In a message dated 9/12/2009 11:23:31 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
larrygaum@rogers.com writes:
I doubt that there were "Ashkenazic" Jews living in Belarus in 1254. Not
all of Eastern Europe was conquered as well.
...

The explanation I offered of Oriental-appearing facial features on some of
our relatives cited the Mongol presence in much of Eastern Europe in the
late 13th century. Their rape of women during these conquests may be why
some of our relatives have such features. Belarus, Poland and Lithuania and
Galicia (the earliest know Jewish community in Lviv was in 1280) did not
escape the Mongol invasion. Although Jews did not exist there in large
numbers, we as genealogists know that for every one ancestor that far back in
history, hundreds if not thousands of descendents with her genes may be
produced.

This is >from Wikipedia:
As early as the eighth century Jews lived in parts of the lands of modern
Belarus. Beginning with that period they conducted the trade between
Ruthenia, Lithuania, and the Baltic, especially with Danzig, Julin (Vineta or
Wollin, in Pomerania), and other cities on the Vistula, Oder, and Elbe.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongol_invasion_of_Europe

Invasion into Eastern and Central Europe (1241-1242)

Lublin, Sieradz, Sandomierz, Zawichost, Kraków, and Bytom were ravaged and
plundered by Mongol army. Mongol Campaign Against Poland (1259, 1286 and
1287)

Joe Hirschfield
Portage MI
HIRSCHFELD, HIRSZFELD, BUCHSBAUM, BUXBAUM, LINDENBAUM-Skwarzawa, Glinyany,
Sielec Bienkow, Novyy Jaryczow-GALICIA
MINOFF, MINOWICKI, MINOWITZKI, TOBIASZ-Brest Litovsk, Wysokie
Litovsk-BELARUS