“It is very important to me to get out of Vilnius and see other parts of Lithuania, to get to known them and at the same time to represent Jewish culture,” Israeli ambassador to Lithaunia Amir Maimon is quoted as saying on the Šiauliai municipality’s website.

Maimon with Šiauliai Jewish Community chair Josif Burštein met mayor Artūras Visockas, deputy mayor Stasys Tumėnas, administration director Eduardas Bivainis and deputy administration directors Martynas Šiurkus and Giedrė Mendoza-Herrera at city hall. City leaders showed the ambassador around Šiauliai’s Free Economic Zone and the adjacent area where human remains from the Holocaust era were recently uncovered during construction work. Jewish and Lithuanian leaders quickly reached an understanding earlier that the remains would not be touched or exhumed since they are most like Jewish Holocaust victims and Jewish law forbids moving buried bodies.

Before meeting with city officials, the ambassador visited the old Jewish cemetery on Žalgirio street. He was reportedly saddened to find trash and bottles strewn about the graveyard.

“I think we have to talk about the morality of people in a general way, it is not connected with ethnicity. We find such things in all cemeteries,” mayor Visockas commented.

The ambassador suggested the site be cleaned up and signs posted, and perhaps a fence built around it. He said Jews take very seriously the protection of historical and cultural heritage. He said cared-for Jewish commemorative sites could attract Jewish tourists, Litvaks living in Israel, as well.

The ambassador also visited the local Jewish community, met with bishop E. Bartulis and visited the Chaim Frenkel villa, among other sites.

Article on Šiauliai city website