anti-Semitism – Page 2 – Lithuanian Jewish Community

Conservative MP Openly Wonders What Israeli Ambassador Must Think of Coalition Government

Lithuanian Conservative/Union of Christian Democrats MP Žygimantas Pavilionis attended a special concert to mark the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust held in Vilnius Monday night also attended by Lithuanian president Gitanas Nausėda and the ambassadors from the Netherlands and Israel. The president and the two ambassadors delivered speeches about the meaning of “Never again!” and the Israeli ambassador told the story of her family which included two survivors of Auschwitz, the date of the liberation of which back in 1945 was chosen for commemoration by UNESCO back in 2005. The concert was called Music for Future Generations: Concert for the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust and featured performances by Rafailas Karpis and others.

After the concert, MP Žygimantas Pavilionis posted to his facebook page:

2025-01-28

WJC President Lauder Warns Anti-Semitism that Led to Holocaust Still Threatens Global Stability

OSWIECIM, Poland–The virulent anti-Semitism that led to the Holocaust is still rampant around the globe today, World Jewish Congress president Ronald Lauder said against the backdrop of Monday’s solemn commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration and death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau.

In a fundamental way, he added, a common thread links what happened at Auschwitz to the recent manifestations of Jew-hatred, including the October 7, 2023, terror attacks on Israel: the age-old hatred of Jews. Anti-Semitism “had its willing supporters then, and it has them now,” Lauder, who also serves as chair of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Foundation and who has dedicated decades to preserving the site, said. “It was fed by the indifference of people who thought they were not affected because they were not Jewish.”

Lauder also stressed that anti-Semitic acts undermine the central tenets of civil society. “These attacks are not just targeting Jews,” he said. “They are an attack on Judeo-Christian values, which are the bedrock of Western civilization.”

He delivered his remarks alongside four Auschwitz survivors and Piotr Cywiński, director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Museum.

Full text and video here.

2025-01-282025-01-28

Kaunas News

The United Kingdom’s newly-appointed ambassador to Lithuania Elizabeth Boyles and embassy staff visited Kaunas Jewish Community chairman Gercas Žakas last week and asked him about current events in the Community and Community members’ views on political events in Lithuania and the world. Marija Oniščik guided a tour for the British delegation and Žakas of the history of Jewish Kaunas, and they were joined by the ambassadors of Japan and the Netherlands for a presentation of the new exhibits at the Sugihara House Museum in Kaunas.

2025-01-28

Letter to My Grandfather

Photo: Samuel Gochin, in Lithuanian military uniform of 5th Grand Duke Kestutis Doughboys Infantry. Source: Gochin Family Archive

by Grant Gochin

Dear Zayde,

Growing up in South Africa, you implored me to remember. Zachor. I was to remember who we Jews are, and where we came from. You showed me the photos and told me stories. You taught me only love. You asked me to visit our family cemetery in the “old country” and to recite Kaddish for our family. Zayde, I have.

So then, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, I travelled to the “old country,” specifically, Lithuania. Once there, my first destination was your shtetl. There was nothing Jewish remaining. They destroyed everything. Deliberately. I erected a new gravestone where I could say Kaddish.

The cemeteries were in utter disarray and in shambles. It was glaringly apparent to me that the overgrowth was intentional. No one wanted to remember that Jews had lived in Lithuania.

2025-01-272025-01-27

Screening of Izaokas at Vilna Gaon Museum’s Litvak Museum

The Litvak Culture and Identity Museum will show the film Izaokas for free at 4:00 P.M. on Sunday, January 26. The event includes an introduction by film critic Izolda Keidošiūtė and a discussion between her and actress Severija Janušauskaitė who plays a role in the film.

The film begins with a Lithuanian murdering the Jewish man Izaokas at the garage massacre in Kaunas in 1941. The perpetrator is haunted by visions of the crime and an increasing sense of guilt for years afterwards.

The screening is in honor of the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust proclaimed by UNESCO in 2005 on the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz by the Red Army in 1945. That anniversary is Monday.

The film is in Lithuanian.

Time: 4:00 P.M., Sunday, January 26
Place: Litvak Museum, Pylimo street no. 4A, Vilnius

2025-01-232025-01-23

Two More Attacks in Sydney

Last Friday Australian Hamas supporters attempted to vandalize the home of Alex Ryvchin, co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, in Dover Heights, a suburb of Syndey, Australia. The perpetrators in fact arrived at the Jewish leader’s former home. They pelted the home and garage with neon-pink paint and set two cars parked nearby on fire after being spray=painted with anti=Semitic slurs.

