The small town of Gargždai in Lithuania was once home to a thriving Jewish community, which included several talented physicians who made significant contributions to the field of medicine and became respected members of both the Jewish and non-Jewish communities.
During the interwar period, a number of Jewish doctors practiced medicine in Garžgdai. Among them was Hirsh Oxman, Leizer Igelshtein and Elijah Meisachowicz.
One of the most prominent Jewish physicians from Gargždai was Hirsh Oxman, who was born in the territory of contemporary Ukraine and graduated in Medicine at Leipzig University. It is unknown when Oxman settled in Gargždai, however, we do know that in this small town, he met his future wife Tsila Scheuss.
Oxman became an active member of the local Jewish community. According to his contemporaries, he was not only a supporter of the Zionist movement but also a beloved physician not only among Jews but also local Lithuanians.
Oxman published numerous articles in Lithuanian medicine journals. In 1933 he published an article in the journal called “Medicine” about the treatment of tuberculosis. Oxman was killed on 14 June 1941 during the first massacre of the Jews.