Day 79. In search for Jerusalem of the North. #CityTours #JewishVilnius

#JewishVilnius

#VilniusConfessions

I am comming back with my posts after quite long period of time. To be precise after 5 months of silence. Why I made this break I am not sure and I can not tell the truth.

But I am full of ideas and of knowledge that I want to share with someone.

And I will prove you that you can stay in Vilnius for 365 days and you will never be bored of the city and you will always find some interesting things to do. And after those 365 days you can star all over again :) :) True.

Let's continue our Vilnius journey. And I am really sorry that my English is not perfect, and, actually, it never was :)

Guilty :)

If you want to know the basics of Jewish Vilnius you should definitely take a tour with a local guide or study the history of Jews in Vilnius on your own.

To be sincere, this topic was very difficult to me and I was consiouosly trying to avoid it. Even I was scared a little bit of that aspect of history of Lithuania.

Why?

The roots of the fear lay back in my school times, when I was in the 7th class we visited the Oswiecim (Auschwitz) museum. The place is somwhere deep in my memory and it haunts me. I think that all schoolchildren, but those older, should be taken to a visit to that museum.

And one more thing. I always used to think that I am little afraid of the Jews, although I never met any Jew in my life. I don't have any aquinatnces Jews. So why? Where these feelings come from?

Finnaly I've decided to take a Jewish tour in Vilnius.

November 17 was the first day in this autumn season with a morning with a minus temperature. So the morning was foggy and cold.

The tour was for beginners and it was the very basics of Jewish Vilnius.
But a tour guide Gabija Luneviciute (Savaitgalio ekskursijos on FB) covered the most essential and the most important points. Gabija is journalist and she guides Jewish tours for 3 years.

The tour started in the French squire just where the Gaono str. and the former Jewish quarter begins.
She told us that it is believed that the first Jews came to the GDL in XIV c. after famous letters of the Grand Duke Gediminas inviting merchants from all over the Europe to come to the GDL and to settle there. Although the are no written documents confirming the fact of Jews settlment in Vilnius. It is known that it was issued the priviledge forbidding jews to practice merchancy and etc. Why? Probably Christian citizens of Vilnius did not wish to have any competition. First written information about Jewish community is that from the 2nd half of XVI c.

We continued on Gaono str. and stopped at the corner of Gaono str. , Stikliu str. and Zydu str.

Street name plate in other language (Jewish street)

#VilniusStreetNames

Gabija told us about Jewish synagogues. It is documented that before WWII there were over 130 synagouges in Vilnius (she found the number - 137). But Jewish synagogues are such sophisticated buildings like Vilnius baroque churches.

We continued on M. Atokolskio str. Gabija told us about Markas_Antokolskis (in LT) The former Mesiniu str. was renamed to M. Antakolskio str. after his death.

The Great Synagogue and Vilna Gaon 

We walked trought the yard and came to the monument of Vilnius Gaonas Elijahu.
Gabija told us about Vilna Gaon Elijas_Ben_Saliamonas_Zalmanas and explained us why Vilnius was called Jerusalem of the North.
We found out a little bit about Hasidic Judaism (in LT).

She told us about Great_Synagogue_of_Vilna destroyed in 1961.

She also mentioned about the plans how to preserve that valuable place. The place should be ready as place of commeration in 2020 ( 300th anniversary of birth of Vilna Gaon Elijahu).

The Great Synagogue site nowadays

Some future plans were discussed here: http://m.diena.lt/naujienos/vilnius/miesto-pulsas/buvusios-didziosios-sinagogos-vietoje-atsiras-erdve-menininkams-860567

and nowadays issues and future plans here:
https://www.15min.lt/m/id/aktualu/lietuva/archeologas-noredami-sunaikinti-didziaja-vilniaus-sinagoga-sovietai-ja-issaugojo-56-1002908

Documentary The Holocaust Escape Tunnel (2017) depicts some archelogical researches on the site.
Further researches will be carried out in summer 2019 https://gvf.lt/blog/2019/03/05/sia-vasara-bus-tesiami-archeologiniai-tyrimai-didziosios-sinagogos-vietoje/

PS. It is interesting coincidence that on that Saturday, after comming back from the tour I turned on a TV and my eyes catched a programme Menu sala on TV8 just accidentally. The 13th episode was about Jewish heritage in Vilnius and Lithunia. Both episodes 12 and 13 could be found on tvplay.tv3.lt/menu-sala/menu-sala.

