Vilnius, February 25, BNS–This year the annual St. Casimir, or Kaziukas, street fair in Vilnius will include a Jewish Shtetl. The village will establish itself on the square in front of the Vilnius Old Town Hall at the fair running from March 4 to 6 and will feature traditional Jewish crafts and the opportunity to browse Jewish literature and try Jewish food.

“The Jewish prices will include VAT but are subject to haggling,” Algis Gurevičius, director of the Jewish Culture and Information Center in Vilnius, joked at a press conference Thursday. Students from the Russian-language Saulėtekis High School in Vilnius and the Jewish song and dance ensemble Fayerlakh are scheduled to perform at the Shtetl. The shtetl was chosen as the Kaziukas Fair’s showcase exhibit because many Jews were employed as merchants. “Jews taught Lithuania how to sell products, and it’s unlikely anyone would argue against that. Jews were employed in crafts and there were about 70 Jewish craft workshops registered in Vilnius in the 19th century.” The shtetl is to include more than ten Jewish crafts tents, booths offering Jewish souvenirs, a book shop, a fabric shop, a laundry and a gramophone shop. Besides all these products there will also be traditional Jewish foods and treats on offer.

The Kaziukas Fair began as a religious procession to honor St. Casimir in 1604.