Birnbaum

Гро́дна
Гро́дно
Grodno
Hrodna
Gardinas
Garten
Grodna

Grodno was one of the oldest Jewish communities in Greater Lithuania.
Jews resided in Grodno in the end of the twelfth century - refugees from the Kingdom of Kiev and from western Europe who fled from the Crusades .
In 1389, the Jewish community was given a charter permitting settlement by Grand Duke Vitold of Lithuania.
Grodno Jews had already established a synagogue and a cemetery and also owned real estate in and around the town.
Grodno Jews made a living from commerce, crafts, agriculture, and leasing land.

In 1495, all the Jews, including the Jews of Grodno were expelled from Lithuania.
Their property was confiscated and, in part, turned over to the Christian population.
Prince Alexander later permitted Jews to return and to reclaim their property, stated explicitly in a decree given to Eliezer Ben-Moshe and Yitzhak Ben-Faibush.
In 1540, Queen Bona reaffirmed the right of Grodno's Jews to their real estate, but imposed a 17 percent taxes levied on Grodno.

From 1616, Grodno's Jews were persecuted by the Jesuits, who kidnapped Jewish children and baptized them as Christians.
Jews were forced to raise funds to pay high ransoms for the children.