This time, I was deeply moved by Rosemary. She is a descendant of Joffe Marks, a Litvak from Plungė. He built a remarkable life in South Africa. Rosemary traveled to Lithuania in October 2024 with something truly special in her suitcase. The book was about her family’s journey: their life in Lithuania, emigration, and theContinueContinue reading “A Litvak Heritage: Rosemary’s Emotional Journey to Plungė”
Category Archives: English
From Plungė to Port Elizabeth: The Journey of Moshe Jaffee (Joffe Marks)
Joffe Marks in Johannesburg, South Africa. A photo of the Jaffee family, available on the website of the South African Jewish Museum Before emigration, Jewish families in Lithuanian towns followed certain rituals: reciting Torah on Shabbat, visiting family graves, and sharing freshly baked challah. These moments marked the transition from the familiar to the unknown.ContinueContinue reading “From Plungė to Port Elizabeth: The Journey of Moshe Jaffee (Joffe Marks)”
Jewish Heritage Journey in Lithuania: Kaunas to Pakruojis
Exploring Litvak Roots with Stops in Kaunas, Kėdainiai, and Šeduva This was a deeply meaningful one-day Jewish heritage journey across northern and central Lithuania. The focus was on visiting two key ancestral towns. They were Pokroy (Pakruojis) and Ponevezh (Panevėžys). These former shtetls have rich Jewish histories. They hold personal significance for the traveler. AlongContinueContinue reading “Jewish Heritage Journey in Lithuania: Kaunas to Pakruojis”
A Town and Its Jews: Tytuvėnai
Tytuvėnai, first documented in the 16th century, evolved from a small manor settlement to a town marked by ownership changes and external conflicts. Despite hardships, including wars and the Holocaust that devastated its Jewish community, it has gradually rebounded, developing into a quiet town known for its natural beauty.
Life in Shtetl
The text explores the significance of shtetls in Jewish history, particularly in Lithuania, where Jewish communities shaped local life from the 18th century onward. Shtetls served as cultural and economic hubs, fostering rich traditions, education, and community structures while navigating external pressures and a largely separate existence from non-Jewish populations.
A trip to the north of Lithuania. Part 1. Subačius (Subotsh)
I’m starting to like October. Less work, more time for expeditions, research, reading, writing and creativity.The weather is still quite fine: sun, fog, dew, light rain, soft warmth, and mild coolness. There are colors all around. The nettles are no longer biting. The grass is not as tall as a few weeks ago. Mushrooms canContinueContinue reading “A trip to the north of Lithuania. Part 1. Subačius (Subotsh)”
A Walk in Jewish Želva (Podzelve)
Želva is a small town near Ukmergė (Vilkomir). Until I began researching Litvak heritage, I had heard practically nothing about Želva. In 2018 I visited the town for the first time as a home town of world famous Aaron Klug. Since then I have been here for four or five times. Želva was famous forContinueContinue reading “A Walk in Jewish Želva (Podzelve)”
Kurkle
This May I have visited the restored former synagogue in Kurkliai.The Kurkle synagogue, built in 1936, is located in a beautiful place near the Dubele stream. The seemingly modest wooden prayer house was visible from afar: the turret on the roof, interesting doors and unusual almost stained-glass windows caught the eye.Kurkle Jews gathered here notContinueContinue reading “Kurkle”
#MesPrisimename || #WeRemember
Sausio 27-ąją, Tarptautinę Holokausto atminimo dieną, prisiminkime mūsų žydus, brutaliai nužudytus 1941-1944 metais visuose Lietuvos kampeliuose (žudynių vietas rasite paspaudę ant nuotraukų).Bus papildyta.===January 27 the world comemorates the International Holocaust Remembrance day. During 1941-1944 Lithuania lost about 200.000 Jews, brutally killed in more than 200 mass murder sites around the whole country. Descriptions will beContinueContinue reading “#MesPrisimename || #WeRemember”
Ona Šimaitė. A Silent Heroine from Savičius Street
„An old lady with a limp and an accent, she is invisible to most. Certainly no one recognizes her as the warrior and revolutionary she was, and perhaps this is why she succeeded in a situation that demanded secrecy, courage, and disguise.“ – I’ve read a story about Ona Šimaitė told by Julija Šukys. The story, originally written inContinueContinue reading “Ona Šimaitė. A Silent Heroine from Savičius Street”
Litvak Shtetls 