In the early hours of Tuesday, January 21, Hamas activists set a Jewish daycare on fire in the Maruobra neighborhood in southeast Sydney. The daycare center suffered extensive damage. Adjacent walls were spray-painted with the same anti-Semitic slurs as the cars in Dover Heights. The daycare is located next to Maroubra Synagogue on Anzac Parade. Sky News Australia reports there have been 13 major anti-Semitic attacks in the Australian state of New South Wales in the last 16 days alone, including the latest two attacks.

2025-01-222025-01-22

Two More Synagogues Attacked in Australia

Australian media outlets reported two more attacks on synagogues in the last two days. The Allawah Synagogue in Sydney was spay-painted with anti-Semitic phrases and swastikas early Friday morning local time. The Newtown Synagogue was graffitied and fire officials detected accelerant intended to set the house of prayer ablaze. Times of Israel reports Australian police and government officials are undertaking counter-terrorism measures to prevent the continuing anti-Semitic attacks.

Full story here.

2025-01-132025-01-13

Truth at Last

by Grant Gochin

The government of Lithuania’s threats of criminal charges against me remain open. These threats were instigated as an intimidation tactic to silence me. My supposed crime was investigating the truth about who perpetrated the Holocaust in Lithuania.

I began my efforts towards exposing the truth about the Holocaust in Lithuania in the early 2000s. I was perplexed by the apparent acquiescence of some major Jewish organizations to the rampant Holocaust frauds committed by the government of Lithuania. My repeated outreach made me realize that if I did not address the issues myself, they would be ignored. Over the course of the past 15 years, this revelation has repeatedly proven itself to be accurate.

Approximately thirty legal actions I launched against Lithuania displayed how resolutely the Lithuanian government coalesced to invert Holocaust truth, while continuing their intimidation tactics against history researchers and activists. The Lithuanian courts took instruction from members of the government to deny legal review of governmental Holocaust fraud. Historical researchers such as Evaldas Balčiūnas and Andrius Kulikauskas were insulted, intimidated and threatened by the Lithuanian government simply for conducting research on inconvenient subjects and exposing the truth.

There was an attempt to bribe documentarian Michael Kretzmer to create a falsified narrative. Their conduct revealed to Kretzmer the country’s Holocaust inversions. His response was to make the documentary J’Accuse! which revealed to the world the full ghastly truth about Lithuania’s Holocaust frauds.

2024-12-23

Condolences

Eduard Kuznetsov has died. He was born in 1939. He was a prominent Soviet-era dissident and former Prisoner of Zion who endured imprisonment for anti-Soviet activities. He died Sunday at the age of 85.

Born to a Jewish father and a Russian mother, Kuznetsov established himself as a journalist, writer and editor before his activism led to his first arrest by Soviet authorities in 1961. He served seven years in prison for publicly reading protest poetry and anti-regime literature in Moscow’s central square.

In June of 1970 after being denied permission to leave the country, Kuznetsov joined fellow activist Mark Dymshits in a bold attempt to hijack an empty aircraft bound for Israel. The escape plan failed and both men were sentenced to death. Their sentences were later commuted to 15-year prison terms following intense international pressure, while Kuznetsov’s wife received a 10-year sentence.

Kuznetsov finally gained his freedom in 1979 through a US-negotiated prisoner exchange that released him and four other dissidents. He subsequently immigrated to Israel.

His daughter Anat Zalmanson-Kuznetsov shared an emotional tribute on Facebook: “At 1:00 A.M., Eduard Kuznetsov, the man, the legend and my father, passed away. I can’t write these words without breaking into tears.”

She recounted a meaningful moment from 2018 when they shared the stage, where he received recognition for his contributions to Russian-language journalism in Israel. “I knew this was a defining moment in my relationship with my father, one I would return to again and again throughout my life,” she wrote. Despite his reluctance to accept the honor, claiming, “I don’t deserve it. I haven’t been involved in journalism for many years,” she insisted on his worthiness.

2024-12-232024-12-23

Jewish School in Toronto Shot Up Third Time

School was target of previous overnight shootings in October and May. Hate crime unit investigating shots fired at Jewish elementary school, 3rd this year.

Toronto police are investigating another incident of gunshots fired outside a Jewish girls elementary school in North York. Bais Chaya Mushka Girls Elementary School was the target of two previous overnight shootings in October and May.

Toronto police are investigating after a Jewish girls elementary school in North York was shot at for the third time this year.

The most recent shooting at the Bais Chaya Mushka Girls Elementary School happened shortly after 2:30 A.M. Friday, according to superintendent Paul MacIntyre.

2024-12-23

Israeli ForMin Calls Bluff of Supposed Anglosphere Allies

by Geoff Vasil

Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar announced last Sunday Israel was closing its embassy to the Republic of Ireland in Dublin due to extreme anti-Israeli policies by the Irish Government.

