Fort IX (nine) was a Czarist fort built about 1900 during the Russian Era to protect Kovno. It is one of a series of forts around Kovno. It was used by the Nazis as a place to bring Jews from the ghetto of Kovno, where they had been concentrated, in groups of several thousand in "Actions." They were tortured and then murdered here. This was a place of unspeakable sadness.
While inside this tunnel, we ran into Julik, an old friend of Fania, who is now a tour guide. He was leading some people, and were introduced to us as from Boston. Nancy went up to them and asked where they were from, and looked up to recognize the very famous Boston area Rabbi Harold Kushner, author of "When Bad Things Happen to Good People." What a strange coincidence to meet him here in the "Place where bad things happened to good people."
This place too had it Corpse Burners, who engineered an escape. Some 20 survived from about 80 original corpse burners. There is quite a saga of their escape.
The wall where Jews were lined up by Nazis and shot after being taken from the Kovno Ghetto in numerous "actions" to exterminate the Jews.
