It was built in 1998 to complement a Russian Orthodox church and a mosque that are also part of the outdoor museum dedicated to Russia's victory in World War II.

Meisler created wall sculptures showing Jerusalem, the Twelve Tribes of Israel and the Five Books of Moses.

The tragic side of Jewish history is also part of the exhibition, which is not just about the Holocaust: in pre-revolutionary Russia, over 400 laws and ordinances were in force that restricted the rights of Jews, especially in the areas of work, settlement, culture, education and practice of religious traditions.

[citation needed] A separate section of the exhibition is dedicated to Russians, Ukrainians, and Belarusians who helped Jews in the occupied territories (and were subsequently honored as Righteous Among the Nations).

[citation needed] The Memorial Synagogue Museum offers excursions, lectures and film screenings about the lives of Jews in Russia and about the Holocaust.