AkmenAkmene e Jews Jews

CCemetemeteery ry in in

2011 2011 YYearsears

Aureja Aureja NovogreckyteNovogreckyte

photosphotos

,,Know firmly and feel ,,Know firmly and feel deeply that the every day of deeply that the every day of life you must adress for life you must adress for goodnessgoodness to the other people to the other people and doand do as much as as much as you cyou canan.. Prove your work, don’t talk!Prove your work, don’t talk!””

(From (From the diary of the diary of Ona SimaiteOna Simaite, born in , born in AkmeneAkmene (1894-1970) - (1894-1970) - VU librarian, VU librarian,who who helped to survive to helped to survive to JewsJews during the WWII during the WWII, The , The WorldWorldwide wide RighteousRighteous))

In 2011 In 2011 MMayay the the director of director of Venta Venta regional regional park park Andrius Andrius Almanis Almanis inviteinvitedd us to us to arrange and arrange and explore explore Akmene Akmene ancient Jews ancient Jews cemetcemeteery.ry.

In expedition In expedition participated participated these these Akmene gymnasium Akmene gymnasium students(10students(10th th Form Form)): Vidmante : Vidmante Augustinaite, Aureja Novogreckyte, Augustinaite, Aureja Novogreckyte, Darius Adomaitis, Dovydas Darius Adomaitis, Dovydas Borusevicius, Karolina Borusevicius, Karolina Boruseviciute, Gintare Butaviciute, Boruseviciute, Gintare Butaviciute, Ginta Kasiliauskaite, Ieva Ginta Kasiliauskaite, Ieva Majauskaite, Paulius Rimkus, Milda Majauskaite, Paulius Rimkus, Milda Skiparyte, Airidas Stasiulis, Mantas Skiparyte, Airidas Stasiulis, Mantas Stoncelis, Raimonda Stoncelyte, Stoncelis, Raimonda Stoncelyte, Iveta ZvegaiteIveta Zvegaite.. Students of 8Students of 8thth F Forormm: : Zenonas Norkus, Gvidas Grigalaitis, Zenonas Norkus, Gvidas Grigalaitis, Markas Jonuitis.Markas Jonuitis.

ExpeditionExpedition

Ten- formersTen- formers had been had been workworking foring for three days, then three days, then seventh – formseventh – formersers and ninth – and ninth – formformers.ers. We cleaned up all We cleaned up all gravestone monuments from gravestone monuments from moss, counted and photographed moss, counted and photographed it it . Now . Now we we are are searchsearching for a ing for a personperson who could read those who could read those inscriptions on inscriptions on the the gravestones.gravestones.

During the During the expedition we expedition we counted 125 counted 125 gravestone gravestone monuments, monuments, the the majority majority of of which which are are made from made from ashlar – 76, ashlar – 76, from grind from grind stone- -only 16stone- -only 16-- ththeese se inscriptions are inscriptions are visible and visible and cleaclearr..

We also We also found 20 found 20 tumbledtumbled

monuments, monuments, still 13still 13 were were broken and broken and hurt.hurt.

The The mmajority of ajority of monuments monuments are turned to are turned to the west side the west side – 79 and 13 – – 79 and 13 – to the east.to the east.

TheThe first first day we day we painted painted inscriptions, inscriptions, made photos made photos and cleanedand cleaned

them them off off againagain..

<...> we <...> we knew that knew that better to better to

use a use a shaving –shaving –

foam foam instead of instead of

paintpaint

We divided We divided our our duties: duties: one of us one of us polished polished monumentsmonuments, , the the other other covered the covered the grooves of grooves of letters with letters with the shave-the shave-foamfoam

<...><...>the the third group third group cleaned the cleaned the inscriptions inscriptions with with the the spongesponge afterafter taking taking photographphotographss

<...> <...> from from the the beginning we beginning we distrusted distrusted ourselourselveves, we s, we cleanedcleaned carefully the carefully the grey moss grey moss which which covered covered the the gravestones.gravestones.

We We worked worked carefully, carefully, because we because we ddididn‘t want n‘t want to damage to damage the the gravestone gravestone monuments monuments , we didn’t , we didn’t want to want to disturdisturbb the the peace of peace of cemetcemeteery.ry.

For those who For those who lived.lived... ..

They were They were like like a a gardengarden,, like woods, like woods, like like

birchbircheses grov groving ing in in the the north.north.

In early spring, In early spring, When snow When snow is is

meltmelting ,ing ,They wThey were like birds,ere like birds,The birds in wind The birds in wind

and clouds.and clouds.They wThey were like sandere like sand

or or seedsseeds……Like smoke ofLike smoke of a a

cadecade...... ((Henrikas Nagys)Henrikas Nagys)