Photograph Album

Won't you share your Rokiskis related family photographs with us? They provide a slice of life from Rokiskis that would otherwise be lost to us forever.

to see memories written by Slovka Segal Sarver , who lived in Rokiskis, accompanied by some photos, in the Dusetos Yizkor Book. (thanks to SIG member Hedva Scop for this interesting link)

This photograph was taken on October 26, 1934. We got it from the Lietuvos Centrinis Valstybes Archyvas, the Lithuanian Central State Archives

This is the information on the back of the photograph. Standing in the back are, from left to right, Ruvel Gafanovich and Yudel Weiner. In the front, from left to right, are Yankel Chait, Motel Chaitovich, Chaim Kruk, and Leibe Ruch.

The captions tell us that:

1. Ruvel Gafanovich was a tailor in Kaunas (according to family member Alan Zeligson, Ruvel went to Sao Paolo, Brazil)

2. Chaim Kruk was a watchmaker in Kaunas

3. Motel Chaitovich was 'exiled'

4. Yudel Weiner was 'exiled'

5. Leibe Ruch was a cap maker in Kaunas (See Ruch Family photos)

6. Yankel Chait lived at Kauno Street 17 in Rokiskis

Four who survived the war - from l to r: Sasha (Shabske) Ruch, who escaped with his family to Russia and served in the Soviet Army, (1923-2001); Abe (Abrashke) Reznikowitz (Resnick), survivor of the Kaunas Ghetto, lost all members of his family, (1924-1998); Ar'ye (Leibke) Yakubowitz , who escaped to Russia, served in the Soviet Army, lost all members of his family, (1924-2006?); Yosef Levin and his family were exiled to a Siberian Gulag, lost his older brother, (1922-2001)

In the words of Reuben Ruch:

I send you a historical photo of four boys, members of Ha'shomer Ha'tzair Rokiskis, who with incredible effort, with inexhaustible aspiration for life, were lucky enough to escape from the murderers hands of death, at the cost of the lives of their dear parents, sisters and brothers. They were filled with HOPE to build a new life in the land Eretz Israel.

(Photo courtesy of Sana Meller Levin, wife of Yosef; identifications made by Reuben Ruch)