SAKIAI

SAKIAI (Shakyai or Shakyay; Heb. Saki; Ger. Schaken; Pol. Szaki; Rus. Shaki), city in S.W. Lithuania. The first Jewish settlement was in the 18th century, and in 1897 there were 1,678 Jews (74% of the total population) in the town. In 1915 the Russian retreat during World War I brought pogroms against the Jews, who soon emigrated from Sakiai. When the war ended, some Jews returned, and in 1923 there were 1,276 Jews (62% of the total population) in the town. When the town became a district capital, the economic condition of the Jews began to deteriorate. Many immigrated abroad or to the large cities; a 1936 census showed that only 600 (20% of the total population) had remained in Sakiai. With the German invasion of 1941 the community was destroyed. Sakiai was the birthplace of the brothers Dov (Boris) and isaac leib goldberg . -BIBLIOGRAPHY: Yahadut Lita, 3 (1967), 396. (Yehuda Slutksy)