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This project aims to identify notable Jews, whose family roots, education, professional achievements are associated with Lithuania.
If in your family tree you have an individual that was a Lithuanian Jew known for her/his life achievements, please add them to this project. It would be great if within profile description there would be brief biography.
- Within opened profile page use the 'Actions' button to "Add to project". Select this project (you must be on the list of collaborators in this project to see it on the selection list). You may add any public profile that you have permission to edit. If you do not have permission to edit the profile, a request is sent to the profile manager to add the profile to the project.
Note: Only public profiles may be added to projects.
Lithuanian Jews or Litvaks are Jews with roots in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (present-day Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Latvia and the northeastern Suwałki (Suvalkai) region of Poland). The term is sometimes used to cover all Orthodox Jews who follow a "Lithuanian" (Ashkenazic and non-Hasidic) style of life and learning, whatever their ethnic background. The area where Lithuanian Jews lived is referred to in Yiddish as "Líta."
Lithuania was historically home to a large and influential Jewish community that was almost entirely eliminated during the Holocaust. Before World War II, the Lithuanian Jewish population was some 160,000, about 7% of the total population. Vilnius (then Wilno in the Second Polish Republic) had a Jewish community of nearly 100,000, about 45% of the city's total population. There were over 110 synagogues and 10 yeshivas in Vilnius alone. About 2,000 Jews were counted in Lithuania during the 2005 census. Quoting the research done by H. G. Adler into Poland during World War II called Theresienstadt 1941–1945, there were '80,000 Jews conscripted into Poland's independent army prior to the German invasion who identified themselves as Lithuanian Jews'. Using different sources Holocaust researchers claim there were between 60,000 and 65,000 Jewish soldiers in Poland's independent army who identified themselves as Lithuanian Jews.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithuanian_Jews
- Sculptor Jacques Lipchitz / Chaimas Jakobas Lipšicas (b. Aug 22, 1891 in Druskininkai);
- Painter Samuel Bak / Samuelis Bakas (b. Aug 12, 1933 in Vilnius);
- Painter Rafael Chwoles / Rafaelis Chvolesas (b. Apr. 25, 1913 in Vilnius);
- Painter, sculptor, graphic artist Pinchus Kremegne / Pinchas Kremenis (b. Jul. 28, 1890 in Žolodukas near Naugardukas);
- Painter, sculptor Arbit Blat / Neemijas Arbit Blatas (b. Nov 19, 1908 in Kaunas);
- Painter Mikhael Kikoine / Michaelis Kikoinas (b. May 31, 1892 in Gomel, now Belarus);
- Sculptor Mark Mordechai Antokolski / Markas Mordechajus Antokolskis (b. Nov 2, 1843 in Vilnius);
- Painter Max Band / Maksas Bandas (b. 1900 in Naumiestis);
- Painter Chaim Soutine / Chaimas Sutinas (b. Jan 13, 1893 in Smiloviche near Minsk, now Belarus);
- Painter, sculptor Boris Schatz / Borisas Šacas (b. 1862 in Varniai);
- Sculptor Chaim Stupinsky / Harry Stephenson (b. 1926 in Vilnius, died 2016 in UK); to be continued...
Good search source for IDs and photos
- Lithuanian Jewish Community
- 1795 Census of Vilnius town Jewish Kagal (now Vilnius Old Town - Senamiestis) population - fond #515, opus #15, book #6
- 1796 Census of Vilnius town Jewish Pre-Kagal (now Vilnius New Town - Naujamiestis) population - fond #515, opus #15, book #7
- 1796 Census of Vilnius town Jewish Pre-Kagal (now Antakalnis district of Vilnius) population - fond #515, opus #15, book #8
- 1796 Census of Vilnius district Jewish families of Gervyaty and Vorniany villages (now in Belarus) population - fond #515, opus #15, book #21
- 1796 Census of Vilnius district Jewish Pre-Kagal of Musninkai (Northwest from Vilnius) population - fond #515, opus #15, book #22
- Passports issued in Kaunas between 1919 and 1940