A new Jewish history museum has opened inside the historic synagogue of Bobruisk, offering visitors a detailed look at approximately 600 years of Jewish life in Belarus.

The exhibition, titled “The Jewish Spiritual Center of Belarus,” was established as part of a national initiative launched by the president of Belarus to make Jewish history, faith and values accessible to citizens across the country.

The Jewish center in Bobruisk, led by shliach and Chief Rabbi Shaul Hababo, was selected to lead the project following years of educational and communal activity in the city.

Located on the shul’s second floor, the museum displays old seforim, ritual objects, traditional Jewish clothing, archival materials and exhibits devoted to Jewish life and festivals. Some of the books on display are more than a century old.

The exhibition traces the story of Jewish settlement in Belarus from its earliest chapters through the flourishing communities that once filled cities such as Bobruisk, and into the renewed Jewish life being built there today.

Together with the restored shul and the neighboring “Jewish Yard,” the museum forms a growing Jewish cultural and spiritual complex that welcomes local residents, tourists and organized groups.

Opened in 2019, the courtyard includes a miniature Kosel, walking paths and displays portraying scenes from Jewish tradition and memory. It has become a place where visitors can encounter the city’s Jewish past alongside the active community that continues to use the shul for davening, Torah study, communal gatherings and social assistance.

“The spiritual center is a place not only for religious education but also for cultural encounters and social projects,” Rabbi Hababo said. “Every religion has a wealth of knowledge, and we have the opportunity in Bobruisk to organize communication between representatives of different faiths.”

Community representatives said that between 150 and 200 people regularly visit the shul, with attendance reaching approximately 400 during major Yomim Tovim.

The selection of Bobruisk’s Jewish center for the government-backed initiative marks a significant recognition of Rabbi Hababo and the local community’s work to rebuild Jewish life in a city once known for its many shuls and deep Jewish roots.