RASSIEN IN JEWISH SOURCES

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A PROVINCIAL CAPITAL IN CENTRAL LITHUANIA.

RASEINIAI, ONE OF THE OLDEST TOWNS IN LITHUANIA, LIES ON THE BANKS OF THE RASENKA RIVER AND ON THE ROAD LINKING KAUNAS WITH MEMEL, WHICH WAS PAVED IN 1936. THERE ARE DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE TOWN DATING FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE `13TH CENTURY. IN THE 15TH CENTURY, THE TOWN BECAME A FREE COMMERCIAL CENTRE (MAGDEBURG PRIVILEGES). DURING THE PERIOD OF THE POLISH KINGDOM, WHEN LITHUANIA UNITED WITH POLAND IN THE 16TH CENTURY, RASEINIAI WAS THE COMMERCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE CENTER OF THE WHOLE DISTRICT (ZAMUT). AFTER THE THIRD PARTITION OF POLAND AT THE END OF THE 18TH CENTURY THE AREA WAS UNDER RUSSIAN CZARIST JURISDICTION COMMERCIAL CENTER DECLINED. To read the rest go to https://dbs.bh.org.il/ place/raseiniai

AFTERWARDS. IN 1921, IN INDEPENDENT LITHUANIA OF THE PERIOD BETWEEN THE TWO WOLRD WARS THERE WERE 2,226 JEWS IN RASEINIAI.

THE JEWISH COMMUNITY IN THE TOWN HAD A TRADITION OF TORAH STUDY AND SOME GREAT RABBIS OFFICIATED THERE, AMONG THEM RABBI ABRAHAM THE SON OF CHAIM LISKER, WHO WROTE A COMMENTARY ON THE MISHNA “THE WELL OF ABRAHAM” , AND RABBI JOSEPH JEHUDA LEIB BLOCH WHO SERVED LATER AS THE HEAD OF THE TELZ YESHIVA. THE LAST RABBI TO OFFICIATE IN RASEINIAI WAS RABBI AARON SAMUEL KATZ. THE TOWN WAS ALSO A CENTRE OF THE HEBREW HASKALAH MOVEMENT. THERE WERE WRITERS AND INTELLECTUALS IN THE TOWN, AMONG THEM ABRAHAM MAPU, SHNEUER ZACKS, MOSHE MAREKOWITZ AND ABRAHAM LEIB GORDON (THE HEBREW GRAMMARIAN). THERE WERE ABOUT 10 PRAYER HOUSES IN THE TOWN, AMONG THEM THE GREAT SYNAGOGUE, THE STUDY HOUSE AND SEVE