Category Archives: History

Recalling those who survived the Keidan massacre

Posted on October 5, 2020 by Andrew

By Aryeh Leonard Shcherbakov Preface When talking of the Jews of Keidan, the first who naturally come to mind are those who were murdered: our grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins lying in the mass grave on the outskirts of town. … Continue reading →

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Recalling those who survived: Lists

Posted on October 5, 2020 by Andrew

The first list below contains the names of Keidaners known to have survived the Holocaust, along with short biographic summaries where those could be obtained. The second list contains the names of young men who escaped the mass slaughter in … Continue reading →

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Preface

Posted on August 3, 2020 by ACassel

Preface to the 1930 “zaml bukh” of the Keidaner Assn. of New York From the issuers  When one generation passes, a multitude of memories from several preceding generations are lost as well, if they are not written down for those … Continue reading →

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The History of Keidan

Posted on July 26, 2020 by ACassel

By B. Cassel Originally published in 1930 by the Keidaner Association of New York. Original footnotes appear in roman type; translators’ and editors’ notes in italic. –––––––––––––– Foreword Framed within this brief account of Lithuania’s general history, the reader will … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Literature, Pre-WWI, Yizkor Book | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

‘Good Morning, Lithuania’

Posted on July 8, 2020 by Andrew

Each summer, one of Lithuania’s most popular TV shows, called “Labas Rytas Lietuva” [“Good Morning Lithuania”] highlights different towns across that country. This year its focus was on Kėdainiai, and on July 4, the show aired a walking tour through … Continue reading →

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The Printed Version

Posted on June 22, 2020 by Andrew

Much of the material on this website got here via a project initiated several years ago by David Solly Sandler, a native of Johannesburg and Litvak descendent, who has compiled an impressive print library of material on Lithuanian Jews, there … Continue reading →

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Another Day to Remember

Posted on May 28, 2020 by Andrew

Recently, Jews around the world commemorated Yom HaShoah. Yet even if the Holocaust had never happened, however, this would be a season for remembering the suffering, death and displacement inflicted on the Jews of Eastern Europe by war – World … Continue reading →

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A Comment on Hirsh Bloshtein

Posted on May 13, 2020 by Andrew

After reading my post about Hirsh Bloshtein, and the memoir “A Return to My Birthplace, Keidan,” posted here, Aryeh Shcherbakov submitted the following commentary, which I have edited. Shcherbakov, of Tel Aviv, was born and raised in Vilnius, Lithuania. The … Continue reading →

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Reb Zvi the Cooper

Posted on April 27, 2020 by ACassel

(Memories of M.L. Lilienblum’s father) By Dr. Aharon Leib Pick (Šiauliai) Published (in Hebrew) by the Keidaner Assn. of NY, 1930. Translated by Nathaniel Stampfer. The area around the Lithuanian city of Keidan has been famous for its beauty since … Continue reading →

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Coming Together for Passover

Posted on April 5, 2020 by Andrew

“Getting together for Passover” used to be one of those second-nature ideas, an assumption for families and groups of friends every year about this time. This year, of course, the phrase has become bitterly ironic. With everyone more or less … Continue reading →

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