Just in front of the Great Synangogue of Vilnius there was the Library of Mathias Strashun (in LT).

And Gabija told us about who was Mattityahu Strashun (in LT).

Vokiečių str. 

We continued our tour to Vokieciu str. Former Mesiniu str. started where now M. Antokolskio str. goes and crossed Vokieciu str. and continues as noways Mesiniu str. Most buildings on the left side of Vokieciu str. (direction towards the Town Hall) were built in the soviet times.

#VilniusStreetNames

Gabija told us that at Vokieciu str. 14 there was legendary vegeterian restaurant of Fania Lewando and her husband Lazar Lewando (in LT).

The book published in 1930 in Yiddish is translated into Lithuanian and translated into Lithuanian and published by Alma Littera.

We continued to Mikalojaus str. and here Gabija told us about many words in slang Lithuanian who are Yiddish more about borrowed words - here) in LT).

Next, we came to Zemaitijos str. which former was called M. Strasuno str.

A signboard of a Kerosene (Lamp oil) shop before WW II in Polish/ Yiddish on Žemaitijos str.

A signboard of Grocery shop before WW II in Polish/ Yiddish on Žemaitijos str.

We stopped in front of the former Jewish library in the Large Ghetto (Zemaitijos str. 4). Zemaitijos str. 4 is on the Lithuanian Heritage List (in LT).

Gabija told about the Vilna Ghetto.

She mentioned librarian Herman Kruk.

While standing in the backyard of the buildings in front of the building No 4  we've heard the history of Fania Bransovskaja (in LT) for the forst time in my life.

The Star of David on the wall of Žemaitijos str. building

(nobody knows when it was inscribed or by whom)

 (#VilniusGraffiti ?)

Gabija made an interview with Fania once and she has met Ms Fania personally.

Also, Gabija and the fellows from the tour recommended to watch a documentary by Edita Mildazyte Fanios Vilnius. So I did it.

Also they recommented to watch a movie by Audrius Juzenas Vilniaus getas (2005). Also I did it.

Finnally we came to Ligonines str. and we have heard the history of the former Jewish Hospital.

One of fellows from the tour recommended me to read Jerichas 1941-metais. Vilniaus-geto-istorijos by Igor Argamante.

We opened one of the door in the former Jewish hospital and we appeared just in the front Vilnius Choral Synagogue.

FYI: it is opened for visiting on working days 10:00 - 14:00. Entrance fee - 1 eur.

We finished our tour tour near the Jewish Center with the poem Vilnius of Moyshe Kulbak translated into Lithuania.

The tour lasted for 2 hours and 30 mintes. And it was really really informative. After the tour I will improve my knowledge and I will be ready to pass my knowledge to others.

Day 96. Šnipiškės Jewish cemetery.

#JewishVilnius

#VilniusCemeteries

The first Jewish cemetery was established in Šnipiškės in the end of the 15th cent.

It functioned till 1831, when the the russian imperium authorities closed it because they needed the territory for building the fortress around the Vilnius castles.

Vilna Gaon was burried in  Old Šnipiškės cemetery (LT)  In 1948 his remains and those of his relatives were moved to a New Jewish cemetery at Olandų street.
And in 1963 remains moved to Sudervės Jewish cemetery.

The territory of Old Jewish cemetery was changing in size because the Jews aquired sites around the cemetery and they started to pay taxes for the sites.
All sites were merged and the cemetery gained its maximum territory equal to 4,3 ha in the end of 18th cent. - begging of 19th cent.

1/4 of the cemetery territory was used for the fortress building. The rest was left as a field for firing.

In 1935 Polish authorities declared the cemetery as having museum value.

After the WWII the soviets finally destroyed the cemetery. On the site they constructed the swimming pool and the Palace of Concerts and Sports.

