Researching Your Lithuanian Roots
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Lithuanian Synagogues: from the First Descriptions to Systematic Research
arts Article Lithuanian Synagogues: From the First Descriptions to Systematic Research Vilma Gradinskaite Independent scholar, 05224 Vilnius, Lithuania; [email protected] Received: 4 March 2020; Accepted: 15 May 2020; Published: 21 May 2020 Abstract: The article presents an analysis of the development stages of synagogue research methodology in Lithuania during the four major historical periods of the country—Lithuania in the Russian Empire (1795–1918), Vilnius Region in the interwar period and the independent Republic of Lithuania (1918–1940), the Soviet period (1940–1990), and the independent Republic of Lithuania restored in 1990. Each chapter of the article deals with the issues of synagogue research, heritage conservation and management, while the part about the restored independent Republic of Lithuania and modern days includes topical issues related to synagogue restoration, commemoration and putting them into operation. The study uses two different sources: archival materials and publications. Written sources and publications are reviewed in chronological order and start from the end of the 18th century. The study employs several research methods—the historical descriptive method, the comparative method and the analysis method. Keywords: Lithuania; synagogues; conservation; restoration; renovation; rebuilding; management; commemoration 1. Introduction The article presents several fields of study: (1) a review of the first descriptions of synagogues in Lithuania; (2) an analysis of the development stages of synagogue research methodology in Lithuania; and (3) a brief reference to synagogue restoration, renovation, rebuilding, commemoration and putting into operation—topics which are currently particularly live in Lithuania today. It is not possible to understand the existing trends in synagogue research in Lithuania without considering the country’s past—the times of the Russian Empire, the interwar period and the Soviet period. -
Lithuanian Jews and the Holocaust
Ezra’s Archives | 77 Strategies of Survival: Lithuanian Jews and the Holocaust Taly Matiteyahu On the eve of World War II, Lithuanian Jewry numbered approximately 220,000. In June 1941, the war between Germany and the Soviet Union began. Within days, Germany had occupied the entirety of Lithuania. By the end of 1941, only about 43,500 Lithuanian Jews (19.7 percent of the prewar population) remained alive, the majority of whom were kept in four ghettos (Vilnius, Kaunas, Siauliai, Svencionys). Of these 43,500 Jews, approximately 13,000 survived the war. Ultimately, it is estimated that 94 percent of Lithuanian Jewry died during the Holocaust, a percentage higher than in any other occupied Eastern European country.1 Stories of Lithuanian towns and the manner in which Lithuanian Jews responded to the genocide have been overlooked as the perpetrator- focused version of history examines only the consequences of the Holocaust. Through a study utilizing both historical analysis and testimonial information, I seek to reconstruct the histories of Lithuanian Jewish communities of smaller towns to further understand the survival strategies of their inhabitants. I examined a variety of sources, ranging from scholarly studies to government-issued pamphlets, written testimonies and video testimonials. My project centers on a collection of 1 Population estimates for Lithuanian Jews range from 200,000 to 250,000, percentages of those killed during Nazi occupation range from 90 percent to 95 percent, and approximations of the number of survivors range from 8,000 to 20,000. Here I use estimates provided by Dov Levin, a prominent international scholar of Eastern European Jewish history, in the Introduction to Preserving Our Litvak Heritage: A History of 31 Jewish Communities in Lithuania. -
The Migration of Lithuanian Jews to the United States, 1880 – 1918, and the Decisions Involved in the Process, Exemplified by Five Individual Migration Stories
Nathan T. Shapiro Hofstra University Department of Global Studies and Geography The Migration of Lithuanian Jews to the United States, 1880 – 1918, and the Decisions Involved in the Process, Exemplified by Five Individual Migration Stories Honors Thesis in Geography Advisor: Dr. Kari B. Jensen Shapiro 1 Table of Contents Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 2 Jews in Lita and Reasons for Their Emigration According to the Literature ..................... 5 Migration Theory .............................................................................................................. 11 Methodology ..................................................................................................................... 14 Case studies: Five Personal Migration Stories .................................................................. 16 Concluding Remarks ......................................................................................................... 35 Endnote ............................................................................................................................. 39 Bibliography ..................................................................................................................... 40 Appendix ........................................................................................................................... 43 Figure 1: Europe 1871 ...................................................................................................... -
