The Lithuanian Jewish Community wish Boris Gelpern a very happy birthday. We wish you fantastic health and happiness. May our wishes for your longevity echo out and repeat forever. Mazl tov. Bis 120!
Israel’s Gift to Vilnius: Colorful Street Art
The Israeli embassy in Vilnius has presented a gift to the city of Vilnius as the Lithuanian capital’s nominal 700th birthday approaches, along with the 30th anniversary of the opening of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
City residents can view the gift at Bazilijonų street no. 6B in the Vilnius Old Town. It’s a work by the Open Gallery, an international urban galley, born as the joint endeavor of Israeli and Lithuanian artists which transports the viewer to the sunny land of Israel. The mural contains allusions to three of Israel’s major cities, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa. The artist is Zoe Sever, born in the Ukraine and living in Israel, executed on the façade of an apartment building by Lithuanian artists Martynas Ivinskas and Viktorija Starygina.
Zoe Sever says her work of art symbolizes the famous phrase uttered by Theodor Herzl, the father of Zionism, as he travelled to the future Jewish state: “If you will it, it is no dream.”
Full story in Lithuanian with photographs available here.
Happy Birthday to Yosif User
We wish Yosif User, founder and editor-in-chief of the weekly Pensioner and former editor-in-chief of the Obzor Russian-language news site in Lithuania as well as a member of the Lithuanian Jewish Community, a very happy birthday. Dear Joseph, with all our hearts we wish you good health, energy, optimism, joy and warmth! Mazl tov. Bis 120!
Menora TV Program Features Fayerlakh Birthday Concert
Director of the Fayerlakh Jewish Song and Dance Ensemble Larisa Vyšniauskienė said she wanted to show the collective’s best work.
Happy Birthday to Silvija Sondeckienė
We wish Silvija Sondeckienė a very happy birthday, much joy, good health and strength. Mazl tov. Bis 120!
Association of Lithuanian Jews in Israel Celebrates 90th Birthday
The Association of Lithuanian Jews in Israel celebrated their 90th birthday November 9.
A Very Happy Birthday to Arkadijus Vinokuras
We congratulate our famous journalist, actor, write and all-around good person Arkadijus Vinokuras on the occasion of his milestone birthday. We wish you great happiness and personal fulfillment, excellent health and continued creative success! Mazl tov. Bis 120!
Happy Birthday to Dolores Kaganovič
Happy birthday, Dolores. We wish you great health, endless energy and meaningful time spent with friends and family. Mazl tov. Bis 120!
Happy Birthday to Giršas Rafael
Giršas Rafael is celebrating his birthday October 6 and we wish him the very best. He has been an active member of the Šiauliai Jewish Community since its inception in 1988 and has served as a member of the executive board of the Šiauliai community and the Lithuanian Jewish Community in past years, achieving much of significance. Mazl tov. Bis 120!
Recent Workshops and Events
We are pleased to share some snapshots from the dance class held on the last Sabbath of summer at the Cvirka Park space next to our Israeli street food kiosk. Julia Patašnik led the dance group. Also, we have snapshots from the gefilte fish workshop and the opening of seniors’ club Abi Men Zit Zich’s 25th season.
Rosh Hashana Greetings
Rosh Hashanah at the Choral Synagogue
The Lithuanian Jewish Community and the Vilnius Jewish Religious Community invite you to come celebrate Rosh Hashanah at the Choral Synagogue in Vilnius at 6:00 P.M. on September 25. All in attendance will receive our calendar for the new year, 5783.
Greetings on September 1, the Back-to-School Holiday
The Lithuanian Jewish Community greets the students, parents and teachers of the Sholem Aleichem ORT Gymnasium in Vilnius and all our students and parents on September 1, the national back-to-school holiday. We wish you a very successful academic year.
Happy Birthday to Larisa Vyšniauskienė
We wish a very happy birthday to Larisa Vyšniauskienė, guardian of the eternal creative flame of the Fayerlakh Jewish song and dance ensemble. We wish you even greater success, health and artistic achievement! Mazl tov. Bis 120!
New Israeli Ambassador Visits LJC
Newly-appointed Israeli ambassador Hadas Wittenberg Silverstein visited the Lithuanian Jewish Community where chairwoman Faina Kukliansky and the Jewish community in Lithuania wished and wish her meaningful work and creative joint initiatives with the LJC. Chairwoman Kukliansky also introduced the new ambassador to Rozeta Ramonienė, the director of the Former Ghetto Prisoners Welfare and Support Fund.
News from the Panevėžys Jewish Community
Every month the Panevėžys Jewish Community celebrates its members’ birthdays and anniversaries. In July and August we congratulated Diana Narevič and Rimantas Rimkus and Jurijus and Svetlana Grafman on their anniversaries.
We also provided and provide material support to our members.
Despite summer vacations, cultural and athletic events are being held and members are participating in Panevėžys regional events and scouting activities.
In the summer we usually have a large number of guests who care about their family histories. They often talk about their families over a cup of tea at the Panevėžys Jewish Community. One of the newer stories is about a family who emigrated to South Africa, then later between 1900 and 1910 they went their separate ways to Canada, China, England and Israel. They came back to Lithuania to learn about the former shtetl where their forebears once lived.
Happy Birthday to Semionas Finkelšteinas
We wish a very happy milestone birthday to Semionas Finkelšteinas, modern founder and president of the Lithuanian Makabi Athletics Club and head of Lithuanian Makabi delegations abroad. We wish you great health, happiness and a continued sharp wit. Mazl tov. Bis 120!
Father and Trainer Eduardas Šeras Talks of Son Who Won Silver at Maccabiah
I’d like to present a person who, as Lithuanian Makabi president Semionas Finkelšteinas says, performed a small miracle at the recently finished World Maccabiah Games in Israel.
Daniel Šer is the silver medal winner in the junior chess competition. Daniel is 13, but he was playing against 16, 17 and 18-year-olds. A silver medal which just missed becoming gold by a hair, since Daniel collected the same number of points with the gold medal winner from the USA, and according to the rules, a tie like that means other indicators are taken into account, something is always kind of a lottery, and this time it wasn’t in our favor.
It was a great competition, very good results and a very high assessment not just for the medal won, but also because news reached us that the organizers of the competition and the chief referee sent the final results to the International Chess Federation along with the request to present Daniel the title of candidate master for his excellent playing in the competition.
Happy Birthday to Tatjana Archipova-Efros
We wish a very happy milestone birthday to our long-time member and WWII veteran Tatjana Archipova-Efros. Mazl tov. Bis 120!