Travel

Before World War II, the town of Adutiškis was home to about 800 Jews. They had no land and could only rent it from the owner for a period of 99 years. The Jews were engaged in trades – they were tailors, blacksmiths, hairdressers, merchants, bakers, and coachmen. There were 40 shops in the town around the Market Square. People did not have money to buy goods, especially in spring, and it was possible to get loans from the Jews or to pay for goods with grain, hay, potatoes, etc. Jews traded in herrings, sausages, oil, clothes, materials and lemonade. They sold mutton, beef and pork, and Jewish women baked biscuits. There were more Jews than Lithuanians in this town. In July 1944, during the retreat, the fascists blew up a water mill and set fire to people’s houses. Adutiškis was on fire.

In the first half of 20th century Švenčionys was one of the towns where the Jewish community kahalas flourished. There were five synagogues, two seven-year schools with the Yiddish and Hebrew languages. In 1972 the Jewish high school had the first graduates. The Jewish cultural and educational society “Bildgez”, a library and a reading room with thousands of books, wind and string orchestras, a group of lecturers and a theater, various children’s and youth organizations and a shelter for the poor were established. During the interwar period, doctors living in Svenčionys were known throughout the county: Benjamin Kovarskis and his son Levas Kovarskis. As in every city, Jews were engaged in trade, crafts, kept taverns and other inns.

At the beginning of 20th century, after the increase of the Jewish community in Pabrade, in 1905 permission to open even two houses of prayer was requested. The synagogue on Bajoreliu Street was demolished after World War II. In the synagogue on Pasto St. after World War II, a cultural center was established. In 1957 April 15th in the evening there were dances in the culture house. After the people dispersed, the dam of Pabrade was broken that same night. There was a huge flood, which washed away those cultural houses where people had fun very recently.

Since ancient times, Švenčionėliai has been home to a large Jewish community, which owned most of the commercial enterprises, handicraft workshops, and the trade and domestic service sector. The shops were located roughly where the cultural centre is today. The Jewish community had three synagogues, one of which was converted into a custody during the Nazi occupation, as well as two Jewish schools, teaching in Hebrew and Jewish languages. Most of the Jewish community lived in the centre. At the end of July 1941, the Jews of Švenčionėliai were rounded up into a separate quarter on Kaltanėnų Street. From there, they were driven to the woods of the village of Platumai and shot.

In 20th century more Jews lived in Kaltanenai itself than Lithuanians and Poles. About 24 Jewish families lived in the town during interwar period. Their residential houses, bakery, and four shops were located on the current Svencioneliu and Mokyklos streets. When the German occupation began, Jewish families were driven to three houses, then driven to Svencioneliai to be shot, others were shot at home and buried.