#ControversialVilnius

Day 94. Hanukkah in Vilnius. #DecemberinVilnius

JewishVilnius

#DecemberinVilnius

Each December Jewish Community of Lithuania observes Hanukkah.

Each sunset during Hanukkah candles on Menorah_(Hanukkah) are lightened on Vincas Kudirka Square just in the city centre.

the Menorah on the last night of Hanukkah in 2018

Day 86. #Jewish Vilnius. Station District. #CityTours

#citytours

#JewishVilnius

series of: #CentralStation

On a way to the train station where the starting point of the tour called Jewish Vilnius, beyond the traditional Jewish Quarter, by Jūsų gidas (Donatas).

Floral shop near All Saints' Church

Near Jamaica Hostel, Visų Šventųjų str. 9

A lot of information.

1) Why the train station?

Without you it's only a piece of furniture @Vilnius train station

Because precisely here Theodor Herzl, entered Vilnius  on 16-17 August, 1903, on his way to Saint Petersburg (in LT).

2) we stopped @ the corner of Stoties str. and V. Sopeno str. A house of famous actor Abraham Morewski once stood here.

3) Vilhelmas Šopen str. and building no 8, where Vilnius Varpas Adults Gymnasium is located, and where former Jewish Boys Gymnasium in 1926-1940 was located. ( No 46 in a book)

Balcony of the school described above 

Informational board 

of Vilnius Varpas Adults Gymnasium

4) Borisas Kleckinas (LT) and his print house, where the Talmuds were printed. It printed the biggest quantity of books in Yiddish.

The Cat of Nobody or of Somebody

@ Raugyklos str. near Boris Kleckin print house building

5) Sv. Stepono str. 15 and Miriam Deiches 

6) Candy shop @ Sv. Stepono str. 

And some discoveries beyond Jewish Vilnius topic.

#RenaissanceinVilnius

Since I already was in the Station District, I have decided that it is a perfect day to finally find Saint Stephens Church (in LT).

I was searching for that church few years ago, but I couldn't find the access (the entrance) to the church.

The church is seen from Paneriu str. but you can can not easily find it. The right way to find it is go Sv. Stepono str. till the yard with trucks of UAB Grinds stand and to enter the yard, and, here, up the hill the church stands.

The Entrance door to the church

Let's walk sv. Stepono street till the Pylimo Egg. :)

Sv. Stepono str.  

It seems that people have found some inspirations in the Easter Islands

Table Bord of Candy Shop in Polish & Yiddish

Some facts:

The tour with Jusu gidas - 9 eur. 

Duration 2 - 2,5 hour

Further reading recommendations: Paskutinis Vilniaus pranasas.

Day 103. National Holocaust Rememberance Day. 23 September.

National Holocaust Rememberance Day or (Jewish Genocide Day) is commemorated in Lithuania on 23 September 23.
On this day the large Vilnius ghetto was started to liquidate in 1943.

International Holocaust Remembrance Day is an international memorial day on 27 January.

#JewishVilnius

The Walls Remember  project

@Entrance into the former Jewish Quarter

Part of Project Kuriu Vilnių, edition 2

#StreetArt

Day 151. Lithuanian Jews Genocide Rememberance Day and Ponary March of the Living

 About Lithuanian Jewish Genocide Rememberance Day I wrote on Day 102.

This year I took part in The Road of Memory. Ponary March of the Living.

March started @11:00  @Rudninkų squre with few speaches (among them a speach of our PM Ingrida Šimonytė) and few songs in Yddish.

Later the march headed towards The Central Railway Station for a train of 12:32 to Trakai.

Train was full of people. In Ponary the march headed towards the forest. 

Like was one of the particpants of the march has said: This forest is full of Sadness.

The forest has a smell of blueberries (subjective, because I felt this smell) and a smell of pine spikes.

The ceremony was full of wreaths of flowers and full of speaches. A lot of Ambassadors took part in the ceremony.

It's a sad ceremony. 

But we have to remember.

Never means never, never again means never again.

#JewishVilnius