Description
The old Jewish cemetery of Dusetos has been mentioned in historical sources since 1520, when the nobleman Jonas Radvila II (1516–1551), who ruled Dusetos, in the eighth clause of the foundation act endowing the Dusetos Holy Trinity Church from his estate, allowed the local Jewish kahal (community) to establish a cemetery on church land called Gojus. The site for the cemetery was chosen according to Jewish burial customs: on a hill or its slope, separated from the settlement by a river or lake, and at least 50 cubits (25 metres) from the nearest house, with graves oriented towards Jerusalem. Later, after a certain period (apparently decades), the agreement between the church and the Dusetos kahal was re-confirmed. This is evidenced by a much later record of a similar agreement dated 29 August 1730, corresponding to the provisions of the eighth clause of Jonas Radvila II's foundation. Only gravestones from the first half of the 20th century have survived in the cemetery to this day (their dates range from 1910 to 1934). More information: https://www.esjf-cemeteries.org/survey/dusetos-jewish-cemetery/
