MHS Alumni shares experience in Lithuania

Mukwonago High School graduate and current assistant wrestling coach Alex Kleinschmidt (see below), was able to be part of an archeological dig in Vilna, Lithuania. For centuries, the city of Vilna was one of the most important Jewish centers in the world, earning the title “Jerusalem of the North” until World War II, when the Nazis murdered about 95% of the its Jewish population and reduced its synagogues and cultural institutions to ruins. The Soviets finished the job, paving over the remnants of Vilna’s famous Great Synagogue so thoroughly that few today know it ever existed. An international team of archaeologists, including Alex, tried to rediscover the forgotten world, excavating the remains of the Great Synagogue. The PBS series NOVA filmed the work of the archeologists for a program entitled The Holocaust Escape Tunnel. History Club and International Club has invited students to learn about how Alex became involved in this project and what he learned from the experience. You will see pictures of his experience, as well as a short clip from the PBS series.