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Vilnius Photograph Series

The Vilnius Photograph Series includes four sombre photographs throughout the town of Vilnius, including a photograph of a near-empty street, a painting of another city street, a young child in the street, and an elderly man on the side of the road. With these photographs being taken quite close to the end of the interwar period, the sombre tone is appropriate, since at the brink of war, Eastern European Jews were suffering severe poverty and exclusion from society. Aside from these, there are also three photographs of Jewish organisations and clubs, including one Haskalah school photograph, a scene from an inter-Jewish school athletics event and a Jewish football team. With ever-increasing anti-Semitism and exclusion, Jewish community members would form their own organisations, which served as meeting points for Jews who were largely shunned in other realms of society and therefore unable to join mainstream organisations of a similar kind. This exclusion, primarily based on anti-Semitism, made these organisations necessary if Jews were interested in taking part in these activities, but also promoted an in-group sense of belonging in a highly community-oriented group.

Jewish people in Vilnius made made up a considerable proportion of the population, and contributed significantly to the economy mostly through their role as merchants, tradesmen and manufacturing owners. Vilnius was also known for its strong 19th century Bundist movement, and later an even stronger Zionist presence in the early 1900s whereby this town housed the Zionist Committee of Russia from 1905 to 1910. Economics and politics aside, Jews were perhaps strongest in their cultural and educational contribution in Vilnius. The Haskalah movement (Jewish Enlightenment) spread through the town and outwards from there, it was the seat/centre of the Torah for many years, it was home to many progressive thinkers and writers and also attracted similar talents to its cultural haven, and was known to be a particularly vibrant hub for Hebrew literature. [Source: https://www.yadvashem.org/yv/en/exhibitions/vilna/overview.asp].

The chaotic pattern in Eastern Europe and nearby regions in the first half of the 20th century – mostly as a result of the two World Wars – consisted of sporadic occupation, independence, and reoccupation of territories. Vilnius was part of the Russian Empire prior to World War I, whereby it flourished in many ways. In the year 1915, during the Yom Kippur period, Germany occupied Vilnius, bringing about widespread poverty and starvation, thereby eradicating the flourishing economy that existed here. Jewish folk were forced to work for Germans, and were treated with much cruelty, only inspiring further comraraderie among this community-oriented group. Jews supported one another in finding employment opportunities in the scarce market, and made strides in education and culture despite the harsh conditions. Immediately after WWI, there was a complex period of transition out of German rule when Germans retreated at the end of 1918. Polish citizens in Vilnius were given leadership roles, but this did not last long as the Bolshevik troops invaded and took control for a short period. In April 1919, Polish troops entered Vilnius, taking control and 'liberating' the town, although doing so with a fair amount of ill treatment of Jews. This 'liberation' saw the election of Jews to town council positions, but this was disrupted by another invasion by the Red Army in July 1920. Only one day later, Lithuanians entered the town and tried to occupy, but the Russians only handed over control to Lithuanians at the end of August 1920, with Lithuanians promising autonomy to Jews. Polish troops arrived and took control in that same year, conquering other leaderships and severing ties with Lithuania who had formed an Independent Republic by that point. Under Polish rule, the economy was stagnant and many Jewish community leadership positions were faded out, alongwith much emigration to America and other overseas countries. Throughout this hardship, Jewish education continued to thrive, with Jews fighting for rights and freedoms since only Polish high school diplomas were accepted initially, thus making it difficult for Jews to attend university, yet many Jewish students still managed to obtain a university education. Unfortunately, this tumultuous period lead to Vilnius losing its position as the home of Hebrew literature, but Yiddish certainly took an important position. Anti-Semitism was rife, worsened by internal divides between Socialist Bundists and Jewish Nationalist Zionists. At the beginning of World War II, as part of the agreement between Germany and the Soviet Union, a portion of Poland (including Vilnius) was occupied by the Soviet Union, who handed over control to Lithuania in October 1939. As war developed, the Soviet Union reoccupied Vilnius in August 1940, and Jews were treated with violence and exiled to Siberia in amny cases. Nazi Germany occupied Vilnius in June 1941, soon after which anti-Semitic measures were put into place. In collaboration with Lithuanian locals, Nazis orchestrated 5000 murders at Ponary forest in July 1941, and another 3500 there in August. The degree of local collaboration by Lithuanians speaks to the murderous anti-Semitism present here. In September 1941, two ghettoes where established in Vilna, with ghetto 1 being for those able to work, and ghetto 2 being for those who were to be killed almost immediately in Ponary, leading to around 40000 total deaths in that forest by the end of 1941. Ghetto 1 occupants were forced to work, and were periodically terrorized by killing sprees in the forest, or by transfers to other labour camps nearby. The large majority of the ghetto occupants were murdered, with only a few Jews left by September 1943 when the ghetto was liquidated. Those too sick to work were killed in Ponary or sent to Sobibor death camp, men who could work were sent to labour camps in Estonia, and women were sent to labour camps in Latvia. Similarly to the strength in culture and community before the Holocaust, there were instances of resistance in the Vilnius ghetto, inspired by organized movements that existed pre-WWII. [https://kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/vilna/vilna.htm]

The town of Vilnius is named as such in Lithuanian, as Vilna in Russian, as Wilno in Polish, and as Vilne in Yiddish. This town also has the moniker of being the "Jerusalem of Lithuania" according to a large proportion of East European Jewry, which seems appropriate considering the strides in Jewish culture and thought that Vilnius was home to.

