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Krozh (Kraziai) entry from Lithuanian Jewish Communitiesby Nancy and Stuart Schoenburg, Jason Aronson, 1996, pages 155-162. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, Jason Aronson, Inc., Northvale, N.J. Krozh (Kraziai) – Rasin District Krozh is approximately 35 miles from the East Prussian border. Its primary commercial ties were with Kelme (11 miles) and Memel (50). The nearest rail line was in Nemoksht. The town was near a large pine forest. Krozh was named for the River Krazhianta which flows past it. The source of the river is the springs in Karklian (6 miles). It flows by Krozh and Kelme to the Dubisa, a tributary of the Nieman River.
In 1257, the town was conquered by the Livonian Order of the Teutonic Knights. It was later returned to Lithuania. At the beginning of the fifteenth century, Vitovt, the Grand Duke of Lithuania, erected a Christian Church and a Benedictine monastery. At the end of the century, a “temple for monks” was established in a large stone building.
In the seventeenth
century, Jesuits, expelled from England, settled in Krozh.
They built a second large Christian Church, which was
well-fortified. They erected a gymnasium (a classical high
school) for the children of the elite. In 1846, it was
transferred to Kovno under the name “Krozhian In 1892, a Catholic rebellion against the politics of Russification of government occurred in the town. The authorities transferred the second church to the Provo-Slavs of the area. Cossacks were sent to the town. The rebellion ended with mass arrests and with many injured. Many were exiled to Siberia. The Jewish community dates from the fifteenth century. In the following century, the community organized. Dignitaries were active in the “Council of the Lands.” At that time, the town was part of the Keidan northern circuit. Krozh was a center for the surrounding communities. Delegates from the northern circuit would assemble there. At the end of the seventeenth century, the first rabbi was appointed. The town became a center for learning Kabbalah in Lithuania.
In 1766, there were 1048 Jews in Krozh. In 1888, there were 220 Jewish families or 1125 people, 32% of the general population of 3375. In 1925, 650 Jews (130 families) lived there, and in 1929 – 535 Jews (107 families). Before World War II, about 100 Jewish families lived there. In 1941, 462 Jews were killed in the Holocaust.
In 1848, a large fire
destroyed much of the Jewish community. The town itself was
partially rebuilt. Pri In the 1890’s, a post office was established. Previously, two Jews went once or twice a week to the nearest branch of the post office to bring and receive mail.
The Jews of Krozh
were
mainly involved in crafts and trade. Market day was
Monday. In 1880, there were 192 craftsmen, including 53
tailors, 25 shoemakers, 30 brush makers and 12 butchers.
There were 129 merchants, including 27 retail shopkeepers, 2
wholesalers, 12 brandy sellers, 18 horse-traders, 12
fruit-garden tenants, 5 vegetable-garden tenants and 3
innkeepers. Of 79 laborers, there were 60 working in 2
workshops for processing bristles, 2 farmers, 4 laundrymen
and 3 porters. In addition, there was a rabbi, a cantor, 2
In 1925, the Jewish Peoples Bank was founded. It had 132 members in 1932. In 1925, the first automobile was acquired for transportation and hauling to replace horses and wagons. For the first time, the trip to Shavli and back did not take more than one day. In 1926, electricity was installed. In 1927, sidewalks were laid and trees were planted along their length. Krozh had an old beit midrash in which there were 2 shtiblach for prayer and Torah. In the mid-nineteenth century, a large synagogue was built for Shabbat and Holidays. It had one of the woodcarved holy arks that were renowned in Lithuania. Similar holy arks were also located in Kelme, Shukian and Yurburg.
from the “honorable wealthy man”, Chaim-Neta Zacks. The “loan society” later became the Gemach Fund, which also gave loans to the poor). In the 1880’s, there was a “Dorshei Zion” Society, an organization of “Hovevei Zion,” which sent money to Rabbi Pines for Petach Tikvah. During Independent Lithuania, some of the societies terminated. But added were Tiferet Bachurim (unmarried, religious men who prayed and studied together in a special minyan) and Linat Hazedek (providing medical assistance and overnight care at the home of sick). Hovevei-Zion and preachers of Zionism appeared at the beginning of this century. Two young men came from outside the country to organize Zionist organizations. Eidelman founded the Young Zionist Party and Yitzhak Biber founded “Young Israel” (a party of religious Zionists). Both organized meeting centers and Hebrew lessons. When they left, the community had been organized and a committee elected.
In 1922, a student
library was organized. In 1924, an ethnic public library
was created with
Jewish pupils studied at
the Lithuanian gymnasium (classical high school) and some
relationships were formed between the Jewish and Lithuanian
youth. There was a Jewish representative in the
municipality. However, the tendency toward
“Lithuanianization” persisted. An early example was a law
requiring Sunday closing.
