Dear Friends, Please join me for what will be a moving trip to visiting Minsk and Dokshitz in May 2015. as we walk in the same streets as our ancestors. I hope to spend 2-3 days visiting Dokshitz and nearby towns, and also a couple of days in the Minsk area.. On May 7th we will mark the anniversary of the largest Massacre in Dokshitz with a memorial walk and ceremony. For more information please contact me.
Aaron Ginsburg, President, The Friends of Jewish Dokshitsy.
This is a tentative schedule as of February 27, 2015
Group activities would be from May 3-7. You are welcome to join us for all or part of these. I will be arriving earlier to meet with family, and will go to Vilna on May 10th and spend some time there and in the Baltic States. If you wish to go with me to Vilna for a few days we can do this as a group. You may also be able to visit a shtetl that is meaningful to you.
May 3-4 Sunday and Monday there is a shtetl near Minsk Rakov that was not burned down which has a moving yet simple Holocaust memorial…also near Minsk is Maly Trostenets where hudreds of thousands were killed by the Nazis during WWII. and we could also spend some time in Minsk including the National Archives. There is also a Museum about WW2 In Minsk. there are small number of Jewish sites in Minsk such as the pit that was used to round up people during the Shoa…and a Holocaust memorial. also the remains of a large cemetery.
May 5,6,7 explore Dokshitz and nearby shetlach Definately see Dokshitz Parfianov Bgomel. possibly visit Dolhinev, Glubokie, others
May 5 Tuesday We might want to spend a third day seeing other shtetls in the Dokshitz area…
May 6 Weds exploring Dokshitz, Parfianov and Begmol
May 7 Thursday Dokshitz on May 7—lag b’omer anniversery of the largest massacre.. Memorial walk to Holocaust site, memorial service either at site or at cemetery (across the street) or both Our group will get together probably in Dokshitz…which might be the last time we all get together.
May 8 Friday ? tentative follow up trip to Dokshitz may be necessary to capture some video…
May 9 Saturday unscheduled
May 10 Sunday leave for Vilna by train spend several days there
May 10-13 explore Vilna.
Notes
I will arrive in Minsk on Friday May 1 and will be seeing relatives there for the first time. You are welcome to join us.
If your schedule limits the time available, focus on May 5-7.
I will be going to Kiev from May 14-18th to visit some ancestral shtels.