, the team at the Belarusian Jewish Heritage Center has created a virtual model of the synagogue with the highest historical accuracy.

“It all started with my residency in Paris, in this very museum, in the spring of 2022,” said Maja Katsnelson, the project’s producer. “At that time, we were already developing the concept for the multimedia exhibition Belarus Shtetl, based on VR reconstructions of various Belarusian synagogues. So when I saw the wooden model of the Volpa Synagogue made by ORT students in the 1950s in the MAHJ exhibition, the idea for a partnership was born.”

Curator Grigory Heifetz and project producer Maya Katsnelson at the Museum of Art and History of Judaism (MAHJ) in Paris, next to the video installation of their project / photo by the Belarusian Jewish Heritage Center / 2025.

The project, curated by Grigory Heifetz, took over a year to complete, involving full hand-drawn reconstruction and museum-level historical research.

“We studied archival materials, created hand drawings, and modeled every detail. The result is a truly museum-quality project that became part of the permanent exhibition in Paris. Importantly, the synagogue model now stands in the center of the exhibition hall, not on the side as it did before. It is accompanied by a video installation, and starting this autumn, visitors will also be able to experience full VR immersion in the Volpa Synagogue,” emphasized the producer.

Screenshot from the VR tour of the Volpa Synagogue / 2025

During their visit to Paris, the team also presented the project at the European Jewish Museums Conference, where it attracted significant attention from the international museum community.

“This shows that we are working at, and even ahead of, many museum practices. Most importantly, it highlights the importance of Belarus and Belarusian-Jewish heritage within European history,” added Maja.

The VR tour of the Volpa Synagogue is also available on the website of the Belarusian Jewish Heritage Center. It is part of the broader Belarus Shtetl initiative, which aims to create a virtual museum of Belarusian-Jewish heritage accessible worldwide.