Murder story of Joniskis Jews in the Vilkiaušis Forest

On July 18, 1941 the German occupation authorities issued an order that required the Jews of Joniškis to pay a fine of 20,000 rubles for not having carried out orders. On July 19, after a large sum of money was collected, the Jews were forced into a local synagogue. 150 Jewish men were taken to the Vilkiaušis forest, 5 kilometers from the town. There they were forced to dig pits and, then, were shot in them and buried there. On August 27 the remaining Jews who had been held in the synagogue were taken to the same forest and shot to death. According to the report by Karl Jaeger, commander of Einsatzkommando 3A, 355 Jewish men, women, and children were shot on that day.