about us

The Friends of Jewish Dokshitsy, Inc. is a Massachusetts non-profit organization established to preserve the memory of the Jewish residents of Dokshitsy, Parafianov, and nearby villages in Belarus. The organization was incorporated in 2006 in response to a message from the Dokshitsy District in Belarus to help preserve the Jewish cemetery which was destroyed in 1965 and declared to be a park.

In May 2008 fourteen descendants and family members were able to travel to Dokshitsy to attend the re-dedication of the restored cemetery. The restoration was a cooperative effort of the Dokshitsy District and The Friends of Jewish Dokshitsy.

Future projects include preserving the remnants of a second cemetery much of which is a electric transmission station, and being sure that Holocaust massacre sites in nearby Parafianov and Begoml are appropriately preserved, and erecting monuments with the names of the victims of the Holocaust on the site where they were killed and buried.

Your help will be needed. Please donate.

The current directors of The Friends of Jewish Dokshitsy are Aaron Ginsburg, President and Treasurer, Richard Fein, clerk, Rochelle Ruthchild, Rabbi Marc Mandel, and Robert Benjamin directors. For information send email to info@jewishdokshitsy.org or write to us c/o Aaron Ginsburg 101E1 Chestnut St Unit 1, Foxboro, MA 02035 USA. Our home page is at http://www.jewishdokshitsy.org/

About the board of directors:

  • Aaron Ginsburg, President and Treasurer, and Richard Fein, Clerk, each have a parent (who are siblings) born in Dokshitsy. Aaron resides in Foxboro, Massachusetts, and very interested in his family history, which led to his work in co-founding "The Friends of Jewish Dokshitsy."

  • Richard Fein, Clerk. Richard recently retired from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst where he founded and ran the placement office at the School of Business. He has written several books about finding employment, and is very active in his local synagogue and in local politics.

  • Rochelle G. Ruthchild's grandfather was born in Dokshitsy. Rochelle is a Professor of Graduate Studies, The Union Institute and University. Rochelle visited Dokshitsy in 2002.

  • Rabbi Marc Mandel is Rabbi at Congregation Jeshuat Israel (Touro Synogogue), Newport, Rhode Island. He has also served congregations in Memphis, Tennessee; Portland, Maine; and Beverly Hills, California

  • Rob Benjamin is a Dokshitsy descendant living in New Jersey. He is responsible for technology governance, risk management, regulatory compliance, and controls for ActiveHealth Management in New York City. Rob is a writer and advocate for many causes, and helps with our communications.