The first concert in the Kaunas Jewish Community’s Yiddish song project was called “The Jewish Nightingale from the Provisional Capital,” dedicated to the late Yiddish songstress Nehama Lifshitz’s 95th birthday, ended with the promise made by everyone to meet again five years from now to celebrate Nehama’s 100th birthday, perhaps with a two-part concert, perhaps even with an orchestra.

It’s not enough to say this was a wonderful concert, that would be an understatement. It was an extraordinary evening with so much love, inspiration, light, humanity and the victory of life, overcoming all the world’s misfortunes. The entire experience was good and those special emotions will remain with us for a long time. At least this morning the music heard yesterday evening is still echoing through mane hearts and minds.

We are so thankful for this concert, for this miracle created, to Svetlana Kundish for her thanksgiving and hymn to her teacher, and to the accomplished team of musicians including Patrick Farrell, Rasa Vaičiulytė, Dainis Buika and the young female soloist Ramunė Buikaitė.

The spirit of Nehama, fragile and gentle, firm and fearless singing of life, truly visited the Kaunas State Philharmonic concert hall last Monday evening.

We would like to thank those who have financed this project, including the Kaunas city municipality, the Lithuanian Ethnic Minorities Department, the Goodwill Foundation and our individual donors without whom we wouldn’t have been able invite such wonderful musicians.

Thank you as well to the members of the Kaunas State Philharmonic for their cooperation.

And thank you to everyone who came to the concert and to all who have supported the activities of the Kaunas Jewish Community. Without you, it wouldn’t have happened.

For those who truly wanted to attend but who were unable, we include a few snapshots made by mobile phone, which truly do not do justice to the magnificence that was the concert.

Last but not least, a great big thank-you to Nehama’s daughter Roza Litay for all her positivity, gratitude and everything she’s done to insure her mother’s name and her musical legacy would live on in Lithuania.