From the rabbinate: R.
Yakov bar Eliahu Halevy Shur (beginning of the eighteenth
century; related to R. Yehezkel Katzenelbogen, the Gaon of
Hamburg. According to the introduction o Rabbis who came from Krozh and served in other communities: R. David (rabbi of Meretsh); R. Shmuel (died at age 30); R. Mashhal Mainhes (died at age 40 in Vilna); R. Yekutiel-Leib bar Yakov Elyon (a rabbi in Zhezmir; he wrote a book “Mishneh Yekutiel” or “Gelion Maharil” (Warsaw, 1893); R. Yakov Yosef (“Yankele Charif”); R. Moshe Zebulun Margaliot (replaced R. Yakov-Yosef in New York.).
Notables: Eliahu bar
Meir (a scholar and wealthy man at the beginning of the
nineteenth century. His sister was the second wife of the
Vilna Gaon, who honored R. Eliahu by officiating at his
wedding. He had 4 sons. Yehezkel was a rabbi in Shavli.
Yeshaya, mentioned above, was the youngest son of R. Eliahu,
born to him at age 90. R. Uri was related to
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[Cemetery Photos] [Family Photos] [Moses Zaks] [Krozh Burial Society]
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or to this time, Krozh extended for
over a mile southward to the Village of Sovitishuk and 2
miles to the west, to Linkovza. After the fire, the Jewish
community waned. From 1880, when the road to Prussia via
Kelme and the Libau-Rumanian rail line were laid, Shavli and
Kelme advanced and Krozh declined further. A large
emigration began to America, South Africa and Australia.
books in Yiddish and Hebrew. The same year Tzofim (Scouts) and Maccabi were organized and activities
began for Keren Kayemet L’Yisrael and Keren Hayesod. In
1925, the town had 61 Keren Kayemet boxes. Later, Hechalutz
(Pioneers), Young Pioneers, Socialist Democrats and Betar
were founded. Abba Bonimovitz was a leading Zionist figure. 
The Verslaninki cooperatives
undercut Jewish merchants. Lacking opportunities for the
future, Jewish youth moved to the larger cities, especially
Memel. Some emigrated to Eretz Yisrael, while others went
to other countries.
f a response by the
“Rema,” R. Moshe Isserles, published in Amsterdam, the
lineage (“yichus”) of R. Yakov extends to the Rema, to Rashi
and to the Tanna R. Yochanan HaSandler, who was the fourth
generation to R. Gamaliel the Elder of the royal family of
David. From his descendants – R. Yehezkel Halevy Landau who
was the third Beit Din chairman in Vilna and sat on the
bench of the Gaon Rabbi Ably of Posvol); R. Yehuda-Leib bar
Ezriel Ziv (mid-eighteenth century rabbi); R. Moshe Halevy
Horwitz (taken to Vilna to be a teacher of the children of
the Vilna Gaon. Later, he was a maggid mesharim (preacher)
in Vilna until 1811. He was a religious court judge until
his death in 5581/1821.). R. Abraham bar Shlomo Zalman
(brother of the Vilna Gaon); R. Uri (end of the eighteenth
century; related by marriage to R. Eliahu); R. Yom-Tov
Lipman (end of eighteenth century); R. Avraham “Hasid”
(mentioned in “Zichoron Avraham); R. Mordechai Rabinovitz
(beginning of nineteenth century); R. Yeshaya bar Eliahu
(rabbinical court judge in Krozh and rabbi in Salant); R.
Bendt (son-in-law of R. Eliahu); R. Yakov bar Menahem
(son-in-law of R. Eliahu. Served 40 years as a rabbi in
Krozh. Died in Jerusalem). Simcha Halevy Horwitz
(1830-1895; at age 18 he became a rabbi. He lived in Krozh,
Shaduva and Liakhovitz. Descended from Rabbi Yeshaya
Hurvitz, the Sh’la. He was in Hovevei Zion and a relief
society. Some of his letters were published. An obituary
was printed in “Luach Achiasaf” in 5656/1896). R. Zevullan-Leib
bar Yom-Tov Lipman (President of the rabbinical court of
Darshunishuk, Gudleva, Filipova, Krozh and Plungian, in the
mid-nineteenth century. He was a great-grandson of the
“Rit” from the eighteenth century. R. Yitzhak Lipkin (son of
R. Yisrael Salanter. He served later in Yanova and Ponevezh);
R. Zeev-Wolf bar Aaron Yehoshua Torbovitz (1846-1921); R.
Abraham-Baer Hamburg (rabbinical court judge in Krozh in the
1890’s); R. Yosef-Avigdor bar Yom-Tov Lipman Koshel-Kessler
(born in 1885; related through marriage to Rabbi Zeev
Torbovitz, mentioned above. Served in th
