There are so few Litvaks left in the world that every encounter brings forth unexpected and extraordinary feelings and excitement. This time was even more unusual became the Lithuanian Jewish Community received an extraordinary visitor by the name of Marc Berenson.

He’s a professor at one of the most esteemed universities in the world, at King’s College London’s Russia Institute. He’s a specialist in Eastern politics and security who has written a number of academic works and speaks Russian and Ukrainian fluently. He’s also special to us because he’s related to Senda and Bernard Berenson. Senda Berenson Abbott was born in Butrimonys near Alytus in Lithuania and immigrated to America. She was the first champion of women’s basketball in the USA, the author of the first book on women’s basketball and is sometimes fashioned the mother of women’s basketball worldwide.

Her brother Bernard was one of the most renowned and influential audio-visual art historian and critic. Great-grandson professor Marc Berenson is in Vilnius looking for more information about his family history and roots. World Lithuanian Student Organization president Dovydas Šotland-Juzefovičius brought him to the LJC and introduced him to LJC chairwoman Faina Kukliansky. The professor expressed keen interest in current events, culture and Community activities as well as the past.

“It is a moving experience to return to where your family came from,” Berenson said.