On Tuesday in a heated phone call with Australia’s hard-left pro-Palestinian foreign minister Penny Wong, she berated Sa’ar for Israel not doing more to advance humanitarian aid to Gaza, even while Hamas there continues to hold between 50 and 100 hostages, mostly Israeli citizens but also including American passport holders. Sa’ar responded by demanding immediate action following the fire bombing of the Adass Shul synagogue in Melbourne.

Since October 7, 2023, hard-left Australian PM Anthony Albanese and foreign minister Wong have refused to address growing anti-Semitism in the island nation, and have made it their job to tell Israel how to make peace with Hamas and Hezbollah. In addition, police have consistently allowed public demonstrations openly supporting Hamas and Hezbollah, both recognized by Australia as terrorist organizations. Further, Wong and Albanese cooked up a scheme to evacuate Palestinians from Gaza by offering them Australian tourist visas with easy conditions. More recently Australia barred entry to a former Israeli education minister scheduled to address a Jewish audience there. In the past two weeks Australia has increased restrictions on visa applications by Israelis and now demands to know whether the applicant has served in the Israeli military, whether they have been party to war crimes, and so on.

2024-12-192024-12-19

Goodwill Foundation Board Members Meet Speaker of Parliament

The co-chairpeople of the Goodwill Foundation–Lithuanian Jewish Community chairwoman Faina Kukliansky and American Jewish Committee International Jewish Affairs Department director Rabbi Andrew Baker–have met with the new speaker of the Lithuanian parliament and former prime minister Saulius Skvernelis.

They discussed the Middle East and the rising tide of anti-Semitic incidents in Europe. Speaker Skvernelis affirmed Lithuania is a safe country for Jews.

“The fight against anti-Semitism must be a constant on the political agenda. Everyone knows my views of the Holocaust and anti-Semitism from the time when I was prime minister, and my views haven’t changed even a little. We will not tolerate expressions of anti-Semitism, Holocaust denial or disrespect towards Holocaust victims. I believe we as a country under the rule of law will judge anti-Semitic expressions as a legal matter, and our newly-formed ruling coalition will be a reliable and trustworthy partner in that,” Skvernelis said during their meeting.

2024-12-192024-12-19

Ghost of Facebook Past Comes to Haunt Rookie MP

On Wednesday, December 11, the Lithuanian parliament’s Ethics and Procedures Commission met to discuss facebook posts made in the past by newly-elected MP Petras Dargis, who belongs to the controversial Nemuno Aušra party led by Remigijus Žemaitaitis.

In the posts in question, Dargis published an indecent picture of a prostitute leaning into the driver’s side window of an automobile, saying, “I’ll do everything your wife doesn’t.” The speech balloon of the driver says, “Can you make me a tasty goulash?”

More troubling are older posts dating back to September of 2011 where Dargis repeats anti-Semitic jokes. In one, a father asks his sons how the good Santa Claus differs from the evil Jew. Santa is good and the Jew is bad, one says. Another chimes in: Santa gives gifts from out of his bag, but the Jew takes them and puts them in the bag. That’s all true, the father says, but more importantly, Santa enters by coming down the chimney, and the Jews exits by going up the chimney.

2024-12-172024-12-17

IHRA Member-State Reps Meet in London

Delegations and representatives of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance met in congress in London from December 2 to 5 to discuss current events in Holocaust and Roma genocide commemoration, education and combating anti-Semitism. Lithuanian Jewish Community chairwoman Faina Kukliansky was part of Lithuania’s legation.

The plenary session discussed rising anti-Semitism in Europe and conflicts in the Middle East.

Eric Pickles who serves as chairman of IHRA said Jews are more afraid now than ever before, making fighting hatred and preserving memory more important than ever as well.

Lithuanian ambassador for special assignments Arvydas Daunoravičius led the Lithuanian legation. Other members of Lithuania’s team were chosen by the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry, Education Ministry, Ethnic Minorities Department, the International Commission for the Assessment of the Crimes of the Nazi and Soviet Occupational Regimes in Lithuania and the Vilna Gaon Jewish History Museum. Kukliansky represented the Lithuanian Jewish Community among the Lithuanian delegates.

2024-12-12

EJC and UNESCO Reps Meet in Paris to Discuss Combating Anti-Semitism

Representatives from the EJC and UNESCO have been meeting for several days in Paris to discuss better ways of fighting anti-Semitism through public education. Faina Kukliansky represented the Lithuanian Jewish Community at those talks.

2024-12-12

Australian Hamas Targets Synagogue Congregations

by Geoff Vasil

Last Thursday Australian supporters of Hamas targeted the Great Synagogue in Sydney’s Central Business District with a loud protest across the street. Members of the congregation sheltered in place inside with outer doors locked. Two Jews ventured out and waved an Israeli flag. New South Wales state police crossed the street to arrest both.

