WORTH VISITING:
Darsūniškis was never considered a classic shtetl, because its Jewish community was relatively a small one. For instance, during the interwar period, local Jews constituted only about 1/6 of the town`s population. Despite these numbers, active and innovative Jews Darsūniškis were popular and well-known in the town. The first Jews of Darsūniškis settled in the centre of the town and historical Jewish quarter formed around them. During the interwar period, in the longest street of the town – Vilnius street (nowadays – Vytautas Didysis street) – the main Jewish traders and craftsmen had their stalls or shops. Between them was the first photographer of the town, teashops and even an ice-cream shop owned by Liba Aronienė.
BRIEF HISTORY:
Jews settled in Darsūniškis at the end of the 18th century and were mostly inn-keepers of the town. Soon Jewish kahal in Darsūniškis was established and Jews from surrounding villages have been assigned to it as well. So Darsūniškis became a well-known place for the Jews in this region. The first Jewish prayer house in Darsūniškis was built at the end of the 18th century, but in the 19th century, it had to be rebuilt due to the fire. In the middle of the 19th century, there already was a Jewish cemetery in town. During the interwar period, in the 1920s and 1930s, many local Jews still were innkeepers, but there was a growing number of Jews who got into forest trade, and some of them became local farmers. Nemunas river, which was running by the town, was essential to the town`s inhabitants – for example, during the interwar period Mejeris Volpė had a prosperous water-mill and a sawmill next to it. Eventually, Jews had established a secular primary Jewish school in town and various Jewish societies have formed and actively participated in the town`s matters. In 1932 Lithuanian Zionist Revisionist Union had established its department in Darsūniškis, so many Jews from surrounding villages frequently came to its meetings here.
CURRENT SITUATION:
All Darsūniškis Jews were murdered during the Holocaust, so today their heritage in the city stands abandoned. However, the main Vilnius street (nowadays – Vytautas Didysis street) still reminds us of the colorful lives of local Jews before the Holocaust. Since 1932 Lėja Volpienė had a teashop on Vilnius street, soon another teashop on the same street was opened by Chaja Galperaitė, so it seems that there was no shortage of visitors. Beilė Monosauskienė had another teashop and B&B in the town square. In the same town square, Zisel Kagan was the first one in Darsūniškis to sell fuel – during the interwar period he owned the first petrol machine. Unfortunately, there is no gas station in Darsūniškis today – the nearest one You will find in Birštonas.
LOOKING AROUND:
Historical Jewish quarter in Birštonas
Historical Jewish quarter in Kaišiadorys
Beit midrash in Žasliai
Chasidic synagogue in Žasliai
Historical Jewish quarter in Žasliai
Historical Jewish quarter in Žiežmariai
Wooden synagogue in Žiežmariai
Inn in Žiežmariai
Historical Rumšiškės
