shtetlinks

Obeliai, Lithuania

Photos of Obeliai - Past and Present

Obeliai is a shtetl in the Novo Aleksandrovsk province (now known as Zarasai), near the North Eastern border of Lithuania. It was known as Abel - which means apple - a name derived from the market orchards in the area. The shtetl was a small one, with a community of about 300 Jewish families. The residents of the shtetl were executed on 25 August 1941.

Text contributed by (and copyright of) David Shimkin

Photographer Rachel Leah Blumenthal has created a Flickr account of photographs of her visit to Obeliai with her boyfriend, who is an Abel descendant. She has given permission for us to share this album. The link to the page is here.

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Places and faces

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Obeliai Cemetery

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The Memorial at the Antanase Killing Site

The Memorial Stone for those who died at Obeliai at the Ohel Jacob "Blue" Synagogue in Kaunas

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The Jews of Obeliai were rounded up, along with Jews from other shtetlach and towns in the area, forced marched to this forest, shot next to this pit, thrown in and buried. 1160, mostly women and children perished here on 25 August 1941. The Yizkor days for honouring the memories of those who died fall on 23 and 24 Av, will fall on 15 and 16 August 2017.

Obeliai Today

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The Train Station

The Bath House

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The Town Hall
Postcards of the past

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If you have any photographs of Obeliai you would like to share, please contact Emma Freeman by clicking here or click on the Obeliai homepage to join our mailing list


Copyright : Emma Freeman
Last revised: 22 January 2022

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