Jewish Cemetries, Synagogues, and Mass Grave Sites in Ukraine
Syracuse University SURFACE Religion College of Arts and Sciences 2005 Jewish Cemetries, Synagogues, and Mass Grave Sites in Ukraine Samuel D. Gruber United States Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad Follow this and additional works at: https://surface.syr.edu/rel Part of the Religion Commons Recommended Citation Gruber, Samuel D., "Jewish Cemeteries, Synagogues, and Mass Grave Sites in Ukraine" (2005). Full list of publications from School of Architecture. Paper 94. http://surface.syr.edu/arc/94 This Report is brought to you for free and open access by the College of Arts and Sciences at SURFACE. It has been accepted for inclusion in Religion by an authorized administrator of SURFACE. For more information, please contact [email protected]. JEWISH CEMETERIES, SYNAGOGUES, AND MASS GRAVE SITES IN UKRAINE United States Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad 2005 UNITED STATES COMMISSION FOR THE PRESERVATION OF AMERICA’S HERITAGE ABROAD Warren L. Miller, Chairman McLean, VA Members: Ned Bandler August B. Pust Bridgewater, CT Euclid, OH Chaskel Besser Menno Ratzker New York, NY Monsey, NY Amy S. Epstein Harriet Rotter Pinellas Park, FL Bingham Farms, MI Edgar Gluck Lee Seeman Brooklyn, NY Great Neck, NY Phyllis Kaminsky Steven E. Some Potomac, MD Princeton, NJ Zvi Kestenbaum Irving Stolberg Brooklyn, NY New Haven, CT Daniel Lapin Ari Storch Mercer Island, WA Potomac, MD Gary J. Lavine Staff: Fayetteville, NY Jeffrey L. Farrow Michael B. Levy Executive Director Washington, DC Samuel Gruber Rachmiel -
The Galitzianer a Publication of Gesher Galicia
The Galitzianer A Publication of Gesher Galicia Vol. 8, No. 4 August 2001 In This Issue Two articles in this issue are of special import to the future of The Galitzianer and of Gesher Galicia. The first, Shelley Pollero’s column on page 2, explains the reasons that the Steering Committee has felt it necessary to raise Gesher Galicia’s dues … mainly the increased costs of publishing The Galitzianer and the Gesher Galicia Family Finder. The second, on page 3, describes a proposed electronic option for distributing The Galitzianer via email to those who want to receive it that way. It also asks a couple of questions about this proposal on which the Steering Committee needs your advice.. GG Matters 8 JRI-PL 1929 Business Directory Project 2 Coordinator’s Column Stanley Diamond & Howard Fink Shelley Kellerman Pollero 6 Krakow marriage and Banns Registers 3 An Electronic Version of the Galitzianer? Stanley Diamond & Judy Wolkovitch Edward Goldstein A project at the Jewish Historical Institute in A proposal on which we need your input Warsaw 23 Gesher Galicia Family Finder Updates Feature Articles Two pages you can insert into your GGFF 7 Austrian Military Recruitment in Galicia Town Updates Find out which regiments of the Austro- 3 Kolomyya Hungarian army recruited in your town in Alan Weiser which years 4 Lwow 10 Matching Patronymics to Surnames in Krakow Josef Herz Dan Hirschberg & Julian Schamroth Breaking through a barrier in Jewish genea- 4 Sokal logical research Josef Herz 12 My Journey to Bukaczowze 4 Przemysl Linda Cantor Barbara Yeager -
The Lithuanian Jewish Community of Telšiai
The Lithuanian Jewish Community of Telšiai By Philip S. Shapiro1 Introduction This work had its genesis in an initiative of the “Alka” Samogitian Museum, which has undertaken projects to recover for Lithuanians the true history of the Jews who lived side-by-side with their ancestors. Several years ago, the Museum received a copy of the 500-plus-page “yizkor” (memorial) book for the Jewish community of Telšiai,2 which was printed in 1984.3 The yizkor book is a collection of facts and personal memories of those who had lived in Telšiai before or at the beginning of the Second World War. Most of the articles are written in Hebrew or Yiddish, but the Museum was determined to unlock the information that the book contained. Without any external prompting, the Museum embarked upon an ambitious project to create a Lithuanian version of The Telshe Book. As part of that project, the Museum organized this conference to discuss The Telshe Book and the Jewish community of Telšiai. This project is of great importance to Lithuania. Since Jews constituted about half of the population of most towns in provincial Lithuania in the 19th Century, a Lithuanian translation of the book will not only give Lithuanian readers a view of Jewish life in Telšiai but also a better knowledge of the town’s history, which is our common heritage. The first part of this article discusses my grandfather, Dov Ber Shapiro, who was born in 1883 in Kamajai, in the Rokiškis region, and attended the Telshe Yeshiva before emigrating in 1903 to the United States, where he was known as “Benjamin” Shapiro. -
