Postov — Association of Jews of Vilna and vicinity in Israel

Postov is located on the border between Lithuania and White Russia, midway between Vilna [Vilnius] and Palatzk. Prior to World War I Postov was under Russian dominance. One hundred years ago (i.e., about 1870-1880) Lithuania dominated Postov and even beyond it, deeper into Russia.

During World War I Postov was on the fighting line between Russia and Germany and was completely destroyed. After the war the town became, for two years, a battlefield between the Bolsheviks and Poland. The Bolsheviks finally had several victories and reached Warsaw. Being in a generous mood, or for political reasons, Russia returned to Lithuania part of the Vilna gubernia, up to Postov. The Miadlekeh River, which flows thorough Postov, was the border, so that half of the town was under Russian rule and half under Lithuanian control.

This did not last long. On 19 October 1920, the Polish General Zeligovski made a surprise attack on Lithuania and occupied part the Vilna gubernia of Lithuania and almost to Globok.

Postove remained under Polish control until 17 September 1939 when, as per an agreement with Hitler's Germany, Russia took over the entire region. On 21 June 1941 Germany attacked Russia, following which Postov remained under German rule until the Russians repulsed the German attack.

Before WWII there were about 850 Jews in Pastawi. After the occupation of West Poland by the Wehrmacht in September 1939, about two thousand refugees from the areas occupied by Germany arrived in the city. In June 1941, the Germans conquered Pastawi upon their invasion of the Soviet Union and in August the ghetto was established. Some of the youth in the ghetto managed to organize an underground and escape to the forests, and even returned to the ghetto to recruit more Jews from the ghetto, but failed in their attempts. In December 1942, ghetto Jews were killed by gunfire, some in the town square and some in pits outside the town.