This project seeks to collect all of the Jewish families from the town of Jurbarkas, Kaunas County, Lithuania.

Alternate names: Ariogala [Lith], Yurburg [Yid], יורבורג [Heb], Юрбаркас or Юрбург [Rus], Jurbork [Pol], Georgenburg, Jurgenburg, and Eurburg.

If you have persons in your family tree who were residents of the Jurbarkas Jewish Community, Lithuania, please add them to this project. It would be great if within the profile description "About" there would be a brief biography.

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History

For centuries, Jurbarkas was a border town, the first important port on the Nemunas River within the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, later in the Russian Empire. Every ship or person had to be stopped here for customs formalities. A border town located on an important trade route inevitably becomes more motley compared to others. Lithuanians (including Samogitians), Germans, later Poles, and Russians in the 19th century have lived here since the time of the great dukes. Since 1642 in Jurbarkas town Jews had their rights established, and synagogues and cemeteries were dedicated to the Jewish community.

The Jewish community of Jurbarkas has existed since the 17th century, Jews were engaged in the town's trade and crafts. The first wooden synagogue in Jurbarkas was built in 1786, and a century later a brick synagogue was built. The new synagogue had a heating installed, so it was used by the community in winter. The space of the latter synagogue was also used as a religious school, a place of Torah study. In the interwar period between 1918 and 1941 in Jurbarkas town, a few secular Jewish schools were established, and instructions were held there in Hebrew and Yiddish languages.

Since the early 19th century the Nemunas River was the guarantor of the successful activity of Jurbarkas' Jewish merchants - various local goods were transported to Prussia and further lands, and the latest inventions of the industrial world were brought back. The first herald of the modern world in Jurbarkas - a petrol machine (gas station) - belonged to Jacob (Jokūbas) Golde, who also owned the first buses in town - a rarity of the early 20th century Lithuania.

During the independent years of the Lithuanian Republic (1918-1941) Jurbarkas Jewish community is known as extremely active, also socially and economically intertwined with the local Lithuanian community. Within the first year of Lithuania's independence in 1918, the Jews of Jurbarkas became actively involved in the political life of the town - they made up almost 50% of the city council members. Such a large representation of the Jewish community in the city council is not surprising - Jews were a noticeable and active part of the town's population, involved not only in the spheres of crafts and trade, but also engaged in the modernization of the city through the introduction of new technologies (for example, the construction of a power plant) and various economic works.

In interwar Lithuania (1918-1941), the import and export of Jewish merchants came to an end for various reasons. The business was mainly reoriented to local production using the most advanced technologies of the time. For example, G. Freiberg (Freibergas), a Jew of Jurbarkas, was considered the richest person in the area; he owned a power plant, a mill, and a sawmill. In newspaper articles and advertisements, Jews of Jurbarkas are mentioned as craftsmen, doctors, teachers, owners of steamboats, raw-boats, owners of trucks, drivers, and other professionals.

However, since ancient times, for a meaningful life, people needed not only bread but also games and culture. Jews in Jurbarkas significantly contributed to the development of leisure and entertainment infrastructure. Itsik Geselovitsh (Icikas Geselovičius) opened the first movie theater in town, it was named "Triumpf". Isaak Friedman (Isakas Fridmanas) on Vilnius Street in Jurbarkas town (now renamed Kauno Street) established the hotel "Versel". A Jewish printing house and a bookstore supported a writing culture in town.

Before WWII nearly 4 thousand Jewish people lived in Jurbarkas town. During the 1941 Nazi occupation, the destruction of the Jewish community and its legacy in Jurbarkas began. One of the first Jewish-owned buildings, which was ordered to be demolished in the summer of 1941 was a magnificent wooden synagogue. In memory of this synagogue and the entire Jewish community of Jurbarkas in 2019 the Synagogues Square Memorial was erected - on Kaunas Street, where the wooden synagogue stood, created by the sculptor Litvak Dovydas Zundelovičius. This memorial was an addition to the Berkover family memorial, consisting of 11 stones, installed in 2018 in Jurbarkas as a commemoration of the Jewish community.

Today traces of the Jurbarkas Jewish community history are mostly preserved within the streets of Kaunas (former Žydų St.) and Darius ir Girėno (former Raseinių St.). It was on these central arteries of the town that the majority of Jewish shops and artisan workshops operated, both small street vendors and large farm machinery dealers. Some of these buildings remain today. However, not only buildings or memorials remind us about the Jewish shtetl communities. There are certain special spaces of Jewish culture in large cities and smaller towns, that remind us of history. In the town of Jurbarkas, a park near Darius and Girėnas Street (at that time Raseinių St.) was such a place, it was called Tel Aviv in the interwar period, since here local Jews gathered and spent their leisure time. The Jewish-owned cafe "Riklerinė" also operated in the park during the summers and during the winters a skating rink was installed in the park. Today you can take a walk in Tel Aviv of Lithuania and try to recreate the interwar atmosphere with the help of your imagination - only today it is called Jurbarkas Library Park.