The next day in the early hours of Friday two arsonists entered the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne, spread accelerants and put the shul to the torch. One man inside was wounded with severe burns on his arm and remains hospitalized. Priceless Torah scrolls and other texts were also damaged.

Monday other locations in Australia were the site of protests by native Hamas and ISIS terrorists featuring anti-Semitic chants.

2024-12-09

Hard-Left Australian Government Takes Hard Line against Israel

by Geoff Vasil

Last week the Australian Government under Labor Party leader Anthony Albanese barred Israel’s former justice minister Ayelet Shaked.who was scheduled to speak at a conference hosted by the Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council, claiming she would incite unrest in the island country.

Asked a day later to comment on the ICC’s announcement of an international arrest warrant for Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Galant, ALbaense’s foreign minister Penny Wong said Australia would honor the arrest warrant. Penny Wong has been publicly flirting with the idea of Australian recognition of a Palestinian state for over a year now.

Meanwhile Australian authorities made their first arrest, if you exclude Jewish detainees harassed by police for being Jewish or carrying Israeli flags in public, since October 7, 2023, of anyone involved in the brewing conflict between Hamas supporters and Australian Jews yesterday, handcuffing Mohommad Farhat, 20, as he waited to board a flight to Bali. Farhat is accused of a spree of vandalism in a Jewish area of Sydney during which he set at least one automobile on fire and spraypainted businesses and cars with the phrase “Fuk Israel” as well as “The PKK is coming,” a kind of mixed message. PKK is best known as the acronym for a Kurdish Communist party recognized as a terrorist organization in the EU and elsewhere.

2024-11-272024-11-27

Recipe for Murder

by Liova Kaplanas

Many Jews visit Lithuania to tour the paths of the slaughter of our families, also known as death tourism. Lithuania has much to offer tourists: forests, lakes, an extraordinary number of death-pits containing our murdered Jewish families, cool summers, lovely open parks, destroyed Jewish heritage and foods we Jews remember from our childhood, including potato latkes with sour cream, smoked salmon, pickled herring, kishke, kugel and potato kneidels. These food recipes are originally Jewish recipes, appropriated by Lithuania, and now claimed as theirs. Visiting Lithuania is almost akin to taking a step back in time, just, without living Jews. The sights, smells, recipes and foods are reminiscent of our grandparents before they were slaughtered. Some Jewish heritage remains, and plenty of Lithuanian heritage is intact.

Those visiting Lithuania will be only slightly surprised to discover another unpleasant heritage recipe–a recipe for murder!. And not just a plain recipe, but a recipe officially, legally and governmentally registered in the official Lithuanian “Register of Folk Heritage!” It should be absurd and unbelievable, but, unfortunately, it’s true.

Lithuanian parliament member Remigijus Žemaitaitis re-popularized this Lithuanian National Folk Heritage “recipe” in his election campaign, exploiting it to win in excess of 15% of the national vote in Lithuania’s most recent election. The wording of this heritage “recipe” is:

2024-11-252024-11-25

ICC Issues Arrest Warrants for Israeli PM, Ex-Min and Dead Hamas Terrorist

The International Criminal Court in the Hague, Netherlands, issued arrest warrants Thursday afternoon for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former defense minister Yoav Galant and an Hamas commander believed to be dead.

Republicans in the United States House of Representatives and Senate as well as members of the incoming Trump administration had promised in recent days to take swift action to sanction and isolate the ICC if they issued arrest warrants for Israeli officials. The United States does not recognize the jurisdiction of the ICC.

2024-11-212024-11-21

Statement by Gercas Žakas, Chairman of the Kaunas Jewish Community

I, Gercas Žakas, have been the chairman of the Kaunas Jewish Community for almost three decades now. I know, not from second-hand sources, what irreparable damage anti-Semitism causes, because I grew up in the family of a former ghetto and concentration camp prisoner. My parents survived the Holocaust but lost their families and almost all of their relatives.

Sadly, we hear many anti-Semitic statements being made in Lithuania at this time, and I have never heard in my lifetime the avalanche of cynicism and lies being poured out by Remigijus Žemaitaitis. Among other things, he has told multiple media outlets he has met with the chairman of the Kaunas Jewish Community.

I say with full responsibility that I have never met with this figure who was recognized as an anti-Semite by the Constitutional Court. This claim alone is in opposition to my values and does harm to my reputation in the eyes of the Jewish communities and society. I therefore demand Remigijus Žemaitaitis retract his words to the effect has met with the chairman of the Kaunas Jewish Community. Otherwise I reserve the right to defend my honor and dignity through legal remedy.

Gercas Žakas, chairman
Kaunas Jewish Community

Photo: Erikas Ovčarenko/15min.lt

2024-11-202024-11-20