Memories for a Blessing Jewish Mourning Rituals and Commemorative Practices in Postwar Belarus and Ukraine, 1944-1991
Memories for a Blessing Jewish Mourning Rituals and Commemorative Practices in Postwar Belarus and Ukraine, 1944-1991 by Sarah Garibov A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (History) in University of Michigan 2017 Doctoral Committee: Professor Ronald Suny, Co-Chair Professor Jeffrey Veidlinger, Co-Chair Emeritus Professor Todd Endelman Professor Zvi Gitelman Sarah Garibov [email protected] ORCID ID: 0000-0001-5417-6616 © Sarah Garibov 2017 DEDICATION To Grandma Grace (z”l), who took unbounded joy in the adventures and accomplishments of her grandchildren. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First and foremost, I am forever indebted to my remarkable committee. The faculty labor involved in producing a single graduate is something I have never taken for granted, and I am extremely fortunate to have had a committee of outstanding academics and genuine mentshn. Jeffrey Veidlinger, thank you for arriving at Michigan at the perfect moment and for taking me on mid-degree. From the beginning, you have offered me a winning balance of autonomy and accountability. I appreciate your generous feedback on my drafts and your guidance on everything from fellowships to career development. Ronald Suny, thank you for always being a shining light of positivity and for contributing your profound insight at all the right moments. Todd Endelman, thank you for guiding me through modern Jewish history prelims with generosity and rigor. You were the first to embrace this dissertation project, and you have faithfully encouraged me throughout the writing process. Zvi Gitelman, where would I be without your wit and seykhl? Thank you for shepherding me through several tumultuous years and for remaining a steadfast mentor and ally. -
Lithuania and the Jews the Holocaust Chapter
UNITED STATES HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM CENTER FOR ADVANCED HOLOCAUST STUDIES Lithuania and the Jews The Holocaust Chapter Symposium Presentations W A S H I N G T O N , D. C. Lithuania and the Jews The Holocaust Chapter Symposium Presentations CENTER FOR ADVANCED HOLOCAUST STUDIES UNITED STATES HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM 2004 The assertions, opinions, and conclusions in this occasional paper are those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council or of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. First printing, July 2005 Copyright © 2005 United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Contents Foreword.......................................................................................................................................... i Paul A. Shapiro and Carl J. Rheins Lithuanian Collaboration in the “Final Solution”: Motivations and Case Studies........................1 Michael MacQueen Key Aspects of German Anti-Jewish Policy...................................................................................17 Jürgen Matthäus Jewish Cultural Life in the Vilna Ghetto .......................................................................................33 David G. Roskies Appendix: Biographies of Contributors.........................................................................................45 Foreword Centuries of intellectual, religious, and cultural achievements distinguished Lithuania as a uniquely important center of traditional Jewish arts and learning. The Jewish community -
Combined TE & AJHS
JGSGB Research Collection This is the current listing of the non-circulating research collection maintained by the JGSGB. The resources labeled (TE) are available for use during JGSGB programs held at Temple Emanuel in Newton. See the JGSGB website for the schedule of programs – www.jgsgb.org. The JGSGB also maintains a non-circulating research collection in the Wyner Center of the American Jewish Historical Society, New England Archives, located on the fifth floor of the New England Historic Genealogical Society Library at 99-101 Newbury Street, Boston, Mass. 02116. For directions and contact information, go to http://ajhsboston.org/contact-us/ The reading room hours are Monday through Thursday, 9AM-5 PM, and Friday 9AM- 2PM. For more information, call 