“VI AHIN ZOL IKH GEYN” [WHERE SHALL I GO]: THE POST-WAR FATE OF ŠIAULIAI JEWS
“VI AHIN ZOL IKH GEYN” [WHERE SHALL I GO]: THE POST-WAR FATE OF ŠIAULIAI JEWS

Author(s): Vadim Altskan
Subject(s): Jewish studies, Recent History (1900 till today), WW II and following years (1940 - 1949), Post-War period (1950 - 1989), History of the Holocaust, History of Antisemitism
Published by: Kauno IX forto muziejus
Keywords: Šiauliai Jews; Holocaust survivors; postwar Lithuania; Shavl Ghetto; Soviet occupation; Jewish repatriation; concentration camps; DP (displaced persons) camps; “Bricha” network;
Summary/Abstract: This article explores the post-war experiences of Jewish survivors from Šiauliai, Lithuania, following the liquidation of the Shavl Ghetto in July 1944. Drawing from archival records, survivor testimonies, and memoirs, it investigates the contrasting decisions made by those who returned to Soviet-occupied Lithuania and those who remained in the Western zones of postwar Europe. The study identifies three main categories of survivors: deportees to concentration camps, escapees who hid in Lithuania, and evacuees to the Soviet interior. It examines the motivations behind repatriation, the hostile reception survivors faced from local communities and Soviet authorities, and the limited postwar options available. The article further discusses the Zionist-driven emigration movement, particularly the role of the Bricha network, and documents individual survivor stories as short case studies. Ultimately, it reveals how geopolitical realities, trauma, and persecution shaped the post-liberation trajectories of Šiauliai’s Jewish community.

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