Vandziogala, Lithuania

“Vandziogala” - Jewish Cities,
Towns and Villages in Lithuania until 1918
(Lithuania)

55°07' / 23°58'

Translation of “Vandziogala” chapter from
Yidishe Shtet, shtetlekh un dorfishe yishuvim in Lite: biz 1918

Edited by: Berl Kagan

Published in New York, 1991

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This is a translation from: Yidishe Shtet, shtetlekh un dorfishe yishuvim in Lite: biz 1918;
Jewish Cities, Towns and Villages in Lithuania until 1918:
Historical-Biographical Sketches. Edited by Berl Kagan, New York, 1991 (Y).

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[Page 142]

Vandziogala

Translated by Miriam Goldwasser

Vandziogala is situated in the Kovno region.

A small Jewish population existed there in earlier times, but only at the beginning of the 18th century did a Jewish community develop.

The Jewish population was expelled from the town during World War I (and only after the war did the Jews begin to return). ¹ In 1923 the Jewish community numbered 335 and before the Shoah there were about 300.

The Jews earned their living in trade, shopkeeping and as craftsmen.

The workshops adjoining most Jewish houses served to supplement their income, ² and almost every Jewish family supplemented their diet from small vegetable patches adjoining their homes. In the town's surroundings lived many Jewish settlers who earned their living in agricultural work.

On a 1914 list of contributors for the development of Eretz Yisrael there were 20 donors from Vandziogala, collected by M. Keidansky.

Rabbis Who Served the Community:

Rav Zemach Zaks (or Sacks), born 1796 in Keidan, later to become Rabbi of Old Zagare until his death in 1863. He was father of the well known Hebrew researcher Shneuer Zaks.

Rav Yehoshua Zvi Rabinowitz, who in his later years made aliyah to Jerusalem where he died. His son, Rav Yakov Gershon was the head of the beth din (rabbinic court) in Survilishok [Surviliskis].

Rav Yacov Roselier later to become rabbi of Shkod [Skuodas].

Rav Aharon Zeltzer, who later gave up the rabbinate and became a shopkeeper.

Rav Nissan-Ovadia ben Rav Yehuda-David Rozenson, died here in 1924. In the Vilna YIVO Archives can be found his handwritten manuscript with Torah interpretations. His son-in-law Rav Yehuda Gorfinkel founded a small yeshiva in Jonava.

His son Rav Yisrael-Shlomo Rozenson was born here in 1888 and was a member of the beth din in Kovno from 1926, where he died in 1940. Yisrael-Shlomo became one of the leaders of the Mizrachi movement in Lithuania and wrote many articles in the journal Yiddishe Shtime ("The Jewish Voice") on Jewish National topics.

The last rabbi was Rav Chaim bar Menachem-Yehuda Klibanov. May his blood be avenged.

Prominent Native Born:

Rav Meir Robinson (Rabinowitz?) became rabbi of Krok [Krakes] in 1878, later in Sventzion [Svencionys] 1883 and from 1886 until 1930 rabbi of Radoshkowitz [near Minsk]. He died in Jerusalem in 1933.

Amos Levine born here in 1921. Lived in Eretz Yisrael from 1940 where he became a Hebrew writer, mainly of plays and in 1963 The Adventurer of Conscience.

Bibliography:

Ohalei Shem , p. 193

The Last Generations , Part II, p. 31

Encyclopedia of Religious Zionism , Part I, p. 514

G. Karsel , p. 2

Kahane's Lexicon , p. 498

The Jews of Lithuania , Volume III

Black Book

Footnotes:

1		This sentence is not in Yiddish text. Return
2		Possible translation. Return

See also:
"Vandziogala" - Encyclopedia of Jewish Communities in Lithuania

"Vandziogala" - Yahadut Lita (Lithuanian Jewry), Vols. 3 and 4

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