Vaskai Photograph Series

The Vaškai (English spelling: Vaskai) Photograph Series includes one photograph of the Yavneh class at the local Hebrew school. The children in this photograph are part of an organisation that attempted to revitalize and promote Jewish identity and spirtuality in young people.

The chaotic pattern in Eastern Europe and nearby regions in the first half of the 20th century – mostly as a result of the two World Wars – consisted of sporadic occupation, independence, and reoccupation of territories. Following the same pattern as many shtetlach in Eastern Europe, particularly in Lithuania, Vaskai was part of the Russian Empire until the First World War when it was occupied by Bolsheviks. In the interwar years, the town was part of the Independent Republic of Lithuania. However, the population of Jews decreased more since Jews left as economic conditions declined, mostly immigrating to America and South Africa. This independence was disrupted by Soviet invasion in 1940, and once again by Nazi invasion in 1941 at the start of the Second World War when Soviets and Nazis declared war. Jews remaining in Vaskai were transported to Pasvalys, where they were murdered alongwith those residents, and buried in mass graves. [Source: https://www.jewishgen.org/Yizkor/pinkas_lita/lit_00276b.html].

The town of Vaškai is named as such in Lithuanian, as Konstantinovo in Russian under the Russian Empire until 1918, as Konstantynów in Polish, and as Vashky in Yiddish.

Vainutas Photograph Series

The Vainutas Photograph Series includes two photographs, with one depicting the road entering the town and the other depicting a wedding celebration. The wedding photograph includes the newlywed Mr and Mrs Shefke (alternative spelling: Sefikel) with their wedding guests surrounding them.

The chaotic pattern in Eastern Europe and nearby regions in the first half of the 20th century – mostly as a result of the two World Wars – consisted of sporadic occupation, independence, and reoccupation of territories. The chaotic pattern in Eastern Europe and nearby regions in the first half of the 20th century – mostly as a result of the two World Wars – consisted of sporadic occupation, independence, and reoccupation of territories. Following the same pattern as many shtetlach in Eastern Europe, particularly in Lithuania, Ukmerge was part of the Russian Empire until the First World War when it was occupied by Bolsheviks. In the interwar years, the town was part of the Independent Republic of Lithuania. However, the population of Jews decreased more since Jews left as economic conditions declined, mostly immigrating to Israel and South Africa. This independence was disrupted by Soviet invasion in 1940, and once again by Nazi invasion in 1941 at the start of the Second World War when Soviets and Nazis declared war. Nazis made selections from the Jewish residents, whereby those unable to work were killed immediately, and those able to work were transported a short distance, afterwhich some were killed, and the remaining few were sent to the Heydekrug camp. This camp was emptied of prisoners in 1943, with transportation to Auschwitz resulting in murder of 100 Jews, including 10 from Vainutas and 90 from other towns. The surviving men were used for slave labour, including vacating ruins in the Warsaw ghetto, where many died of typhus. Only 3 men from this town survived WWII, being freed by the American army at the end of the war. [Source: https://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/lithuania6/lit6_371.html].

The town of Vainutas is named as such in Lithuanian, as Wojnuta in Polish, and as Vainute in Yiddish.

Ukmerge Photograph Series

The Ukmergė (English spelling: Ukmerge) Photograph Series includes three photographs, one of which is a simple town-scape photograph of the houses in this town. The other two photographs relate to the Hebrew Gymnasium, with one being a class photograph and the other being a photograph of the school building.

The chaotic pattern in Eastern Europe and nearby regions in the first half of the 20th century – mostly as a result of the two World Wars – consisted of sporadic occupation, independence, and reoccupation of territories. Following the same pattern as many shtetlach in Eastern Europe, particularly in Lithuania, Ukmerge was part of the Russian Empire until the First World War when it was occupied by Bolsheviks. In the interwar years, the town was part of the Independent Republic of Lithuania. However, the population of Jews decreased more since Jews left as economic conditions declined, mostly immigrating to Israel and South Africa. This independence was disrupted by Soviet invasion in 1940, and once again by Nazi invasion in 1941 at the start of the Second World War when Soviets and Nazis declared war. In September 1941, the Jews that still remained in Ukmerge were massacred in a nearby forest by Lithuanian and German murderers. [Source: https://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/pinkas_lita/lit_00240.html].
The town of Ukmergė (English spelling: Ukmerge) is named as such in present-day Lithuanian, as Vilkmergė in pre-1918 Lithuanian, as Vilkomir in Russian and Yiddish, and as Wiłkomierz in Polish.

Svedasai Photograph Series

The Svėdasai (English spelling: Svedasai) Photograph Series includes three photographs, one of which depicts the visit of President Antanas Smetona, and the remaining two include the Arsch family from Svėdasai in various scenarios and with different family members in each photographs.

The chaotic pattern in Eastern Europe and nearby regions in the first half of the 20th century – mostly as a result of the two World Wars – consisted of sporadic occupation, independence, and reoccupation of territories. Following the same pattern as many shtetlach in Eastern Europe, particularly in Lithuania, Subacius was part of the Russian Empire until the First World War when it was occupied by Bolsheviks. The Russian declaration for all Jews to be driven out of their towns applied to Subacius, decreasing the population significantly. However, relations between Jews and Lithuanians in this town were relatively harmonius, with considerably minor looting of empty homes of Jews, so that when they returned from Russian exile their homes were in tact. In the interwar years, the town was part of the Independent Republic of Lithuania, under which even more Jews left as economic conditions declined, mostly immigrating to Israel due to the strong Zionist presence in this shtetl. Lithuanian independence was disrupted by Soviet invasion in 1940, and once again by Nazi invasion in 1941 at the start of the Second World War when Soviets and Nazis declared war. There were very strong nationalists in Lithuania who turned very cruel upon Nazi occupation, with some even acting before Nazi troops arrived, acting with extreme violence against Jews. This mass violence was carried out as a masscare within the town, including inside the shops owned by Jews, but also through extended massacre whereby Jews were transported under the pretense of going to work nearby in Rokiskis, where they were instead murdered. [Source: https://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/lithuania6/lit6_327.html]

The town of Svėdasai (English spelling: Svedasai) is named as such in Lithuanian, as Sviadostse in Russian, as Świadoście in Polish, and as Svadushtsh/Shvidostch in Yiddish.

This Series was originally donated to the SAJBOD Archives by Ethel Aarons in 1988, after she moved to Johannesburg.

Subacius Photograph Series

The Subačius (English spelling: Subacius) Photograph Series includes a single photograph of some visitors to a Jewish cemetry in the town. The grave is marked with a Jewish Star of David, and the name 'Gershon Israelstam', identifying it as the grave of a previous Jewish resident of Subacius.

The chaotic pattern in Eastern Europe and nearby regions in the first half of the 20th century – mostly as a result of the two World Wars – consisted of sporadic occupation, independence, and reoccupation of territories. Following the same pattern as many shtetlach in Eastern Europe, particularly in Lithuania, Subacius was part of the Russian Empire until the First World War when it was occupied by Bolsheviks. The Russian declaration for all Jews to be driven out of their towns applied to Subacius, decreasing the population significantly. In the interwar years, the town was part of the Independent Republic of Lithuania, under which even more Jews left as economic conditions declined, mostly immigrating to Israel and overseas. This independence was disrupted by Soviet invasion in 1940, and once again by Nazi invasion in 1941 at the start of the Second World War when Soviets and Nazis declared war. [Source: https://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/pinkas_lita/lit_00411a.html].
The town of Subačius (English spelling: Subacius) is named as such in Lithuanian, as Suboch in Russian, as Subocz in Polish, and as Subotch or Subotsh in Yiddish.

This photograph was originally donated to the SAJBOD Archives by Miss Shirley Skein, who lived in Johannesburg at the time.

Skuodas Photograph Series

The Skuodas Photograph Series includes one photograph, taken outside a local family's house. The members of the family are also photographed, either upon or around a horse-drawn cart, which stands in front of their home.

The chaotic pattern in Eastern Europe and nearby regions in the first half of the 20th century – mostly as a result of the two World Wars – consisted of sporadic occupation, independence, and reoccupation of territories. Following the same pattern as many shtetlach in Eastern Europe, particularly in Lithuania, Skuodas was part of the Russian Empire until the First World War when it was occupied by Bolsheviks. In the interwar years, the town was part of the Independent Republic of Lithuania, which was disrupted by Soviet invasion in 1940, and once again by Nazi invasion in 1941 at the start of the Second World War when Soviets and Nazis declared war. Importantly, although Jews had for years contributed meaningfully to the economy via the Jewish Folksbank, the majority of the Jewish residents of Salantai left during the period of Lithuanian indepence, as propaganda, economic restrictions on Jewish trade and violence against Jews continued to rise alongwith the detriment in economic conditions. Most Jews immigrated to South Africa, America and Israel. [Source: https://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/skuodas/sku005.html].

