| Uzpaliai, known to our ancestors as
Ushpol, is a small
village in the northeastern corner of modern-day Lithuania. Its one of those towns that
you would barely notice as you passed through. But it was once home to several hundred
Jewish people, my family among them. I hope to provide some information about
Ushpol, so
that the Ushpol that once was, might exist again, at least in our memories.
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(photographs courtesy of Linda Cantor) |

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References
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Please note: The spelling of names and town names are copied exactly as they appear in
each source.
Where Once We Walked
by Gary Mokotoff and Sallyann Amdur Sack. Teaneck, NJ:
Avotaynu, Inc., 1991.
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| Uzpaliai, Lith. (Oshpol, Uschpol, Uzpalis); pop. 551; 114 km. N of
Vilnius; 55° 39' /25° 35'; |
| References to Ushpol are found in: |
| HSL - Hebrew Subscription Lists by Berl Kagan, New York: Ktav Publishing, 1975 |
| JGFF - JewishGen
Family Finder |
| YL - Yahudit Lita by R. Hasman, D.Lipec,
et al. Tel Aviv: 1967 |



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People and date are
unknown |
| (Photo courtesy of Yakov
Kopelansky) |
| Archival Records |
| 1. The Vilnius Archives
holds
1858 and 1874 Revision Lists for Ushpol but have no vital records.
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This is a sample of the information provided by the Revision Lists -- the
name of the head of household, his father's name, his age at the last census, his current
age, and the names and relationships of all family members residing with him, males and
females listed on opposite pages.
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| These do not provide much information beyond name, but in many cases, are the only
available evidence that a person lived in the town in a particular year.
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| 3. Other Uzpaliai Records
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| There are no extant vital records for Uzpaliai. The following records,
which involve Uzpaliai people, were located by Ann Rabinowitz, in her research on Kupiskis
and South Africa.
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1924-1929 Immigration Records to South Africa
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| BERKALIS, Jossel, male, age 36, born 1888, from Uzpaliai, going to cousin Max Back, 6a
Geranium Street, Johannesburg, arriving on the steamship Dunluce Castle, 12/10/1924.
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FISHER, Abram, Male, age 26, born 1899, from Uzpaliai, going to brother J. Fisher, Box 37,
Laingsburg, arriving on the steamship Garth, 12/13/1925. |
| ORDMAN, Naftol, male, age 18, born 1910, from Uzpaliai, going to uncle A. Nathanson, Gwanda, arriving on the steamship Dunluce Castle, July 20, 1928. |
| Last revised: February
22, 2008 |
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