Pušalotas, Lithuania

Jewish Settlement in Pusalotas from Lite

[Pages 1618-1619]

Pushalotas (Pusalotas, Lithuania)

55°55' / 24°15'

Translated by Dr. Sonia Kovitz

Just twoscore years ago 100 Jewish families lived in Pushelat, and now there are no more than 45. A small number of them remained in Russia after being expelled from Lithuania at the time of the World War I, and many more, after returning to their former homes, emigrated to South Africa, Palestine, and America.

The majority of Jews in the shtetl are engaged in small business in shops, but the living they make from this is scant. A small number of Jews have taken up crafts or agriculture. The working families are divided up as follows: one shoemaker, one tailor, three butchers, two wagon drivers, one watchmaker, one milliner, two dressmakers, and five who farm either on their own or rented property.

Relations with the Christian community are so-so. The cultural situation, thanks to the young people in the area, is not bad. They have a library of 200 books, which include some of the most recent publications. In addition there is a public school, a small credit bank, gemilas khesed [interest-free loan society] and linat hatzedek [volunteers who care for the sick], all of which are on a high level of excellence. In our shtetl we have taken steps to establish a Hebrew public school, but the teacher speaks Yiddish with the children.

In the local group of firefighters there are both Jews and Christians, who cooperate in a variety of joint undertakings. Among these we have had for a few years a firemen's soccer team that is mixed (made up of Jews and non-Jews).

Lithuania- Translation of Lite-Edited by:Dr. Mendel Sudarsky,Uriah Katzenelenbogen,J. Kissin & Berl Kagan