Vilna

Israel Cohen has presented a fascinating portrait of a city that owes much of its cultural legacy to the Yiddish community that thrived in it from the 15th century onward. Cohen undertook this complex task prior to WWII and wrote an epilogue following the genocide that took place in Lithuania during the German occupation, 1941-3. Cohen's judgement seemed to be reserved due to the fact that the genocide came as such a shock to the Jewish community. Vilna was considered to be one of the few safe havens during World War II for Jews. Vilnius had a remarkable history of being an open city, tolerant of a wide array of cultures and religions, which was what Mr. Cohen chose to focus on. He made no excuses for the genocide but rather illustrated the dynamics of this ever-changing city and how Vilnius, and in turn Lithuania, simply was not able to bear up under the pressures of World War II.He charted the various occupations of the city by the Poles, Russians, Soviets and Germans. Lithuanians seemed to be almost peripheral figures in this dramatic ebb and flow. An essentially benevolent nobility that offered its protection to the Yiddish community and constantly renewed its charters so that it could thrive within the often adverserial climate of the city. All that changed with the Russian occupation in the 19th century. Lithuanian Jews found themselves conscripted into the army just like Jews throughout the Russian empire, but somehow they managed to hold together a tight-knit community that had many leading lights including the most famous Gaon Elijah.The book is well worth reading for it provides a rare glimpse into the dynamics of this Medieval city that was shaped by an astonishing array of forces.