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Dorbyan was the name of the present-day Lithuanian town of Darbenai. Originally a noble agricultural estate, in the early 1700’s it began to attract Jewish traders, who were eventually to become the major part of the town’s population. The Jewish community thrived and continued to exist in Dorbyan until 1941 when it was exterminated by the Nazis. The growth and the fate of Dorbyan may be considered typical of may East European Jewish communities. Most Jews living in North America, although not of Dorbyan origin, are the end products of a similar background. This book attempts to trace the history of the town and many of its Jewish inhabitants. In addition it attempts to provide a picture of the everyday life lived by these people. The book is not intended to be a holocaust story, but unfortunately any study of East European Jewry inevitably ends up that way. Today Dorbyan descendants are found in Canada, the USA. South Africa, Israel and Australia, and who knows where else? For such were the migrating instincts of these people and their desire for a better life that migration to any country would have been considered. It is hopes that ths work may encourage descendants from Dorbyan as well as those from hundreds of similar Jewish communities to seek out their backgrounds. It is a fascinating pastime, and once begun, becomes a lifelong obsession.
