Tag Archives: Red Army

Yudel Ronder

I first heard of him in 1994, from Laurence Salzmann, a Philadelphia photojournalist who was documenting Jewish survivors of the Holocaust in Lithuania. At the time all I knew about Keidan came from my grandfather’s articles, which predated World War … Continue reading

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Among the Ruins

By Chaim Ronder The text of a letter sent to the Keidaner Society of Johannesburg by Chaim Ronder, a partisan during the German occupation. POGEGEN (Pagėgiai, Lithuania) 7 November, 1946 Warm brotherly greetings to you, Jews of Johannesburg – born … Continue reading

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Young Refugees in Keidan

By Moshe Domb (Kfar Menachem, Israel) After many hardships and torments, we gathered in Keidan, in Lithuania, to continue the training as Kibbutz Manof that began in Włocławek [Poland]. We were all graduates of the Hashomer Hatzair movement, preparing for … Continue reading

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In the Lithuanian Division

By Eliezer Lipman (Tel Aviv) I was born in Keidan in 1924. My father, Shmerel (Shmaryahu) Lipman, had a grocery store in Smilga (now Smilgos) Street, in a house that he had inherited from my grandfather.  The whole street had … Continue reading

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With the Red Army

By Ze’ev Ronder (Jerusalem) We felt the first explosions of bombs dropped from German planes on June 22, 1941. At that time the general situation at the front was not clear, because, as everyone knows, Radio Moscow was silent until … Continue reading

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Survival in Siberia

By Menachem Klibansky I was born in Keidan, Lithuania. During the First World War, we were exiled to Russia and settled temporarily in the city of Tsaritsyn (later renamed Stalingrad). In 1921 we returned to our home at Number 5 … Continue reading

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The Russian Exile

By Bella Adler (Basel, Switz.) I was born and raised in Keidan. Our Jewish life was very well developed. We had Tarbut and progymnasium Hebrew schools. Most young people were Zionists. We had Hashomer Hatzair, Beitar and other organizations. We … Continue reading

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Heros and Martyrs

By Pesach Weitzer-Chittin (Kibbutz Beit Zera)  Chana Landsberg Chana Landsberg, of blessed memory, was born in Keidan in 1893. She was a very talented girl. She completed the Russian gymnasium for girls in Kovno with distinction in 1911. She excelled … 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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