Aim of the courses: to train Jews in various trades so
that they could earn their living
From June 1931, a three-year course for boys in metalworking
run by the town’s Haskalah Va’avoda was offered in Vilkaviškis.
In October 1937 it was taken over by the ORT Vilkaviškis
branch. In September 1938 permission was received to open a
dressmaking section for girls. It was then renamed and became
the ORT Vilkaviškis three-year trade course. It was run
according to the statutes and programme signed by the Education
Minister in the society’s building, which had been purpose-built
for the course. It had all the necessary modern machines, tools
and equipment.
The course did not differ from a vocational school: students over
14 with primary education were admitted; studies lasted for three
years; not only special, but also general subjects were taught.
The ORT Vilkaviškis branch, the World ORT Central Committee
in Paris, and donations from individuals financed the courses; the
tuition fees and income earned from fulfilled external orders
were also used to fund it.
In 1939 the course was led by Samuelis Eidelsas, who was
educated at Brno High Technical School; he also worked as a
lecturer. Other lecturers were Alfonsas Ulčinas, Abromas
Streleckis, Sara Faktorovskytė, Giršas Levinsonas, Bašė
Šamborskytė and others.
In 1940 the courses were attended by 40 students: 24 in
metalworking and 16 girls in sewing. On 1 September 1940, the
People’s Education Commissar of Soviet Lithuania ordered the
courses to be closed; it happened three weeks after ORT
activities were banned.
Form listing trade courses with a timetable of the
examinations for the metalworking section, 1939. LCVA
Postcard of Haskalah Va’avoda society in
Vilkaviškis [Vilkovishk], 1936. LCVA
Certificate of completion of the three-year metalworking course at ORT
Vilkaviškis [Vilkovishk], issued to Icikas Finkelšteinas, 1940. LCVA
ORT Vilkaviškis [Vilkovishk] branch board and
audit commission, 1938. LCVA
Student of a three-year trade course in
Vilkaviškis [Vilkovishk] by a machine-tool,
2 December 1937. World ORT Archive.
Example of an ORT Vilkaviškis
[Vilkovishk] branch stamp, 1939.
LCVA
I. Nomberg by a machine-tool, 1920–1930. World ORT Archive
Student by a machine-tool, 1920–1930. World
ORT Archive.
Sara Faktorovskytė, lecturer at the
mathematics and Hebrew courses
from 1935, c.1934. LCVA
Alfonsas Ulčinas, lecturer at the
technical drawing course, 1928.
LCVA