Page 79 - NOMADS_NO5

In the1990’s some people sent me a box of stuff and then my cousin Richard sent me a bunch of his grandfather’s stuff, and I also had a box of my own stuff. My aunt would never part with her stuff, but she sent me digital files. Sadly, she scanned things instead of keeping the original photographs. A few years ago I started going through the boxes more thoroughly and put everything together in a micro / macro sort of way. It’s the family story, but it represents so much of what was going on in the world at different times, and what is going on in the world now.In the 1800’s, specifically in the Lithuanian district of Skuodas, the pogroms against the jews was a big reason for a mass exodus where jews lived. The pogroms were targeted antijewish rioting, sentiments and murders. During that time most jews were forbidden to live in the russian empire unless they converted to orthodox christianity.Some people left because they were trying to find a better life or make better money. Some people left because of the pogroms, and some people left because of gambling debts. They later went to America and South Africa for the gold rush. The largest group of lithuanian jews settled in South Africa. From there some went to England or Palestine in the late 19th century.76