Chaja (Grin) Sokhen (1901 - abt. 1941)

Born 1901 in Kriūkai, Panevėžio, Литва, Российская империя

Wife of Meer Solem Sokhen — married 23 Jan 1923 in Kriūkai, Šiauliai, Литва, Советский Союз

Died about 4 Sep 1941 at about age 40 in Zapyškis, Lietuva [uncertain]

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Biography

Chaja (Grin) Sokhen was probably killed in the massacre of Jews at Zapyškis, Lithuania

Chaja was born in 1901 in Kriukai, Panevezys, Lithuania, then part of the Russian Empire. Her parents were Smuelis Grin and Chane (Unknown) Grin.^[1]

Chaja married Solem Sokhen January 23, 1923 in Kriukai, Siauliai, Lithuania, which was then part of the Soviet Union (see Notes)^[1] and they had at least one child (see Notes).

Although no record of Chaja's death has been found, she is believed to have been killed September 4, 1941 in a massacre of all Jews in the area, based on the following:

On June 23 1941, one day after the German attack on the Soviet Union, German soldiers reached Kriukai and continued on towards Russia. Armed Lithuanian nationalists took control of the town. One of their first actions was to arrest four Jewish youths, sympathizers of the Soviet regime. The four were taken to the district town Sakiai and there killed. The Jews were robbed of their animals, sewing machines, radios and good furniture.

On July 2, 1941, the Lithuanians concentrated all the Jewish men, 41 in number, both young and old, and took them to Sakiai, on the pretext of giving them work. For three days they were kept in a silo, near the housing estate called the Jewish Pasture. On July 16, they were taken to the nearby forest and there, executed. A different account states that they were executed on July 9. The young girl, Khaya-Miriam Gertner, was killed with the men, as she had resisted the Lithuanian murderers who had come to take her father and brothers.

The Jewish women and their children were taken at the beginning of September, to the neighboring town Zapyskis. For some time they were kept in the Beth Midrash and then they were murdered on September 4, with the rest of the Jewish population near Vilkija. Apparently, there were no survivors.^[2] </blockquote>

Notes

Children
Chaja's known children were:

• Abram Elija Sokhen, born June 7, 1924 in Krukiai, Panevezys, Lithuania, died August 9, 1924 in Krukiai, Siauliai, Lithuania

Geographic Change
Following the 1917 Russian Revolution, when district lines were re-drawn Pasvalys and Kriukai were no longer in Panevezys, but became part of Siauliai. At that time, the Russian Empire became the Soviet Union.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} LitvakSIG, Lithuanian Jewish Special Interest Group of JewishGen, (accessed February 27, 2017), free membership required, includes the following marriage record:

   Town: Kriukai

   Uyezd: Siauliai

   Guberniya: Kaunas

   Date: 23/1/1923

   Groom: SOCHEN / [SHOKHEN], Solom

   Bride: GRINYTE / [GRIN], Chaja

   Groom Father: Chaim

   Groom Mother: Chane

   Groom Place: Kriukai

   Bride Father: Smuelis

   Bride Mother: Chane

   Bride Place: Kriukai

   Groom Birth: 32

   Bride Birth: 1901

   Rabbi: I. B. RAPOPORTAS

   Place Recorded: Joniskis

   Year Recorded: 1923

   Record Type: Marriage

   Record # 1

   Microfilm # Not filmed /

2. ↑ Encyclopedia of Jewish Communities in Lithuania, Kriukai, Dov Levin, "Pinkas Hakehillot Lita", Translation of the “Kriukai (Sakiai)” chapter, (accessed March 25, 2017).