Josef Rosin's "Preserving Our Litvak Heritage" is a monumental work documenting the history of 31 Jewish communities in Lithuanaia from their inception to their total destruction in 1941 at the hands of the Nazis and their Lithuania helpers. Rosin gathered his material from traditional sources, archives, public records, and remembrance books. He has enriched and enhanced the entry for each community with personal memoirs and contributions from widely dispersed survivors who opened family albums and shared treasured photographs of family and friends. He made use of sources originally written in Hebrew, Yiddish, Lithuanian, German and Russian. In over 700 pages, Rosin documents each community from its beginning until World War I, through the years of Independent Lithuania (1918-1940), and finally during the indescribable Nazi annihilation of nearly all of Lithuanian Jewry. Most impressive is the record of cultural richness, the important town personalities, the welfare institutions, the glorious Hebrew educational system of the Tarbuth elementary schools and the Yavneh high schools, the world famous Telz and Ponevezh Yeshivoth (in the towns of Telsiai and Panevezys), the Yiddish press and other significant events of the period. Rosin has provided a documentary and a testament to once vibrant communities almost totally destroyed but which come alive again in the pages of this book. 736 page, Hard Cover. List of towns included in the book: Alite Birzh Yurburg Koshedar Kopcheve Memel Naishtot Kibart Lazdey Ligum Mariampol Meretch Ponevezh Pikvishok Pren Shaki Salant Serey Shat Stoklishok Sudarg Tavrig Taragin Telzh Utyan Aran Vishey Vilkovishk Verzhbelov Zheiml Naishtot Tavrig 786 page, Hard Cover

Josef Rosin's "Preserving Our Litvak Heritage-Volume II" is a monumental work documenting the history of 21 Jewish communities in Lithuanaia from their inception to their total destruction in 1941 at the hands of the Nazis and their Lithuania helpers. Rosin gathered his material from traditional sources, archives, public records, and remembrance books. He has enriched and enhanced the entry for each community with personal memoirs and contributions from widely dispersed survivors who opened family albums and shared treasured photographs of family and friends. He made use of sources originally written in Hebrew, Yiddish, Lithuanian, German and Russian. In over 300 pages, Rosin documents each community from its beginning until World War I, through the years of Independent Lithuania (1918-1940), and finally during the indescribable Nazi annihilation of nearly all of Lithuanian Jewry. Most impressive is the record of cultural richness, the important town personalities, the welfare institutions, the glorious Hebrew educational system of the Tarbuth elementary schools and the Yavneh high schools, the world famous Telz and Ponevezh Yeshivoth (in the towns of Telsiai and Panevezys), the Yiddish press and other significant events of the period. Rosin has provided a documentary and a testament to once vibrant communities almost totally destroyed but which come alive again in the pages of this book. This publication is by the "Yizkor Books in Print Project" of JewishGen, Inc., List of towns: Alsiad Antalept Balbirishok Dorbyan Gruzd Kelem Kovarsk Mazheik Payure Plungyan Rogeve Salok Salat Shirvint Shukyan Ushpol Vizhun Vorne Ezheremi Zhager Zhezhmer 332 pages with Illustrations. Hard Cover

The noted historian and Litvak (Jews of Lithuanian heritage), Josef Rosin, presents the history of 50 Jewish towns in Lithuania. The book includes information about the founding of the settlements, their development into vibrant communities, and their ultimate destruction in the Shoah (Holocaust). This is Josefs third book, which brings to 102, the number of communities that he has documented. The thorough coverage shows the rich culture from which many American, South African and Israeli Jews of Litvak heritage can trace their history. This book is a rich resource for Litvak genealogists to extend their knowledge to understand the communities from which their ancestors came. This book is a valuable resource for libraries, synagogues and Litvak homes. Below is the list of towns with the Yiddish name first, and the Lithuanian name in parenthesis: Akmyan (Akmen), Anishok (Onukis), Erzhvilik (Ervilkas), Gelvan (Gelvonai), Girtegole (Girkalnis), Grinkishok (Grinkikis), Grishkabud (Grikabdis), Gudleve (Garliava), Kaltinan (Kaltinnai), Kamai (Kamajai), Krakinove (Krekenava), Kruzh (Kraiai), Kurshan (Kurnai), Laizeve (Laiuva), Leipun (Leipalingis), Loikeve (Laukuva), Ludvinove (Liudvinavas), Luknik (Luok), Maliat (Moltai), Miroslav (Miroslavas), Nemoksht (Nemakiai), Pashvitin (Pavitinys), Pikeln (Pikeliai), Plotel (Plateliai), Pumpyan (Pumpnai), Rasein (Raseiniai), Remigole (Ramygala), Riteve (Rietavas), Sapizishok (Zapykis), Shadeve (eduva), Shidleve (iluva), Siad (Seda), Srednik (Seredius), Survilishok (Survilikis), Svadushch (Svedasai), Trashkun (Troknai), Trishik (Trykiai), Tsaikishok (ekik), Tsitevyan (Tytuvnai), Vabolnik (Vabalninkas), Vaigeve (Vaiguva), Vainute (Vainutas), Vekshne (Viekniai), Velon (Veliouna), Vidukle (Vidukl), Yelok (Ylakiai), Yezne (Jieznas), Zharan (arnai), and Zhidik (idikai).

Josef Rosin started a normal life in 1922 in the small town of Kybartai in western Lithuania. Excelling in school he started at Kovno University in 1939, only to have his second year final exams interrupted by Operation Barbarosa, the Nazi invasion of Lithuania on June 22, 1941. Life from that point on was anything but normal. With his resourcefulness and much luck, Josef survived in the Kovno Ghetto for more than two and a half years. At the beginning of February 1944, a few months before the destruction of the ghetto, he escaped into the woods of Belarus. There he met up with other Jewish partisans and eventually joined the famous Bielski brothers in their partisan family camp. Clearly, one could develop a feature movie based on the descriptions of his activities during that period. When the Red Army overtook the territory, he was forced into that army; however, at some point he decided that he had had enough with war and simply took off his uniform and walked away. In August 1944 he returned to Kovno. He decided that he had to leave Lithuania forever and started a long arduous trek across Europe, finally arriving on October 24, 1945 in Eretz-Yisrael on a ship of "Ma'apilim" (Illegal Immigrants). During his travel in Romania Josef met and married Peninah (nee Cypkewitz) from Wloclawek who had made a similarly difficult journey from Poland. Josef's true story is one of resourcefulness, courage, cleverness, and love. His story is probably very similar to that of others, many of whom are no longer with us, or similar to others who have chosen not to speak. Josef feels it is very important that he makes public these testimonies of the persecuted Jews of Europe.