Visiting the Telsiai Jewish Cemetery
Telsiai is a town in northwestern Lithuania, 70 kilometers west of Siauliai. In 1897 the total population of Telsiai was 6000 inhabitants, of whom 3088 were Jewish. Many Jews were involved in produce, woods, and crafts. The Telz Yeshiva (1875-1941) was among the largest and most famous of the last generation.
At the beginning of the 21st century there are about ten Jews remaining in Telsiai. One can still see the yeshiva building and the synagogue, and the streets of the ’Old Town’ where the former Jewish houses and shops yet stand. | ![]() |
The red building on the left is the building |
The Jewish Cemetery of Telsiai is located behind the local archives on Sedos Street 12, only 400 meters from the Telsiai town hall. The cemetery is very much destroyed, with only about 55 tombstones out of all the ones erected from 1830 to 1940 yet standing. | ![]() |
The Matzeva of Yehuda Leib ben Eliyahu Rostovski |
These are the names I saw or was able to decipher on the matzevot in the Jewish Cemetery in Telsiai while I was there.
Name | Child of | Wife of | Died | Photo Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|
Avraham Simon | Aharon Elkin? |
|
| 7111-37 |
Avraham Itshak | David Moshe Naftalin |
| 1913 | 7111-8 |
Avraham Tzvi | Itshak Rein |
| 1920 | 7111-11 |
Aharon Benyamin | Henoch Klatz |
| 1931 | 7111-34 |
Beila Rochel | Yehuda Leib Rein | Hirschel der Schochet |
| 7111-26 |
Betsalel | Sholom Schachno Katz Fisher |
| 1906 | 7111-2 |
David | Benjamin from Tirkshler |
| 1912 | 7111-12 |
David | Arye Glas |
| 1901 | 7111-32 |
David | Aizik Gedalia |
| 1915 | 7110-0 |
Efraim Reuben | Shlomo Yetz |
| 1930 | 7111-33 |
Ester | Efrain Yacov Zundelovitz |
| 1934 | 7111-29 |
Esther | Tzvi Nospe? |
| 1883 | 7110-7 |
Eta | Abraham Govsh from Olsyad |
|
| 7111-27 |
Ete Miriam | Aharon Lurya |
| 1926 | 7111-21 |
Feiga | Itshak Fridman | David Beyaminovitz |
| 7110-2 |
Feiga Rochel | Yehezkel |
| 1863 (1903?) | 7111-14 |
Feiga Rochel | Yacov |
| 1909 | 7100-37 |
Fishel | Katz |
|
| 7111-7 |
Gita | Shmuel Yaffe |
| 1917 | 7111-25 |
Gita | Avraham |
| 1904 | 7111-31 |
Haya Dvora | Aharon Meir Desyatnick |
| 1924 | 7111-22 |
Haya Gita | Israel Factor |
|
| 7111-30 |
Haya Liba | Tzvi Bloch |
| 1924 | 7111-23 |
Haya Liba | Tzvi Bloch |
| 1924 | 7111-38 |
Henoch | Osher Menachem Klatz |
| 1919 | 7111-16 |
Israel | Avigdor |
| 1832 | 7100-30 |
Lea | Itshak Bub |
| 1923 | 7111-28 |
Miriam | Chaim |
| 1928 | 7111-5 |
Miriam | Yisroel |
| 1860 | 7100-31 |
Moshe | Tzvi Rogovin |
| 1938 | 7110-6 |
Moshe | Chaim Jacob |
| 1934 | 7110-5 |
Moshe | Yehuda |
| 1846 | 7110-1 |
Moshe Itshak | Eiezer Hetz |
| 1939 | 7111-19 |
Moshe ? | Tzvi |
| 1880 | 7100-33 |
Naftali Itshak | Yacov HaCohen |
| 1929 | 7111-35 |
Nehemia | Shmuel Shabtelkan |
| 1929 | 7111-20 |
Pese | Neimark b. Yoel Moshe |
| 1885 | 7111-17 |
Sara | Abraham HaCohen |
| 1900 | 7111-4 |
Sara | Aharon |
| 1902 | 7111-13 |
Sara | Itshak Yacov |
| 1924 | 7111-18 |
Sara |
| Abraham Rozenfeld | 1930 | 7110-3 |
Sheina Batya | Ziv bat Nisen HaLevy |
|
| 7111-10 |
Shmuel | Yosef from Vilkomir |
| 1851 | 7100-34 |
Shrago Feivish | Moshe Ziv |
| 1916 | 7111-9 |
Todres | Hone |
| 1756 or 1856? | 7100-36 |
Tzivya | David Kopel Licht | Moshe Garber | 1929 | 7111-15 |
Yacov | Itshak Ravid |
| 1927 | 7111-24 |
Yacov | Gershon Volpert |
| 1915 | 7111-6 |
Yankel | Moshe Jacub |
| 1899-1965 | 7110-4 |
Yehose | Lieber Ziv |
| 1900 | 7111-1 |
Yehose | Eliakim Getzel |
| 1848 | 7100-35 |
Yehuda Leib | Eliyahu Rostovski |
| 1906 | 7111-3 |
Yosef Yehuda | Mordehay Bloch |
| 1930 | 7111-6 |
Name | Child of | Wife of | Died | Photo Reference |