The Lithuanian Jewish Community will hold its annual reporting conference May 28, 2018, during which annual financial and activity reports will be considered.

The conference is the highest governance body of the LJC convoked and organized once per year by the LJC board.

Under LJC rergulations only real members of the LJC participate at the conference, meaning association members which are corporate entities and whose activities are connected with Jewish culture, education, religion, tradition, learning, sports and so on. All the regional Jewish communities are LJC members.

The LJC was especially active in 2017 in the areas of social welfare, culture and Jewish heritage. We are happy that hundreds of Jewish senior citizens, community members in difficult financial situations and young families across Lithuania received home care services, aid in acquiring household and hygiene items, help in preparing for school and appropriate heating during winter. More than 400 people made use of aid provided by the Community for acquiring food and medicine.

Thousands took part in events, religious holidays and commemorations organized by the LJC. We are proud as well to have launched the unique VIlnius ghetto diary of Yitzhak Rudashevski translated to Lithuania and the preceding reporting year’s Vilnius Book Fair. We also contributed to the maintenance and care of Jewish mass murder sites and Jewish cemeteries.

The LJC’s dialogue with the national Government was especially constructive and was responsible for the decision for the implementation and adoption of a unified definition of anti-Semitism in the country. Conservation of Jewish heritage sites remained our priority, and for that purpose we brought together a working group of the highest caliber of international experts in consultation with whom we will continue to strive for the appropriate respect for Jewish heritage in Lithuania and the meaningful return of sites to active life.

LJC chairwoman Faina Kukliansky said: “The position of the Lithuanian Jewish Community is consistent: the organization is open to all members, but in our work we are required to follow the positions of Lithuanian law and to aspire to the highest standards of transparency, which is why we have placed so much emphasis on an audit of activities. We want to continue to rally forces for work to the benefit of the Jews of Lithuania, whereas internal conflicts aired in public and associated unfounded accusations against the leadership of the LJC just serve to sow even more division in the community and discredit the reputation of the Jewish Community. We have and continue to invite all organizations under the LJC umbrella to solve disagreements through discussion, but so far there has been no reply to these invitations. Although legal disputes have already been initiated formally, I believe we will be able to find a solution if the opposing side gives constructive dialogue a chance.”

The conference will take place beginning at 12 noon on May 28 at LJC headquarters located at Pylimo street no. 4, Vilnius. Decisions, additional information and comments will be provided to the public and media after the conference concludes.

For more information after the conference, contact LJC executive director Renaldas Vaisbrodas,
tel. +370 672 16114, email renaldas@lzb.lt