SVEKSNA:U Our Town This article is dedicated to the memory of my Grandfather Zacharia Marcus, who came from Sveksna; and to my cousins: Jack Marcus, Daniel Marcus, Marcia Partridge, Mark Marcus, to their children and of course to my Daughters and their children: with hope that we will all always remember our common background with honor and love. To Allison, Marcia’s daughter, the biggest wedding present that I can give you, is to share my love for our Family Heritage with you. Esther (Herschman) Rechtschafner Kibbutz Ein Zurim 79510 ISRAEL 08 8588281
[email protected] Copyright © 2004 Esther (Herschman) Rechtschafner 1 TABLEU OF CONTENTS U PU age U INTRODUCTION 3 THE JEWS OF LITHUANIA 5 HISTORY 5 CULTURAL LIFE 14 ENLIGHTENMENT 19 ZIONISM 21 SOCIALISM 24 INFLUENCE 25 SVEKSNA 26 GEOGRAPHY 26 HISTORY 27 JEWISH HISTORY 30 THE HOLOCAUST 38 AFTER THE HOLOCAUST 47 APPENDICES 52 APPENDIX 1- MAP OF LITHUANIA 52 APPENDIX 2- MAP OF SVEKSNA AREA 53 APPENDIX 3- THE JEWISH POPULATION IN LITHUANIA 54 APPENDIX 4-THE POPULATION/ JEWISH POPULATION OF SVEKSNA 55 APPENDIX 5- SHOPS IN SVEKSNA 56 CONCLUSION 57 BIBLIOGRAPHY 59 2 INTRODU UCTION During the past few years I have written articles about the places in Eastern Europe that my Grandparents came from. 1 Now the time has come for me to try to write about Sveksna, the town in Lithuania that my Maternal Grandfather ZACHARIAU MARCUS,U who I loved so much, came from. I hope to succeed here in honoring the memory of the Jews of this town; and thereby the memory of my Grandfather.