Sites in Kedainiai | World Jewish Travel

Great Market Square

Jews settled in the private town of Kėdainiai in the first half of the 17th century. The Jewish community grew rapidly, so local Christian-dwellers asked town owners to implement restrictions on Jews, limiting their living space in town. Thus, the town's owner issued regulations, which allowed Jews to live only in a separate part of town – the Jewish quarter, which is located around the Synagogue complex. However, despite the restrictions, some Jews lived outside the boundaries of the Jewish quarter. The main market square was the most attractive place in town to do business, as many people from neighboring towns and other areas gathered here during the weekly markets. Most of the local Jews engaged in crafts and small trade. Later, in the 19th century, the local Jews began to grow cucumbers and sell them in many Lithuanian and even Latvian towns.

Sites

Kedainiai Synagogue Complex

Kėdainiai has a synagogue complex that consists of two synagogues: The Great Synagogue and the New Synagogue. The Great Synagogue was built in 1784, replacing a wooden synagogue that burned down during the fire. In the first half of the 19th century, the Jewish community continued to grow, and the need to build additional prayer houses arose. The New Synagogue was built in 1837. On its facade, you can see some features of historicist architecture. Before one hundred years, this place looked different as it was an epicenter of the Jewish community. The New Synagogue housed a custody place. Also, in front of the synagogue, a butcher's house stood, which was connected to the synagogue by an arc. Since 2002 the building of the New Synagogue is used as a multicultural center, where people have an opportunity to get acquainted with the history of the Jewish community and attend various cultural events. While The Great Synagogue, during the Soviet times, experienced serious reconstructions, and the interior of the synagogue was redesigned. Now the synagogue houses an art school.

Sites

Kedainiai Old Jewish Cemetery

It is unknown when the surviving Jewish cemetery of Kėdainiai was established. The oldest inscription dates back to the 1860s, yet this cemetery may have been established even earlier. Currently, nearly 600 tombstones could be found in the territory of this cemetery.

Sites

Pharmacy of Wulf Polones

A three-story building on Didžioji Street belonged to a Jew Bavilak, who rebuilt it after a fire in 1908, adding to the facade elements of the eclectic architecture. The ground floor was adopted for a shop and the other ones were residential premises. After World War I, the building’s owner was a Jew Wulf Polones, who established there a pharmacy. After the murder of Kėdainiai Jews in 1941, the pharmacy was nationalized and operated until 1988.

Sites

Jews Children Orphanage

In Kėdainiai there was an actively involved Jewish association of charity, social support, and culture Ezro, which owned some buildings and hired them out for poor countrymen, repaired and funded public buildings. The association Ezro worked to set up an orphanage here in Kėdainiai. In 1930, 23 children (13 boys and 10 girls) lived in Kėdainiai Jewish children's orphanage. The orphanage owned a two-story house with a garden in Josvainių Street. Living conditions in the orphanage were good. Rooms were large, children were provided with clothes and footwear. The material position of the orphanage was maintained by the mentioned Ezro association, that established the orphanage. The orphanage was financed by Ministry of the Interior and Kėdainiai municipality. It is known that pupils of the orphanage would arrange plays and shows.

Sites

Šėta Synagogue

The Jews in the Šėta settlement were mentioned for the first time in 1709. In 1766, they got the privilege to build a synagogue. A synagogue and Beit Midrash (a learning house) were destroyed during a fire in 1878. In 1893, architect Nikolay Andreyev developed a project of a new synagogue and Beit Midrash in one building. The building was damaged during World War I – a roof collapsed, a center of the western part was destroyed. During reconstruction in 1920, this part of the synagogue was divided into two buildings – two separate premises on the ground floor were allocated for women. During the interwar period, the synagogue housed a Jewish primary school and a bank. When the Nazis took over Šėta, the settlement’s residents Jews were driven into Kėdainiai ghetto and murdered together with Jews of Žeimiai and Kėdainiai in Daukšiai village on August 28, 1941. The building of the synagogue remained without a community, after layout change and connection of blocks of the western part was adapted for Šėta Secondary School.

Filter By Category

Great Market Square

Kedainiai Synagogue Complex

Kedainiai Old Jewish Cemetery

Pharmacy of Wulf Polones

Jews Children Orphanage

Šėta Synagogue