This week we turn our attention to Anykščiai, a small town in northeastern Lithuania where traces of Jewish life can be felt at every step. Known in Yiddish as Aniksht, it was a place where the Jewish community played an essential part in local trade, crafts, and everyday life for a few centuries. Jews settledContinueContinue reading “Shtetl of the Week: Anykščiai”
Category Archives: Štetlai
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”
Žydai Anykščius stebino pirmąja degaline ir vieninteliu autobusu
Anykščiuose lankėmės visi ir užsimerkę galėtume išpyškinti mažiausiai penkias, o gal ir visas dešimt populiarių turistinių vietų mieste ar aplink jį. Iš tiesų, Anykščiuose yra ką veikti ir ieškančiam kultūros, ir pramogų, ir gamtos, ir sveikatos paslaugų, o infrastruktūra nenusileidžia žymiausiems Lietuvos kurortams. O aš, be abejo, norėčiau papasakoti, ką galima atrasti besidomintiems žydiškuoju paveldu.ContinueContinue reading “Žydai Anykščius stebino pirmąja degaline ir vieninteliu autobusu”
Shtetl of the Week: Seda
This week we travel to Seda, a small Žemaitija town. Seda’s synagogue (credit: Yad Vashem, photo from FB page Lietuva senose fotografijose) Its’ history reaches back to the early 1500s, and perhaps even earlier. Once an important border trade center with Livonia, it grew around a manor, a parish founded in 1508, and a busyContinueContinue reading “Shtetl of the Week: Seda”
Shtetl of the Week: Marijampolė
This week, I invite to explore the Jewish history and street art of Marijampolė in the photo gallery and to meet Israëlis ‘Izis’ Bidermanas – the famous Paris photographer who grew up in this southern Lithuanian shtetl. About Marijampolė Marijampolė in early 1900s Marijampolė was first mentioned in 1667 and now is home to 36,076ContinueContinue reading “Shtetl of the Week: Marijampolė”
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.
How to plan a Jewish Heritage or Family roots trip to Lithuania
For more than ten years, I am helping visitors from all over the world discover and reconnect with Lithuania’s Jewish past. In this conversation, she shares how to plan a Jewish heritage or family roots trip to Lithuania, what a typical three-day journey looks like, and how even independent travellers often find deeper meaning through her personalized itineraries.
Sonia Gaskell: The Litvak Who Shaped Dutch Ballet
Born in 1904 in Vilkaviškis, Lithuania, Sonia Gaskell (Sara Gaskelytė) rose from her Litvak roots to become one of the leading figures in Dutch ballet and a teacher of Audrey Hepburn. Founder of the Dutch National Ballet, she lived by her motto: “I always move forward.”
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”
Litvak Shtetls 