The players seated around the table are as follows: Esther Girsh and her recently deceased husband, Shimon Girsh. He was the last living witness to the Holocaust from the village of Linkuva, Lithuania. The other people are all members of the Plein family: Avi Abromovich – son of Odeda Abromovich; Inbar Fridman – daughter of Emoona Levav; Paz Or – daughter of Ravit Or and granddaughter of Emoona Levav; Odeda Abromovich – mother of Avi; Emoona Levav – sister of Odeda; Ravit Or – daughter of Emoona; Ekaterina Khaesh-Goldberg originally from St. Petersburg and daughter of Anatolij Khaesh (the author of many articles on Zeimelis and expert on Lithuanian Jewry); Lilia Khaesh-Goldberg – daughter of Ekaterina; and finally my husband, Yves Prechac. Summary of the story of the life of Simon Girsh as told by himself at a family gathering held on 23rd October 2010. Esther Girsh introduced her husband and said that he knows how he is related to the Pleins families. Simon then says that to speak in Hebrew is very difficult for him. (During his recollections he often reverts to his native language, and when struggling for the Hebrew words and phrases, is helped by other family members). He recalls that there were about 100 Jewish families living in Linkuva, Lithuania before the second world war. There was a huge synagogue, and most families had businesses in the town. There was also a Jewish school and an open High School, where only a few selected Jews were admitted. Everything was peaceful until the Russians came (about 1940). Approximately a year later the Germans arrived. All the Jews were arrested and imprisoned in a huge warehouse. A part of the Jews were separated from the rest. (He does not elaborate as to their fate). He and his father remained in jail for about six weeks, then they were taken to the ghetto, where they remained until the Germans destroyed the ghetto. He managed to escape (to the forests) but his father and the other Jews were taken to Germany. The Lithuanians did not assist the Jews, but when, eventually the Russians returned they gave the remaining Jews shelter. He was questioned as to the position of the Jews before the war and he replied that the Jews engaged in trade His wife’s family owned a shoe store, and everybody in the family assisted in running it. The children learned at a Jewish school. The next question asked was “Did you go to cheder?’ he answered in the negative. There was also a high School (Gymnasia) which was open for pupils from the whole district, but only a few selected Jewish pupils were admitted. He was then asked how he managed to get to Israel. Esther Girsh said she met him in Lithuania in 1951. Many of the few Jews who had survived did not know of the existence of Israel, but those of Linkova were well aware of it’s existence. There were those who tried to make their way to Israel, but this was impossible during the Russian occupation. She, herself, did not know of the existence of Israel. Life was very hard, and everybody said we should leave. Eventually we got some Jewish Education. We tried to get into Poland, where there was a better possibility to get out of the Soviet sphere. At that time, Vilna was part of Poland, but Kovno remained in Lithuania. When their eldest daughter turned 17 she was given a visa to leave and made aliyah to Israel in 1969. Their second daughter also received a visa a year later. They remained in Lithuania and were unable to leave. The children received education in Hebrew. Their elder daughter was invited and received a visa to the U.S. and spent a month studying there. In 1980, they received permission to leave and arrived in Israel. Their son went straight into the army and served in Tzahal (Israel Defense Forces) in the war in Lebanon. He was a gunner and a medical orderly. Their eldest daughter is married. They lived in Israel for nine years, and then transferred to Italy. They have two daughters aged 16 and 18 and they became deeply religious. (returned to the faith). Their other daughter sadly passed away last year. Their eldest son is married, living in Rehovot. Their eldest grandson lives in Haifa and is in “hayil ha-yam (The Israeli Navy). The younger son is just finishing high school. His brother in-law remained in Lithuania – He comments about him saying “he is O’K, but just slightly Abnormal” Esther Girsh tells that in Lithuania she was an English teacher, and she taught in the local high school. When they made application to leave the country, she was fired from the school, and she worked as an interpreter. Six months after arrival in Israel she was accepted in an Israeli junior school teaching English, But she soon ran away from the job. She says she did not understand fully the language, and the Israeli kids, being as boisterous as they are, are impossible to teach. Continued on page 2