Alternate names: Grinkiškis [Lith], Grinkishok [Yid], Grinkishki [Rus], Grynkiszki [Pol], Grinkiškio, Grinkishkis, Grenkeshek, Grinkiškės, Russian: Гринкишки. גרינקישאָק-Yiddish. 55°34' N, 23°38' E, 24 miles NNW of Kėdainiai (Keidan), 28 miles SSE of Šiauliai (Shavl). 1923 Jewish population: 235. Słownik Geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego (1880-1902), III, p. 195: "Hrynkiszki" #1; and XV, p. 542: "Grynkiszki" #1. [March 2009]
MASS GRAVE: Near the village of Pestinukai, 1.5 km from Krakes; 101; pic. # 110-111 US Commission for the Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad
At the end of August 1941, Jews from the surrounding villages of Baisogola, Gudziunai, Grinkiskis, and Pociueliam were brought into Krakes. On September 2, 1941 (10 Elul), all these Jews were marched to the village Pestinukai 1.5 kilometers from Krakes where they were shot by local Lithuanian residents from Krakes. 448 male Jews, 476 female Jews and 221 Jewish children were murdered. [March 2009]
CEMETERY: photo [March 2009]
"...just east of the village on a dirt road off the gravel road leading to Baisogala. It is on a slight hillside leading down to the Susve River. The cemetery is on a rectangular plot of land about 100 meters long by 50 meters wide, right next to the dirt road. The cemetery is surrounded by a fence with wooden posts and three horizontal wires. There is no gate, but it is easy to go through the fence. The cemetery has been tended by the village of Grinkiskis, and students on occasion cut the grass. Most of the tombstones were upright and in reasonably good condition. A considerable number were worn by the weather and illegible. About 80 tombstones were examined, of which at least 65 could be read. About 30 nearest the road were not examined because of time and rain. The unexamined stones were generally more recent ones. Patronyms were used throughout; only about six had surnames. All inscriptions were in Hebrew." See website for list of burials. [January 2001]
UPDATE: In May 1997, Judy (my wife) and I visited Grinkiskis. With the help of our outstanding guide, Regina Kopilevich, we conducted an inventory of most of the Jewish gravestones. Regina Kopilevich is extremely knowledgeable, conscientious, informative, and pleasant. Grinkiskis is about a three-hour drive from Vilnius (2 hours from Kaunas). The road to Baisogala is quite good, but from there (or better to turn off just before Baisogala), it is 9 km on a gravel road to Grinkiskis. Within view of Grinkiskis in the distance is a small dirt road leading to the right to the Jewish cemetery near the Susve River. Grinkiskis itself currently has 500-1,000 inhabitants. It has a church, a regional school with 300 students, and a post office. Its streets are paved. The houses are typical of a rural community in Eastern Europe. In 1940, about 1,000 people lived in Grinkiskis, of which about one-third were Jewish. Jews owned all 30 shops at that time. There were two bakeries, two meat shops, one restaurant, a wood mill, and an electric power station. In 1941, all of the Jews of Grinkiskis were taken to Krakus (18 km away) and killed. We were the first Jews they had ever met whose ancestors were from Grinkiskis. They were extremely interested in us and wanted to learn as much as possible about the Jewish history of their community. They showed us their one-room museum on the history of Grinkiskis and told us that they had no material for their archives about the Jews who had lived in Grinkiskis.
The Jewish cemetery for Grinkiskis, Kovno, Lithuania, is located just east of the village on a dirt road off the gravel road leading to Baisogala. It is on a slight hillside leading down to the Susve River. The cemetery is on a rectangular plot of land about 100 meters long by 50 meters wide, right next to the dirt road. A fence with wooden posts and three horizontal wires surrounds the cemetery. There is no gate, but it is easy to go through the fence. The village of Grinkiskis has tended the cemetery. Students, on occasion, cut the grass. Most of the tombstones were upright and in reasonably good condition. A considerable number were worn by the weather and illegible. About 80 tombstones were examined, of which at least 65 could be read. About 30 nearest the road were not examined because of time and rain. The unexamined stones were generally more recent ones. Patronymics were used throughout; only about six had surnames. All inscriptions were in Hebrew. The inscriptions were examined and read where possible by our guide, Regina Kopilevich. They were recorded and edited by Judith and Arthur Obermayer. Facing the river from the road, the numbering starts at the bottom far left. The letters are for rows going toward the road. The numbers are for positions in the row, which are roughly parallel to the road. The rows were not well defined, so this numbering system is only approximate. Contact them for further details on the current people there. Source: Arthur Obermayer, West Newton, MA; e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.