Final Match

The Jurbarkas Maccabi Soccer Team in 1924. Moshe Heselkovitz is standing second from the right. Courtesy of Memorial Book of Yurburg (Jurbarkas), Lithuania.

Moshe Heselkovitz was a talented player for the Jurbarkas football team "Maccabi." He was fast, handled the ball well, and easily moved toward the opponent's goal. Fans loved watching him play, while defenders struggled to stop him.

Jurbarkas "Maccabi" played against both other Jewish teams and local Lithuanian teams. The games were often intense, with wins and losses shifting between the sides.

In June 1926, a crucial game against the Lithuanians ended in tragedy. Moshe's great performance angered a few aggressive opponents. One of them knocked him down, pinned him to the ground with a knee on his neck, and held him there. Moshe never got back up.

After this heartbreaking event, Moshe's other went gray and fell into deep grief.