Alternate names: Viduklė [Lith], Widukle [Pol], Vidukli [Rus], Vidukle [Yid], Viduklės, Russian: Видукле. ווידוקלע-Yiddish. 55°24' N, 22°54' E, 40 miles SSW of Šiauliai (Shavl), 26 miles ENE of Tauragė (Tavrig), 9 miles W of Raseiniai (Rasayn) in Kovno guberniya, Raseiniai uezd.
Pinkas ha-kehilot; entsiklopediya shel ha-yishuvim le-min hivasdam ve-ad le-aher shoat milhemet ha-olam ha-sheniya: Lithuania (Jerusalem, 1996). 1939 Jewish population: about 300. [March 2009]
CEMETERY:
The approximately two-acre cemetery site on the crown of a small hill and on flat land between fields and woods along a road with houses and next to the Christian Cemetery is on the edge of town with a Holocaust memorial monument that marks the site as well as mass grave. Across the road was a pond. The Holocaust marker area was swampy. The cemetery is marked by a sign or plaque in Lithuanian mentioning Jews, but the Holocaust Memorial had English too. We talked to the Christian cemetery caretaker, who told us where to look for the old Jewish cemetery up the hill from the Holocaust Memorial. The Holocaust Memorial part of the site looked cared for. The site too did not look as if it had been totally neglected for the 65 years although there were trees growing. Access is open to all with no wall, fence, or gate. Adjacent property is agricultural, residential, and the Christian cemetery. The Holocaust marker states 100 Jews were killed there. We believe that we saw 3-4 stones with Hebrew inscriptions dating from the early 20th century, one in its original location and more that 75% toppled or broken. One we uncovered. We suspect that there are others buried. It would be a major project to look for more buried ones. My companions and I suspected there probably were more. We believe that the 3-4 stones visible date from the early 20th century and that the cemetery was established before the 1800's with the last burial being the mass graves. Vegetation overgrowth is a constant problem. Water drainage issues are unknown because the swampy area at the base of the hill may or may not include the cemetery. Any possible occasional clearing or cleaning source is unknown. Linda Morzillo, Saratoga Springs, NY at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. was there in June 18, 2007 with an organized Jewish genealogy group and took digital photographs of the cemetery and memorial. She has a picture of a picture of the synagogue of Vidukle probably dating from the 1920's-1930's from her family that lived in the town. She completed the survey on July 26, 2007. [July 2007]
photos of gravestones. [Aug 2015]
MASS GRAVE:
Vidukle railway station; 146; pic. # 226-227 and Vidukle near the Jewish cemetery; 145; pic. # 223 US Commission for the Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad