Tag Archives: Holidays

Worlds Gone By

Keidan at the end of the 19th century By Dr. Hyman J. Epstein Originally published in 1930 by the Keidaner Assn. of New York.  Keidan was not just another Lithuanian shtetl; it was a city, with an important lineage. Proud … Continue reading

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Coming Together for Passover

“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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A Greeting From Home, 1939

This unsigned article appeared in “The Keidaner” bulletin of the Keidaner Association of NY,  September 1939. Never have our landsleit come to hear such an interesting report about Keidan as that which took place at the last meeting. The report … Continue reading

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Shevuos in Keidan

by B. Cassel Published (in Yiddish) in “The Keidaner” monthly bulletin of the Keidaner Assn. of NY, June, 1941. After Pesach, Spring ruled our lives more and more each day. The days became warmer, lighter. From after cheder until bedtime … Continue reading

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The Big Celebration

By Hirsh Bloshtein Originally published in the newspaper “Birobidzhaner Shtern,” October 1970.  I once had a friend. We were born in the same town, on the same street and in the same year. We were together through our childhood years and … Continue reading

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My Vanished Keidan

By Pesach Weitzer-Chittin (Beit Zera, Israel) Writing down memories of the town where you were born and spent close to 40 years evokes strong longings and yearnings. It is many times more difficult to write about the town whose Jews, … Continue reading

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Synagogues in Keidan

By Yehezkel Rochin (Ramat Rachel, Israel) Published in the Sefer Zikaron (Keidan Memorial Book) 1977. Translated by Chaim Charutz There were seven synagogues in Keidan. Four of them were in the shulhoyf,; two more were in Smilga Street, and one … Continue reading

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Theater in Keidan

By Julius Lee Originally published in “The Keidaner” bulletin of the Keidaner Assn. of New York, No. 19, 1936. Of all the old memories that are engraved on my mind I want to share one episode. This was in that … Continue reading

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Simchas-Toyre in Keidan

Every year at this time I turn to a story about Keidan, specifically about how the Simchas Toyre holiday was celebrated in the town. My grandfather published this set of vignettes and memories in 1940, as part of the Keidaner … Continue reading

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