Laima's students translate and dub Jewish history video

Video of Jewish History in Keidan

Joseph Silber emigration documents

Emigration of Joe --I found these cleaning out my father's things in Tenafly NJ in 2020.

 

Full Documentation as of 2025

Joseph Silber in 1935, age 20

Back in Keidan in 2019

I wrote a long post about my Lithuania trip to Keidan with Dan Fink, Laima Ardaviciene and Keidainers.

Grateful for Lithuanians engaged with Jewish history and working to preserve and honor Jewish cemeteries and memorial sites.

Click  to Keidan.

students present

Path to the USA

My mother found the West German passport that got my father through Ellis Island in 1951.
Six years after the end of WWII, he achieved his goal to emigrate to the US and begin a new life.

Those six years included eyewitness to the brutal Russian occupation of Berlin that ended the war. My father chose not to talk about what he saw.

This powerful 1945 diary of a 34-year old German journalist bears witness to the atrocities:

A Woman in Berlin

P.S. If we don't visit, who will?

If we don't visit, who will?
Roots in Keidan group

In July, be part of Richard Freund's amazing excavation. In June, go with the Vilna Shul.
NOVA 54 minute film
#NOVA#VilnaShul

From the IX Fort museum, household items that could have belonged to my cousins.
 (See Sharon's comment for IX Fort).  #IX Fort#Kovno

'Achoo' ('thank you' in Lithuanian)

My visit to Lithuania happened almost by chance.

My father never wanted to return to the country where he was born, never wanted to talk about it, never wanted his children to visit.

Like any place, the history is very complicated.

Much sadness and no immediate family remain in Lithuania.

But I felt more of a connection to this place than I expected, to the land, to aspects of the culture and mostly to the wonderful people who I met.

Until next time, Lithuania.

Lithuania has great ice cream.

And the pillows match the flavors.

Lithuanian citizenship

Because my father was a Lithuanian citizen after Soviet occupation, I am eligible to apply for Lithuanian EU passports, as are my children. However, he never had a Lithuanian passport and his birth record does not suffice. I am researching options.
My father would be turning in his grave to see any dilution of his family's beloved US citizenship.  The bitter memories of Lithuania overpowered any sweet memories. My father never wanted to return to Lithuania let alone regain citizenship.
But that EU status that comes with Lithuanian citizenship is tempting.
During the tour, present day Jews in Lithuania insisted that life was good. The quality of life in Vilnius is attractive, with many wonderful restaurants and beautiful architecture and parks.
Only Lithuanian citizens can own property, so there is also a potential economic opportunity for my children. Lithuania is a shopping destination for Scandinavians because of its low prices.
 One thing is certain, life in Lithuania is often not what it seems on the surface, it is complicated. There are a multitude of attitudes toward Jews. Here are two positive and one more frightening view, from Slate.com.

Citizenship-of-lithuania

Jews are cool in lithuania

Faina

Lithuania and Nazis. The country wants to forget its collaborationist past.