One day last May, I visited two schools in Lithuania, one in Kedainiai, the other in nearby Krakes.
I was able to see the outstanding work two teachers have been doing in educating young Lithuanian students on the Jewish history of their towns.
I have previously written about my special morning in Kedainiai with the students of Atzalyno Gimnazija.
Click below for my report:
Later that day, Atzalyno’s English teacher, Laima Ardaviciene and I visited the small town of Krakes.
We met the history teacher, Robertas Dubinka at the Krakes Community Centre where he spoke about the Jews of Krakes and the school project he had led.
In 2002 Robertas and his students at the Mikalojaus Katkaus Gimnazija undertook a project in which they interviewed some Jewish residents of Krakes, who have since passed away. This project was translated into English and submitted to Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Centre in Jerusalem. Robertas went to Jerusalem to make the presentation.
Laima and Robertas outside the Krakes Community Centre
A short video of Robertas talking about the Jews of Krakes
Buildings of Krakes
Mikalojaus Katkaus Gimnazija
Some pages from the 2002 project
Robertas with some pages from the report
The Jewish houses on the map of Krakes
More about the Jewish aspects of Krakes
My post on my Virtual Heritage Tour on JewishGen.org:
Mikalojaus Katkaus Gimnazija’s website: