The Jewish Museum or Museum of the Jews of Bosnia and Herzegovina is housed in the oldest synagogue in Bosnia and Herzegovina, built in 1581.
Many experts are of the opinion that this was the finest exhibition space in the whole of ex-Yugoslavia; and indeed, on entering the Synagogue, one steps into a different, sheltered world, which attests to the centuries-old presence of the Jews in this country and to the contribution they made to its development in many fields, particularly science and the arts. Particular attention is devoted to the suffering of the Jews during World War II. This dependency of the Sarajevo Museum is located in Velika avilja.
This modest but very attractive collection contains engraved items used during worship, silver-plated prayer book holders, scrolls in silver holders, candelabras and menoras….
There are also manuscripts, marriage agreements, prayer books and items which attest to the legacy of the many prominent Jewish scientists and artists from BiH, such as Kalmi Baruh, Danijel Ozmo, Marsel Šnajder, Isak Samokovlija….