617-226-1245. ______________________________________________________________________________ TOPICS: Beginning Research - p. 2-3 Cemetery Research - p. 3 Dictionaries of Names - p. 3-4 DNA and Genealogy - p. 4 Family Histories and Genealogies - p. 4-5 Identifying Localities, Towns, and Shtetls – p. 5 Immigration, Naturalization, and Passenger Lists – p. 5-6 Photographic Research – p. 6 Photographs – p. 6 Translation Guides – p. 7 Writing, Citation, and Copyright Guides – p. 7 LOCATIONS: p. 7-14 Argentina, Australia, Austria, Baltic Countries, Belarus, Canada, Central Europe, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Galicia, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States; Chicago, Boston, Haverhill, Lawrence, New Bedford, North Shore; New York, Philadelphia, Rhode Island, Washington, D.C. MAPS: p. 14 ______________________________________________________________________________ 1 BEGINNING RESEARCH Bentley, Elizabeth Petty. The Genealogist’s Address Book. Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1998. (TE only) Listing by states and countries of genealogical societies, libraries, research centers, and religious organizations. -
THE GALITZIANER Volume 26, Number 4 December 2019
The Quarterly Research Journal of Gesher Galicia THE GALITZIANER Volume 26, Number 4 December 2019 JODI G. BENJAMIN 3 From the Editor's Desk RESEARCH CORNER 4 Mark Jacobson ANDREW ZALEWSKI 6 The First Habsburg Census BÖRRIES KUZMANY 11 Jewish Deputies from Galicia REUVEN LIEBES 16 Looking for My Parents PETER BEIN 20 My Grandmother’s Kitchen JAY OSBORN 25 Map Corner BARBARA KRASNER 29 A Day with Murray SHELLEY K. POLLERO 34 Membership News September 2019 The Galitzianer 1 Gesher Galicia Gesher Galicia is a non-profit organization that promotes and conducts Jewish genealogical and historical research on Galicia, a province of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire, which is today part of south- eastern Poland and western Ukraine. BOARD OF DIRECTORS ACADEMIC ADVISORS ARCHIVAL ADVISORS Steven S. Turner, DDS Michał Galas Agnieszka Franczyk-Cegła President Department of Jewish Studies, Ossolineum, Wrocław Andrew Zalewski, MD Jagellonian University, Kraków Magdalena Marosz Vice President Sergey R. Kravtsov National Archives in Kraków Charlie Katz Center for Jewish Art, Hebrew Kateryna Mytsan CFO and Treasurer University, Jerusalem State Archive of Ivano-Frankivsk Milton Koch, MD Antony Polonsky Oblast (DAIFO), Ivano-Frankivsk Secretary Brandeis University, Waltham John Diener Fedir Polianskyi Mark Jacobson David Rechter State Archive of Ternopil Oblast Tony Kahane Oxford Centre for Hebrew and (DATO), Ternopil Shelley Kellerman Pollero Jewish Studies Sławomir Postek Michał Majewski Dariusz Stola Central Archives of Historical Renée Stern Steinig Collegium Civitas, Polish Academy Records (AGAD), Warsaw of Sciences, Warsaw THE GALITZIANER Igor Smolskyi Wacław Wierzbieniec Central State Historical Archives Jodi G. Benjamin, Editor Department of History and Jewish of Ukraine in Lviv (TsDIAL), Lviv KEY ASSOCIATES Culture, Rzeszów University CONTACT US GG Secretariat in Poland GESHER GALICIA Piotr Gumola, Warsaw Gesher Galicia, Inc. -
MB Kupershteyn TOWN of BAR: Jewish Pages Through
1 M. B. Kupershteyn TOWN OF BAR: Jewish Pages Through The Prism Of Time Vinnytsia-2019 2 The publication was carried out with the financial support of the Charity Fund " Christians for Israel-Ukraine” K 92 M. B. Kupershteyn Town of Bar: Jewish Pages Through The Prism Of Time. - Vinnytsia: LLC "Nilan-LTD", 2019 - 344 pages. This book tells about the town of Bar, namely the life of the Jewish population through the prism of historical events. When writing this book archival, historical, memoir, public materials, historical and ethnographic dictionaries, reference books, works of historians, local historians, as well as memories and stories of direct participants, living witnesses of history, photos from the album "Old Bar" and from other sources were used. The book is devoted to the Jewish people of Bar, the history of contacts between ethnic groups, which were imprinted in the people's memory and monuments of material culture, will be of interest to both professionals and a wide range of readers who are not indifferent to the history of the Jewish people and its cultural traditions. Layout and cover design: L. M. Kupershtein Book proofer: A. M. Krentsina ISBN 978-617-7742-19-6 ©Kupers M. B., 2019 ©Nilan-LTD, 2019 3 Table of Contents INTRODUCTION ........................................................................... 5 HISTORICAL BAR .......................................................................... 7 FROM THE DEPTHS OF HISTORY .................................................. 32 SHTETL .................................................................................... -
SVEKSNA: Our Town
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.