thumb|left|Façade of the Kaunas Choral Synagogue Jews began settling in Kaunas in the second half of the 17th century. They were not allowed to live in the city, so most of them stayed in the Vilijampolė settlement on the right bank of the Neris river. Jewish life in Kaunas was first disrupted when the Soviet Union occupied Lithuania in June 1940. The occupation was accompanied by arrests, confiscations, and the elimination of all free institutions. Jewish community organizations disappeared almost overnight. Soviet authorities confiscated the property of many Jews, while hundreds were exiled to Siberia. thumb|right|Chiune Sugihara House in Kaunas As the Second World War began, there were 30,000 Jews living in Kaunas, comprising about 25% of the city's population. When the Soviet Union took over Lithuania in 1940, some Jewish Dutch residents in Lithuania approached the Dutch consul Jan Zwartendijk to get a visa to the Dutch West Indies. Zwartendijk agreed to help them and Jews who had fled from German-occupied Poland also sought his assistance. In a few days, with the help of aides, Zwartendijk produced over 2,200 visas for Jews to Curaçao. Then refugees approached Chiune Sugihara, a Japanese consul, who gave them a transit visa through the USSR to Japan, against the disapproval of his government. This gave many refugees an opportunity to leave Lithuania for the Russian Far East via the Trans-Siberian Railway. The fleeing Jews were refugees from German-occupied Western Poland and Soviet-occupied Eastern Poland, as well as residents of Kaunas and other Lithuania territories. The Sugihara House, where he was previously issuing transit visas, currently is a museum and the Centre For Asian Studies of Vytautas Magnus University.
thumb|left|façade of the kaunas choral synagogue jews began settling in kaunas in the second half of the 17th century they were not allowed to live in the city so most of them stayed in the vilijampolė settlement on the right bank of the neris river jewish life in kaunas was first disrupted when the soviet union occupied lithuania in june 1940 the occupation was accompanied by arrests confiscations and the elimination of all free institutions jewish community organizations disappeared almost overnight soviet authorities confiscated the property of many jews while hundreds were exiled to siberia thumb|right|chiune sugihara house in kaunas as the second world war began there were 30000 jews living in kaunas comprising about 25% of the city's population when the soviet union took over lithuania in 1940 some jewish dutch residents in lithuania approached the dutch consul jan zwartendijk to get a visa to the dutch west indies zwartendijk agreed to help them and jews who had fled from german-occupied poland also sought his assistance in a few days with the help of aides zwartendijk produced over 2200 visas for jews to curaçao then refugees approached chiune sugihara a japanese consul who gave them a transit visa through the ussr to japan against the disapproval of his government this gave many refugees an opportunity to leave lithuania for the russian far east via the trans-siberian railway the fleeing jews were refugees from german-occupied western poland and soviet-occupied eastern poland as well as residents of kaunas and other lithuania territories the sugihara house where he was previously issuing transit visas currently is a museum and the centre for asian studies of vytautas magnus university