„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”
Category Archives: English
Fania Lewando – The Vilna Vegetarian Cookbook author
Fania Lewando used to say in provincial Vilnius in the 1930s that everyone can be a vegetarian once in a while. Now it surprises nobody, but looking back to interwar Jewish Vilne, it sounds challenging. A good meat dish was not only a necessary part of the daily diet of Jewish families, but also anContinueContinue reading “Fania Lewando – The Vilna Vegetarian Cookbook author”
Samuel Bak’s Vilnius
Samuel Bak’s relationship with Vilnius was a complex one, as complex as can only be experienced by a person who has lived through both paradise and hell here. Born in Polish Vilnius in 1933 into the family of Jonas Bakas, a Jewish dental technician, and his wife Mita, the lone child Samek was spoilt byContinueContinue reading “Samuel Bak’s Vilnius”
Romain Gary and Vilnius
Many stories have been told about the famous French writer, diplomat and pilot Romain Gary. One of the most popular is about how he won the Prix Goncourt twice, although it can only be awarded to an author once. He won it the second time under the name Emile Ajar, and became a something ofContinueContinue reading “Romain Gary and Vilnius”
Hermanas Perelsteinas. A story of proud survival
On June 14 Lithuania commemorates the Memorial Day of the Mass Deportations. That day in 1941 trains with tens of thousands of citizens of occupied Lithuania were deported to the Nort or Far East of the Soviet Union. On this day I always remember the story of a Jewish teenager, Hermanas Perelsteinas, who survived hisContinueContinue reading “Hermanas Perelsteinas. A story of proud survival”
Rozalimas (Rozalye)
The whole 19th century a small town of Rozalimas (Rozalye) was in the worst position comparing to nearby Pakruojis (Pokroy) or Šeduva (Shadeve). However, at the end of the 19th century the town’s population increased (there were 549 people here, half of them were Jews). Like in any Jewish shtetl, a synagogue, a mikveh, aContinueContinue reading “Rozalimas (Rozalye)”
Litvak Shtetls 