Jonava, lying so close to our ancestral town of Vilkomir (Ukmerge) was one of the logical places for our ancestors to migrate. We know that Tzvi Hirsh Geffen settled there from Vilkomir, and also descendants of Kusel Geffen.

Located northeast of Kovno, Jonava was a small town inhabited by approximately 4000 Jews in 1897 and sat on the banks of the Vilia River. The town was founded at the beginning of the 17th century and by the end of the 18th century, the Jewish community began to grow and form on the right bank of the river. The little village had cobblestone streets a Jewish cemetery, seven synagogues and a marketplace.

The rich forests provided plentiful lumber which was a major item for export to Germany. By the end of the 19th century, the Jewish population had dwindled. Emigration had begun to America and South Africa. Between the two World Wars, the emigration to Israel began.

By the eve of the Holocaust there were between 2000 and 3000 Jews living in Jonava. All were either murdered or deported to the ghetto in Kuanas.

Today, there are no Jews in Jonava There is a plaque in a field, where a memorial has been erected to the 2,100 Jewish people, murdered July 8, 1941. There are scant remaining fragments of tombstones where the Jewish cemetery was, and a memorial stone marking the area.

Presently, the population in the Jonava District is over 54,600. The key industries are chemical, furniture production as well as the construction Industry. The Internet has come to Jonava, as there is a Jonava District Municipality Web Site, promoting tourism.