Last week the European Commission convened the fifth meeting in Brussels of a working group dedicated to combating anti-Semitism and fostering Jewish life in the European Union with Lithuanian Jewish Community chairwoman and attorney Faina Kukliansky representing Litvaks.

It was the first meeting of the working group since Hamas’s attacks on Israelis on October 7.

The first day of meetings discussed attacks on Jewish communities in the EU and measures taken at the national and European level to address the largest wave of anti-Semitism in Europe since the Holocaust. European Commission vice president Margaritis Schinas responsible for propagating the European way of life began the meeting by reiterating the EC’s resolute pledge to insure the continuation and thriving of Jewish life in the EU.

The second day of meetings focused on formulating national strategies and implementing them, based on the EC’s findings of March 4, 2022, on combating racism and anti-Semitism wherein member states pledged to expand their strategies for fighting anti-Semitism.

Government institutions and Jewish communities of member states presented current events in their countries. Lithuanian Foreign Ministry ambassador for special assignments Arvydas Daunoravičius told the working group about the situation in Lithuania.

The EC is scheduled to present a progress report in the first half of 2024 based on the results of national strategies.

The working group marked International Holocaust Day as well with a presentation of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s charter regarding the protection of Holocaust sites and a discussion which followed on how best to preserve those sites for future generations.