Lithuanian Jewish Community chairwoman Faina Kukliansky says late Israeli president Shimon Peres was a person of exceptional intellect and always stressed his ties with Lithuania.

“It’s important for us, for Lithuanian Jews, that he was one of our own, we always considered him a Litvak and he considered himself a Litvak. After all, he came from Vishnev, a village 70 kilometers from Vilnius in what is now Belarus but which was Lithuanian territory then. It was so nice for us that our countryman was so intelligent, so educated, such an erudite, and could speak on any and every topic even at a venerable age. Our entire community is in mourning. We know human life has an end, but when you encounter death, great sadness overtakes you,” Kukliansky said.

Peres visited Lithuania three years ago and Lithuanian president Dalia Grybauskaitė met him when she visited Israel last year. This last spring he was decorated with the Lithuanian order of the Great Cross “For Contributions to Lithuania.”

“I have spoken with him a number of times. I can share personally that I was enchanted with his intellect and his simplicity. Everything is simpler and more sincere in Israel. I’m not saying it’s bad here, but we are so used to being overly official, to etiquette. No one wipes their nose on the tablecloth in Israel either, but the sincerity is palpable everywhere. The visits by both Peres and Dalia Grybauskaitė were great successes. Two sincere people met, and for us, for Lithuanian Jews, this was a great celebration without any vanity,” Kukliansky said in an interview with BNS following the death of the veteran Israeli leader.