The town of Skuodas is named as such in Lithuanian, as Shkudy in Russian, as Szkudy in Polish, and as Shkod in Yiddish.

Siauliai Photograph Series

The Šiauliai (English spelling: Siauliai) Photograph Series includes some groups of Jewish folk in various scenarios including a Maccabi orchestra group, a Girl Guides group, a kindergarten class, some family members standing outside a house, and two friends (Shulamit Israelstam and Ethel Hoffman) posing together, as well as an individual photograph with Solly Hoffman taken at Hebrew school. The group photographs show people socializing together in Jewish-specific clubs and societies, which often happened among the Jewish community. This can be explained by the rise in nationalism across the European continent at the time which simultaneously fuelled increased anti-Semitism. Therefore, Jewish community members would form their own organisations, which served as meeting points of Jews who were largely excluded in other realms of society and therefore unable to join mainstream organisations of a similar kind. This exclusion was primarily based on anti-Semitism, not only making Jewish organisations necessary if Jews were interested in taking part in these activities, but also promoting an in-group sense of belonging in a highly community-oriented group.

The photographs of two of the Hoffman children here suggest that the Hoffman family moved from Pakruojis to Siauliai, which is likely since they had family in this town.

The chaotic pattern in Eastern Europe and nearby regions in the first half of the 20th century – mostly as a result of the two World Wars – consisted of sporadic occupation, independence, and reoccupation of territories. Following the same pattern as many shtetlach in Eastern Europe, particularly in Lithuania, Siauliai was part of the Russian Empire until the First World War when it was occupied by Bolsheviks. The Russian declaration for all Jews to be driven out of their towns applied to Siauliai, decreasing the population significantly. In the interwar years, the town was part of the Independent Republic of Lithuania, the population of Jews decreased more since Jews left as economic conditions declined due to a serious drought, mostly immigrating to South Africa. This independence was disrupted by Soviet invasion in 1940, and once again by Nazi invasion in 1941 at the start of the Second World War when Soviets and Nazis declared war. While some Jews were murdered upon Nazi occupation, others were forced into overcrowded ghettoes where they were forced to work if they were able and killed if they were not. Of the remaining Jews, there was mass transport to 'transition camps', where many died of starvation and other fatal conditions. Only a few Jews from this town survived, with the large majority undergoing prolonged suffering before being murdered senselessly. [Source: https://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/pinkas_lita/lit_00658c.html].

The town of Šiauliai (English spelling: Siauliai) is named as such in Lithuanian, as Shavli in Russian, as Szawle in Polish, and as Shavl in Yiddish.

Salantai Photograph Series

The Salantai Photograph Series includes one photograph, depicting a busy market square, which was taken around 1920.

The chaotic pattern in Eastern Europe and nearby regions in the first half of the 20th century – mostly as a result of the two World Wars – consisted of sporadic occupation, independence, and reoccupation of territories. Following the same pattern as many shtetlach in Eastern Europe, particularly in Lithuania, Salantai was part of the Russian Empire until the First World War when it was occupied by Bolsheviks. In the interwar years, the town was part of the Independent Republic of Lithuania, which was disrupted by Soviet invasion in 1940, and once again by Nazi invasion in 1941 at the start of the Second World War when Soviets and Nazis declared war. Importantly, although Jews had for years contributed meaningfully to the economy via the Jewish Folksbank, the majority of the Jewish residents of Salantai left during the period of Lithuanian indepence, as propaganda and violence against Jews continued to rise alongwith the detriment in economic conditions. Most Jews immigrated to South Africa, America and Israel. [Source: https://kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/salant/Home.html].

The town of Salantai is named as such in Lithuanian, as Salanty in Russian, as Sałanty in Polish, and as Salant in Yiddish.

Rozalimas Photograph Series

The Rozalimas Photograph Series includes two photographs, both with particulary Jewish themes, with one depicting a Hebrew school class photograph and the other depticting a Haesharah organization group photograph.

The chaotic pattern in Eastern Europe and nearby regions in the first half of the 20th century – mostly as a result of the two World Wars – consisted of sporadic occupation, independence, and reoccupation of territories. Following the same pattern as many shtetlach in Eastern Europe, particularly in Lithuania, Rozalimas was part of the Russian Empire until the First World War when it was occupied by Bolsheviks. In the interwar years, the town was part of the Independent Republic of Lithuania, which was disrupted by Soviet invasion in 1940, and once again by Nazi invasion in 1941 at the start of the Second World War when Soviets and Nazis declared war. This ended in massacre of the majority of the remaining Jewish population. [Source: https://archive.org/details/nybc314248/page/n270/mode/2up].

The town of Rozalimas is named as such in Lithuanian, as Rozalin in Russian and Polish, and as Rozalye in Yiddish.
This Series was originally donated to the SAJBOD Archives by Savoy Cohen.

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