In addition to the massacre of Jews, some number of Poles (hundreds?)
were killed at Paneriu for refusing to fight for the Germans.
Death Row
|
Grave Pit |
Bigger Grave Pit |
Record of Massacre, Part 1
|
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Compound of the unfortunate 80
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Big Grave Pit Memorial |
Record of Massacre, Part 2
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During the Soviet rule of Lithuania, Jews would come to Paneriu
to pay their respects, and a memorial to the massacred Poles was
built. Now that Lithuania is a free country, memorial building
has become a big business, so a number have been built.
Unfortunately, the Lithuanians are beginning to rewrite history, the
first memorial only says that 70,000 "people" were killed. The
Israelis weren't satisfied with what they saw, so they asked for a
better memorial to be built, stipulating that the plaque should be
written in four languages. The white-washed Lithuanian statement
was put in the front of the monument; the other translations can be
found in the back.
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Israeli
Memorial
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Polish
Memorial
|
Lithuanian
Memorial
|
Back
of Israeli Memorial
|
White-washed
Memorial
|
Lithuanian
Memorial
|
English
Translation
|
|
The Gaon of Vilna:
The day ended with a visit to the grave of the
Gaon of Vilna.
Who was the Gaon of Vilna? Hassidism arose in Eastern Europe in
the mid-seventeenth century, when large numbers of Jews and most Jewish
institutions had been destroyed by Chmielnicki Cossack uprisings;
Lithuania was fortunate enough to remain relatively untouched.
Hassidism was a popular, decentralized, spiritual movement;
Lithuanian Judaism maintained its institutions and centered on the post
of the Gaon of Vilna. Elijah ben Solomon Zalman
(1720-1797), the Gaon of Vilna, formulated a conservative
reaction to Hassidism,
focusing on study and rationality. He is especially notable for
promoting secular learning (science, medicine, etc.), in addition to
religious study. The Gaon of Vilna represents the beginning a
distinct Litvak Judaism, known for its rationality and sophistication,
and the beginning of the hostillities between Litvaks and Hassidism.
Gaon of Vilna Crypt
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Plaque above the grave of the Gaon of Vilna
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Gaon of Vilna Grave
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Plaque above the grave to right of the Gaon's grave.
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