Lazdijai/Lozdzieje, Lithuania

My grandmother Pesa Bergzon (Bessie Berger in the US) was born in Lazdijai in 1910. I recently received a copy of her 1928 internal passport application (Lithuania required this as an ID during the interwar years). Her parents Jeruchim (Ruben) Bergzon and Dobrusza (Dora) Jablon married in Lazdijai in 1895. Their first son Zalman Leib was born in 1896. In 1904, Ruben came to the US to see his brother. I don't know how long he stayed but son David was born in Lazdijai in 1909 and Pesa in 1910. In 1911, he and Leib traveled to the US again. Ruben went home again, probably before WWI began. In 1915, the Soviets evacuated the family to Mogilev to get them away from the front lines. Youngest son Zalman (second given name??, Jerry in the US) was born during this evacuation. There was also another daughter who I believe was born between Pesa and Jerry. Ruben returned to the US after the war (before the 1920 census). David and Pesa arrived in 1929, Dora and Jerry arrived in 1931.

According to The Encyclopedia of Jewish Life, Lazdijai is currently located in the Seine district. Jews first settled in 1689. Despite several devastating fires in the 19th century, the Jewish community was well organized. The Jewish population in 1897 was 1,439 (57% of the total). During WWI the Jews were expelled, most returning later. In the 1930s, Lithuanians boycotted Jewish businesses. many young Jews moved to Kovno or emigrated to the west. There were several synagogues, a religious Hebrew school, a yeshiva, library, social welfare organizations, and cultural activities. All Zionist parties were represented in Lazdijai and two training kibbutzim were in operation. The Jewish population in 1839 was 1,212 (40% of the total). After the Germans entered on June 22, 1941, the Jews were concentrated in one or two shacks. Suspected Jewish Communists were taken to Marijampole and murdered. In September, all of the Jews were moved to ghetto barracks in Katkiskes. The men were sent to forced labor. On November 3, 1941, the Jews were shot and buried in previously prepared mass graves.

According to the RTR Foundation website, the following records exist.

At Suwalki, Poland archives (all of which, I believe, have either been indexed by JRI-Poland or the Suwalk-Lomza SIG):
-birth records - 1827-1828; 1830-1831; 1833-1835; 1842; 1844-1845; 1847-1848; 1852-1854; 1856-1857; 1859-1860; 1862-1866; 1877-1880; 1883-1884; 1889; 1894-1896; 1901; 1903-1904; 1907
- death records - 1827-1828; 1830-1831; 1833-1835; 1842; 1844-1845; 1847-1848; 1852-1854; 1856-1857; 1859-1860; 1862-1866; 1877-1880; 1883-1884; 1889; 1894-1896; 1901; 1903-1904; 1907
- marriage records - 1827-1828; 1830-1831; 1833-1835; 1842; 1844-1845; 1847-1848; 1852-1854; 1856-1857; 1859-1860; 1862-1866; 1877-1880; 1883-1884; 1889; 1894-1896; 1901; 1903-1904; 1907 (AND MARRIAGE SUPPLEMENTS: 1848-1865; 1881-1884; 1887-1892; 1899-1903; 1910)

At the Vilnius, Lithuania archives:
- army/military records - 1893, 1899, 1903-4, 1913-15
- birth - 1893/1932 (reconstructed records), 1918-1939
- death - 1834-1835; 1910/1928; 1919-1939
- census/list of inhabitants - 1765
- marriage - 1892; 1900 (reconstructed records); 1919-1939
- immigration/migration - 1885/1917
- divorce - 1922, 1927-31, 1938

At the Bialystock, Poland archives:
- birth - 1808-25, 1827-54
- death - 1818-25, 1827-54
- marriage - 1808-25, 1827-54

At the Jewish Historical Institute in Warsaw, Poland,
- 1929-1939 (POLISH ALIJAH PASSPORTS TO PALESTINE)