One of the most emotionally challenging moments of our journey was our visit to Paneriai (Ponary), a forest near Vilnius that became one of the largest execution grounds for Jews during the Nazi occupation. We were guided by Iga Makuténiené and also accompanied by a professional photographer Alexander Gaidalym, to whom all credit for the following photos is due.
Between 1941 and 1944, approximately 100,000 Jews were murdered here by Nazi German forces and local collaborators. Most of the victims were Jews from Vilnius and surrounding areas. Walking through the trees and past the memorial stones, listening to Iga talk about the lives that were lost here, one is struck once again, by the scale of the violence and the deliberate effort to erase a people.
As the photographs show, the entire group was visibly moved by the stories carried by this memorial site. Visiting Ponary is not easy, but it is essential. It is a place that forces reflection: on how such crimes could occur, and on the importance of remembrance, education, and resistance to hatred in all its forms.
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