Friends in Lithuania and western Belarus: The annual commemoration for the annihilated Jewish communities of Švenčionys (Svintsyán) and its district will be held next Sunday October 5th at 12 midday sharp at the mass grave site “Poligón” right outside Švenčionėliai (Svintsyánke, Nay-Svintsyán) where around 8,000 Jewish citizens were murdered on 7 and 8 October 1941 after being incarcerated and humiliated for many days.
Everybody is welcome at the commemoration, which is organized each year by Moisej Shapiro of Pabradė, head of the area’s remnant Jewish community, a constituent part of the Jewish Community of Lithuania.
The gravesite, and the annual memorial the first Sunday each October, include the Jewish populations of: Dugáleshik (Naujasis Daugėliškis), Duksht (Dūkštas), Haydútsetshik (Adutiškis), Ignalíne (Ignalina), Koltnyán (Kaltanėnai), Kaméleshik (Kimelishki, Belarus), Lingmyán (Linkmenys), Líntep (Lyntupy, Belarus), Maligán (Mielagėnai), Podbródzh (Pabradė), Stayátsehik (Stajotiškės), Svintsyán (Švenčionys), Svintsyánke (Švenčionėliai).
Our report on the 2010 commemoration:
For a tentative list of Lithuanian towns with prewar Jewish populations, and their names in Yiddish, see:
corrections welcome & many more links to sources need to be added.]
Dovid Katz