Image 1All cemetery photos on these pages were taken in June 1996 by Selma Horwitz Jackson, unless otherwise noted, and were used with her permission. About the Anykst Jewish CemeteryThe Aniksht Jewish cemetery is neatly fenced at the top of a hill under 3 feet of overgrowth. Tombstones are largely legible, but most are only patronyms and very difficult to read. The gravestones of more important personages were more deeply incised. There is a lot of natural weathering. Many stones were stolen. The same has occurred in the Catholic cemetery. (1994 or 1996) [Source: Dr. Saul Issroff, IAJGS Cemetery Project.]At one time this was a beautiful cemetery with trails weaving along the hillside with as many as a thousand gravestones, before they were stolen or pulled down for use as building material during the Soviet era. What remains today are some dozen old, weather-beaten stones at the very top of the hill. Although the lettering is decipherable, it is extremely difficult to read. It is a holy site which the Lithuanian government, to its recent credit, maintains. Down the street (Saltupio gatve) is the old shulhoif (synagogue center and beit midrash/house of study), which today is used as a bakery. (undated) [Source: Dr. Michael Libenson, IAJGS Cemetery Project.]Most tombstones from the Jewish Cemetery were removed to be used for construction material during the Soviet era. In the two photos (above), the decorative wall in front of the Anyksciai (museum and visitor center-?) is made of Jewish tombstones. This site is where the shul and the home of Israel Schneider once stood. (Source: Selma Horowitz Jackson in an e-mail and by written correspondence.)Travelling to the Anykst Jewish Cemetery“…We then went to the Anykst Jewish Cemetery, which was on the way into Anyksciai. There are no tombstones to be seen on the level area near the road. Evidently, most of the Jewish cemeteries in Lithuania are on a hill, maybe [because] when it rains, the rainwater would drain away easily. As we climbed to the top of the little hill, where the few remaining grass covered small, low stone tombstones are [located], I fell into a hole, where a tombstone had recently been dug out! The inscriptions are hardly decipherable, but Regina [Kopelevich] rubbed sand over the inscriptions, and managed to read Avraham Eliezer ben Rov Gershon - 1896, and Yitzchak Zvi Hirsh from Svat. I did not find my Great-Grandfather Yehuda Jakov Schneider's tombstone. He is said to have died in about 1926. He had travelled to Cape Town, South Africa in 1900/1902 to attend his daughter Rachel's, my Grandmother's, wedding, and returned to Anykst! Let him, Yehuda Jakov, Great-Grandmother Mary, Great-Great Grandparents Goldie and Chaim, rest in peace.”[Source: Selma Horwitz Jackson, in a page from her travel diary, dated 30 June 1996.]Cemetery
Image 2All cemetery photos on these pages were taken in June 1996 by Selma Horwitz Jackson, unless otherwise noted, and were used with her permission.
Image 3All cemetery photos on these pages were taken in June 1996 by Selma Horwitz Jackson, unless otherwise noted, and were used with her permission.
Image 4All cemetery photos on these pages were taken in June 1996 by Selma Horwitz Jackson, unless otherwise noted, and were used with her permission.
During the Soviet era, headstones were removed from cemeteries and used for construction as in this wall in the foreground. All cemetery photos on these pages were taken in June 1996 by Selma Horwitz Jackson, unless otherwise noted, and were used with her permission.
Image 5All cemetery photos on these pages were taken in June 1996 by Selma Horwitz Jackson, unless otherwise noted, and were used with her permission.
During the Soviet era, headstones were removed from cemeteries and used for construction as in this wall in the foreground. All cemetery photos on these pages were taken in June 1996 by Selma Horwitz Jackson, unless otherwise noted, and were used with her permission.
Image 1
All cemetery photos on these pages were taken in June 1996 by Selma Horwitz Jackson,
unless otherwise noted, and were used with her permission.
About the Anykst Jewish Cemetery
The Aniksht Jewish cemetery is neatly fenced at the top of a hill under 3 feet of overgrowth.
Tombstones are largely legible, but most are only patronyms and very difficult to read. The
gravestones of more important personages were more deeply incised. There is a lot of
natural weathering. Many stones were stolen. The same has occurred in the Catholic
cemetery. (1994 or 1996) [Source: Dr. Saul Issroff, IAJGS Cemetery Project.]
At one time this was a beautiful cemetery with trails weaving along the hillside with as many
as a thousand gravestones, before they were stolen or pulled down for use as building
material during the Soviet era. What remains today are some dozen old, weather-beaten
stones at the very top of the hill. Although the lettering is decipherable, it is extremely
difficult to read. It is a holy site which the Lithuanian government, to its recent credit,
maintains. Down the street (Saltupio gatve) is the old shulhoif (synagogue center and beit
midrash/house of study), which today is used as a bakery. (undated) [Source: Dr. Michael
Libenson, IAJGS Cemetery Project.]
Most tombstones from the Jewish Cemetery were removed to be used for construction
material during the Soviet era. In the two photos (above), the decorative wall in front of the
Anyksciai (museum and visitor center-?) is made of Jewish tombstones. This site is where
the shul and the home of Israel Schneider once stood. (Source: Selma Horowitz Jackson in
an e-mail and by written correspondence.)
Travelling to the Anykst Jewish Cemetery
“…We then went to the Anykst Jewish Cemetery, which was on the way into Anyksciai.
There are no tombstones to be seen on the level area near the road. Evidently, most of the
Jewish cemeteries in Lithuania are on a hill, maybe [because] when it rains, the rainwater
would drain away easily. As we climbed to the top of the little hill, where the few remaining
grass covered small, low stone tombstones are [located], I fell into a hole, where a
tombstone had recently been dug out! The inscriptions are hardly decipherable, but Regina
[Kopelevich] rubbed sand over the inscriptions, and managed to read Avraham Eliezer ben
Rov Gershon - 1896, and Yitzchak Zvi Hirsh from Svat. I did not find my Great-Grandfather
Yehuda Jakov Schneider's tombstone. He is said to have died in about 1926. He had
travelled to Cape Town, South Africa in 1900/1902 to attend his daughter Rachel's, my
Grandmother's, wedding, and returned to Anykst! Let him, Yehuda Jakov, Great-
Grandmother Mary, Great-Great Grandparents Goldie and Chaim, rest in peace.”
[Source: Selma Horwitz Jackson, in a page from her travel diary, dated 30 June 1996.]
Cemetery
