Israel’s ambassador to Lithuania Amir Maimon met with Kaunas mayor Visvaldas Matijošaitis and other city council members last week. Kaunas Jewish Community chairman Gercas Žakas attended the meeting as well. The ambassador praised cooperation with the city of Kaunas in culture and business. Kaunas businesspeople involved in the food sector were invited to meet investors from Israel in Vilnius at the beginning of April, and the mayor was invited to attend a meeting of European city mayors in Jerusalem.

Many issues of Jewish heritage, culture and commemoration were touched upon during the meeting, including protection of the mass graves of murdered Jews at the Seventh Fort in Kaunas, erecting a memorial plaque to the Union of Jewish Soldiers and preservation of the Radvilėnai cemetery. Ambassador Maimon also discussed the life and studies of Israel students studying in Lithuania. He praised warm and active cooperation with the city’s Jewish community and the concern of the Kaunas municipality for Jewish heritage and graver sites. He also proposed showing the photography exhibition “Pope Francis’s Visit in Israel in 2014” in Kaunas, which was met with keen interest and universal approval, followed by direct discussions of where to show it and when.

The ambassador was full of praise and compliments for Kaunas, the Kaunas Music Theater and the famous Spurginė of Kaunas, which he said makes the best doughnuts in Lithuania.