This year’s topic is family.

The Lithuanian Jewish Community is celebrating the European Day of Jewish Culture this Sunday, September 1, with a full day’s program of events, lessons, workshops, discussions and exhibits. All events are free and open to the public, but registration is required for most of the events below.

Here’s the program:

11:00 A.M.-12:30 P.M. First Hebrew lesson for the whole family with Ruth Reches at the Choral Synagogue in Vilnius. Ruth will soon be forming new classes for studying Hebrew. Register here: https://bit.ly/4g5jZbW

11:00 A.M.-12:00 noon Challa-making workshop and Litvak cooking with Dovilė Rūkaitė at the Bagel Shop Café, Pylimo street no. 4, Vilnius. Child cooks welcome (with parents). Register here: https://bit.ly/4g5jZbW

11:00 A.M.-1:00 P.M. Walking tour of Jewish Vilna with guide Viljamas Žitkauskas meeting at the bell tower in front of the Cathedral in Vilnius and ending at the Choral Synagogue. Register here: https://bit.ly/4g5jZbW

12:00 noon-2:00 P.M. Natalja Cheifec and cantor Shmuel Yatom will give a guided tour of the Choral Synagogue and will hold a discussion on the upcoming high holy days, family traditions and the secrets of the synagogue. The cantor will perform a blessing as well. The synagogue is at Pylimo street no. 39 in Vilnius. Register here: https://bit.ly/4g5jZbW

12:00 noon Welcome to the continuing celebration at Cvi Park. Philosopher Algirdas Davidavičius will talk about the history of the European Day of Jewish Culture and share facts about this EU holiday. Located in Petras Cvirka Park across the street from the Lithuanian Jewish Community at Pylimo street no. 4 in Vilnius.

12:15 P.M.-12:45 P.M. Performances by students from Sholem Aleichem ORT Gymnasium including song, dance, poetry and comedy.

1:00 P.M. Meeting with Makabi founder Semionas Finkelšteinas and director Olga Blemzon who will tell the story of the Makabi Athletics Club in Lithuania and talk about current events and activities and the most popular branches of sport. Participants will be encouraged to try their hand at badminton, table tennis, chess and lesser-known sports of frisbee, spikeball and teqball.

1:15 P.M. Raimonadas Savickas Art Studio will hold an open-air painting workshop in the park. Register here: https://bit.ly/4g5jZbW

1:30 P.M.-1:50 P.M. Fayerlakh to perform concert in the park.

2:00 P.M.-2:10 P.M. Think Equal founder and human rights activist Leslee Udwin from Israel will speak about early childhood emotional development based on empathy and social, gender, racial and religious equality.

2:10 P.M.-2:30 P.M. Klezmer Klangen to perform.

2:30 P.M.-3:00 P.M. Song author and performer Maya Romer from Belgium to perform.

3:00 P.M. Arkadijus Vinokuras’s discussion club #ŽydiškiPašnekesiai will tackle the pressing topic of Jewish humor with an open-air panel discussion in the park. Participants are to include animator Ilja Bereznickas, philosopher Algidas Davidavičius, moderator Arkadijus Vinokuras and random passers-by and homeless individuals as well as the audience intentionally there. To be simulcast live on the LJC facebook channel.

4:00 P.M. Israeli dance with Julija Patašnik in the park.

4:00 P.M. Exhibit of works of art by Theo Tobiasse from the collection of Samuel Tatz to open on the third floor of the LJC at Pylimo street no. 4 in Vilnius. Art historian Antanas Andrijauskas, collector Tatz and others to speak. Tobiasse was born to a Litvak family in Tel Aviv in 1927. The family returned to Lithuania briefly then moved to Paris.

5:15 P.M. Cantor Yatom again performs a blessing of families at the Petras Cvirka Park.

5:30 P.M. Lithuanian Jewish Community chairwoman Faina Kukliansky speaks on the occasion of the European Day of Jewish Culture.

5:30 P.M. Concert called “Violins of Hope” in honor of recently deceased Litvak musical instrument expert Amnon Weinstein.

7:00 P.M. Comedian Žilvinas Kerbelis attempts a stand-up routine before sunset at Petras Cvirka Park.

7:30 P.M.-8:00 P.M. Artist, animator and author Ilja Bereznickas’s book “The Green Stone and the Clock Named Ticko” to be present along with a screening of the animated feature “Happiness is Not in a Goat” in the park as the sun sets.

8:00 P.M. DJ RifRaf rocks the night at Cvi Park.