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June 22. 2006
Just Returned from Lithuania
by - Susan Cooper

I have recently returned from Lithuania. My purpose was to find the shtetl my grandfather left in 1880 to travel to Australia.

I chose to travel in March to take advantage of off-season accommodation prices and to avoid crowds in tourist areas.

My guide was Simon Davidovitch whose second job is curator of the Sugihara Museum in Kaunas. This was a coincidence, as my partner's father, Sygmunt Gerichter, was one of the fortunates saved by a visa from Sugihara. The second coincidence was that Simon and I discovered that we are related and he knew my shtetl, Varniai, very well.

We met Feiga Leah, the last Jew in Varniai as well as Jacob Bunke, the last Jew in Plunge. These were very emotional meetings and have left a very deep impression on me.

Jacob is responsible for all the "totem"-style memorials seen all over the north-west. He is a "master wood carver" with a passion for keeping the memory of Lithuanian Jews alive in his country.

Of course, you can't go very far in Lithuania without passing a killing place. There are over 200 of these in a very small country. It's overwhelming. Being there was very important to me ...to pay homage; to say goodbye; to say Kaddish.

I'd be very happy to share more of my experiences privately. Please write to suzecooper@yahoo.com.au

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