Ted. By one estimate, there were about 9.5 million Jews in Europe in 1933; approximately 6% of the population. Roughly 70 percent of them lived in Poland, the Soviet Union, Romania and the three Baltic countries. My Grandma’s village was not unusual in that 60% of the residents were Jewish.
When I try to imagine the impact the Jews must have made, it’s sort of like thinking about the impact that Protestants make in my community in Georgia. They are everywhere - running businesses, teaching in schools, doctors, lawyers - you name it!
Between the wars, during the Golden Age of Kaunas, Jews comprised about 25% of the population of the city. There were 40 synagogues, many Hebrew schools and four Hebrew high schools. Again - like Protestants in Georgia.
By the end of WWII, the Jews in Kaunas and most of Europe had pretty much vanished. What would life in Georgia be like if one removed all of the Protestants?
Judy and I visited the Ghetto Museum in Riga, the Ninth Fort Museum in Kaunas and heard stories of desperate attempts by millions of families to flee the slaughter - but I decided not to dwell on that.
Instead, I have walked the streets of Kaunas listening for the faint echoes of the rich life that once was.
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| Former synagogue for kosher butchers |
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| Former Hasidic synagogue (an art studio in the 90's) |
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| Choral Synagogue (still in use) |
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| Interior |
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| Former Žalniakalnis synagogue (now an events venue) |
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| Setting up for a wedding! |
I even imagined spirits returning to these sacred spaces to listen to the laughter of young people.
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| Abraham Mapu, 19th cent Jewish novelist |
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