​Useful links:

• Jews of Jurbarkas - Vilna Gaon Museum of Jewish History page;
• 1895 Jurbarkas Census - Lithuanian State History Archives page;
• Jurbarkas Synagogue records 1924-1925-1926 - Lithuanian State History Archives page;
• Chronicle of Jurbarkas town and County, 1918-1940, prepared by Arnoldas Piročkinas, 2018;
• The Memorial Book for the Jewish Community of Yurburg, Lithuania;
• Jurbarkas - Yad Vashem - The World Holocaust Remembrance Center

​List of Jewish surnames of Jurbarkas from 1895 Census:

• Abramowicz / Abramovitsh / Abramovič / Abramovičius
• Abramson / Abramsonas
• Aleksandrowicz / Aleksandrovič / Aleksandravičius
• Arshteyn / Arštein / Aršteinas
• Barkever / Borkever / Barkeveris
• Barza
• Benditsky / Bendycki / Bendickis
• Bolfowicz / Balfovitsh / Balfovičius
• Boner / Boneris
• Braker / Brakeris
• Brauer / Baueris
• Davidovitsh / Dawidowicz / Davidovičius
• Dratfe
• Eljaszowicz / Elyashovitsh / Eljašovič / Eljašovičius
• Epstein / Epštein / Epšteinas
• Ezelit / Yezelit / Ezelitas / Jezelitas
• Feinberg / Fenbergas
• Fin / Finas
• Fisch / Fiš / Fišas
• Freimann / Freimon / Feimanas
• Furman / Furmann / Furmanas
• Gawronski / Gavronsky / Gavronskis
• Geisenfeld / Geischenfeld / Geišenfeld / Geišenfeldas
• Gitt / Git / Gitas
• Gitliz / Gitlicas
• Glazer / Gliazer / Gliazeris / Glazeris
• Grabowski / Grabovskis
• Grimberg / Grimbergas
• Hanzel / Ganzel / Hantsel / Hanzelis / Gancelis
• Haymovsky / Chaimovski / Chaimovskis
• Hozid / Chozid
• Jozefer / Yozefer / Jozeferas
• Judkowski / Yudkovsky / Judkovskis
• Kabukovsky / Kabukovskis
• Kablukowski / Koblukovsky / Kablukovskis
• Kailevitsh / Kajlewicz / Kailevič / Kailevičius
• Kailon / Kailok / Kailonas
• Kapel / Kapelis
• Kaplan / Kaplanas
• Karabelnik / Karabelnikas
• Klein / Kleyn / Klejn / Kleinas
• Kraft / Kraftas
• Kravets / Kravec / Kravecas
• Krimberg / Krimbergas
• Kuscyn / Kuscinas
• Kuszewski / Kuševskis
• Lamdowicz / Lamdovitsh / Lamdovič / Lamdovičius
• Lantsman / Lancman / Lancmanas
• Leipziger / Leipciger / Leipcigeris
• Levi / Levis
• Levin / Livin / Levinas
• Levintal / Lewintal / Levintalis
• Levitan / Lewitan / Levitanas
• Lubin / Lyubin / Liubin / Liubinas
• Lubovsky / Liubovskis
• Magidowicz / Magidovitsh / Magidovič / Magidovičius
• Mankowicz / Mankovitsh / Mankovič / Mankovičius
• Manushevitsh / Manuševič / Manuševičius
• Markir / Markiras
• Mashmat / Mašmat / Mašmatas
• Mazura / Mazuras
• Mednikov / Mednikovas
• Mezinter / Mezinteris
• Miakinin / Myakinin / Miakininas
• Milner / Milneris
• Nozyk / Nozhyk / Nožik / Nožikas
• Pera / Peras
• Podlaski / Podlaskis
• Polunsky / Polunski / Polunskis
• Press / Pres / Presas
• Pulerewicz / Pulerevič / Pulerevičius
• Putri / Putris
• Rabinowicz / Rabinovitsh / Rabinovič / Rabinovičius
• Razoka / Razokas
• Reyff / Reif / Reifas
• Rozenberg / Rozenbergas
• Rosenschtann / Rozesztan / Rozenštan / Rozenštanas
• Scher / Šer / Šeras
• Schneider / Šneideris
• Schuman / Szuman / Šuman / Šumanas
• Skirstymansky / Skirstymonski / Skistymanskis
• Szabaszewicz / Šabaševič / Šabaševičius
• Szlapoberski / Šlapoberskis
• Tarrau / Tarau
• Vilentsuk / Vilenzuk / Wilenczuk / Vilenčiukas
• Weizman / Veicman / Veicmanas
• Willson / Uelson / Vilsonas
• Wolk / Volk / Volkas
• Wolpe / Volpe
• Zheldina / Želdina
• Zulmanowicz / Zulmanovitsh / Zulmanovič / Zulmanovičius
• Zundel / Zundelis
• Zundelovitsh / Zundelovič / Zundelovičius