I spotted a Jewish joke on a wall in the Butrimonys eldership building a few years ago. Today, I return as part of my Shtetl of the Week series to explore the town’s past and the traces that remain.
Category Archives: Holocaust
Shtetl of the Week: Kuršėnai
This week’s shtetl is Kuršėnai, Kurshan in Yiddish. I first visited Kuršėnai in October 2025. I wanted to “greet” the memorial stele marking the former synagogue, erected by the Jakovas Bunka Foundation, and to take a closer look at this small town that I so often pass through, but rarely stop in. The view ofContinueContinue reading “Shtetl of the Week: Kuršėnai”
ANYKŠČIAI || ANIKSHT
Jews in Anykščiai surprised locals with the town’s first gas station and its only bus Anyone who has visited Anykščiai can easily list at least five, or even all ten, of its most popular sights. The town truly offers plenty to do: culture, entertainment, nature, and wellness services, all supported by an infrastructure comparable toContinueContinue reading “ANYKŠČIAI || ANIKSHT”
Arbit Blatas: the Litvak eye behind Montparnasse
Arbit Blatas, a Lithuanian-born Litvak artist, became one of the most vivid visual chroniclers of Paris. Living among the greats of the École de Paris, he sketched studios, cafés, and street life with immediacy and insight. His works preserve the atmosphere of a creative era that has since vanished.
Shtetl of the week: starting a new series with Dusetos
In the “Shtetl of the Week” series, I explore and share traces of Jewish heritage in former Lithuanian shtetls. Each week focuses on one town, highlighting surviving sites, personal stories, notable Litvaks, artistic contributions, cemeteries, and Holocaust memorials, offering a glimpse into the life, memory, and legacy of these communities.
From Kupiškis to Plungė: A Personal Jewish History Tour
In July, 2025, I had the pleasure of traveling through Lithuania with Jeremy from the U.S., tracing the same path that his relative Rosemary had followed the previous year. The main destination was Plungė (Plungyan)—the town from which part of his family originated. But Jeremy also wanted to visit Kupiškis, his family’s other ancestral town,ContinueContinue reading “From Kupiškis to Plungė: A Personal Jewish History Tour”
A Litvak Heritage: Rosemary’s Emotional Journey to Plungė
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”
#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”
Klikol: a Small Town Next to the Border with Latvia
Klykoliai – a small town in the North of Lithuania and belongs now to the Akmenė district municipality. It is situated at the river Vadakstis next to the border with Latvia. Now it is a village with just a bit over a 100 people. Klykoliai in 2020 Jewish people settled in then called Klikol (Klikul)ContinueContinue reading “Klikol: a Small Town Next to the Border with Latvia”
KLYKOLIAI: miestelis prie Latvijos sienos
Parengta pagal Akmenės istorijos muziejaus, Pinkas Hakehillot Lita, Lithuanian Jewish Communities ir Lietuvos Holokausto atlaso informaciją. Klykoliai – miestelis Akmenės rajone, visai šalia sienos su Latvija. Dabar juose gyvena vos per 100 gyventojų. Klykoliai 2020 m. Klykoliuose žydai įsikūrė maždaug XVIII a. viduryje, pasistatė čia maldos namus ir įsirengė kapines. Bendruomenė augo, 1866 metų miestelioContinueContinue reading “KLYKOLIAI: miestelis prie Latvijos sienos”
Litvak Shtetls 