History of the Jews in Lithuania – Page 21 – Lithuanian Jewish Community

Stories of Lithuanian Rescuers of Jews

In 2005 the Department of Righteous Gentiles of the Vilna Gaon Museum published their third edition of “Hands Bringing Life and Bread” in a combined Lithuanian- and English-language edition. According to the museum’s website it:

“contains stories of those who showed humanity during the darkest hours of history, the Righteous Gentiles. It is dedicated to Ona Simaitė in celebration of the 110th anniversary of her birth. This courageous woman is well known for her deeds during WWII, but is only one of 72 Rescuers of Jews in Lithuania presented in this volume.”

Compiled by Viktorija Sakaitė and edited by Dalija Epšteinaitė, 2005, 128 pp.; Lithuanian & English, ISBN 9986-34-144-2

Featured here.

2023-03-152023-03-16

Lithuanian PM Calls for Celebration of First Jewish Rescuer Day in Lithuania

On March 15 Lithuania will celebrate the Day of Rescuers of Lithuanian Jews for the first time, included on the official list of commemorative days late last year. The day will include a number of events including a reading of the names of rescuers at Vilnius University at 4:00 P.M. and the opening of an exhibition on Righteous Gentiles at the Marija and Jurgis Šlapelis Museum located at Pilies street no. 40 in Vilnius.

“Great challenges don’t just destroy, they also awaken heroes. Those whose deeds kindle endless hope. Those thanks to whom today we aren’t just talking about victims and murderers, but also about the rescuers. Those who pass on to all coming generations the clear knowledge that we can always chose the light, even in the darkest night,” Lithuanian prime minister Ingrida Šimonytė said.

Full article in Lithuanian here.

2023-03-152023-03-15

YIVO to Digitize Treasure Trove of Leftist History

New York Jewish Week–YIVO has launched an eight-year project to digitize its Jewish Labor and Political Archives, widening access to some 3.5 million pages related to Jewish revolutionary, socialist and labor movements in Europe and America.

The project, the largest archival digitization project in the history of the Jewish research institute, will shine a light on the Jewish Labor Bund whose archives survived the Nazis and form the core of the collection.

Founded in Vilna in 1897 by Jews influenced by Marxism, the Bund played a central role in organizing Jewish trade unions and aligned with various socialist parties in pre-WWII Europe. It administered a massive network of secular Yiddish schools, stood up against anti-Semitism and supported an underground network against the Nazi genocide, activities kept up by members who managed to flee to New York in the early 1940s.

That history is reflected in the journey of the archive materials which were seized by the Nazis but were later rediscovered in France after the German army’s retreat. In 1951 the Bund Archives was brought to New York, and transferred to YIVO in 1992.

2023-03-14

Sunday Quiz on Jewish Theater

The quizzes go on, this coming Sunday around the topic of Jewish theater. Come and show off your knowledge, or learn something new. Presented by writer, philosopher, mime and circus performer Arkadijus Vinokuras, the quiz will take place at the Bagel Shop Café at Pylimo street no. 4 at 2:00 P.M. on Sunday, March 19. Register by sending an e-mail to Katrina at katrina@lzb.lt.

2023-03-13

Condolences

Semion “Sam” Yossman, born in Vilnius, former host of the Vatican’s Lithuanian-language radio service, BBC Russian-language department staff and radio host, author of an extensive book about the Cold War and Litvak, passed away last week, according to sources in London. Our deepest condolences to his many friends and family members.

More information about this outstanding man can be found here.

2023-03-132023-03-13

March 15 Is Day of Rescuers of Lithuanian Jews

This year Lithuania marks March 15 as the day of rescuers of Lithuanian Jews for the very first time. To celebrate this important date, the Lithuanian Jewish Community presents a special plaque to commemorate the rescuers. The plaque, with multiple layers of symbolism and meaning, will be placed on residences where the rescuers lived and hid Lithuanian Jews from the Nazis.

“This is our thanks to the brave people who didn’t falter in the face of danger and who were not just the rescuers of Jews, but, as Icchokas Meras wrote, were also the blossom of goodness of their nation and heroes of the spirit who resisted the murderers,” LJC chairwoman Faina Kukliansky commented. Her family was also saved from the Holocaust by brave Lithuanians with big hearts, rescuers who number among the 900 Yad Vashem recognizes as Righteous Gentiles in Lithuania.

Plaque designed by the JUDVI & AŠ creative group.

Project author: International Commission for Assessing the Crimes of the Nazi and Soviet Occupational Regimes in Lithuania.

2023-03-132023-03-13

March 11, Restoration of Lithuanian Independence Day

Dear readers,

March 11, 1990, meant rebirth for the Jews of Lithuania. When the country regained independence, the surviving Jewish community began to unite. This was the beginning of restoring our ethnic identity, of active ethnocultural life, and finally we all began to talk openly about the Holocaust and the role played by ethnic Lithuanians.

We have rights and freedoms in independent Lithuania. We speak courageously about what isn’t right, and we initiate change. We host guests and we travel. Our children and grandchildren live here and the whole world is now open to them. Our home is here and we are an integral part of Lithuania.

So congratulations and greetings on this holiday which belongs to all of us, March 11.

Faina Kukliansky, chairwoman
Lithuanian Jewish Community

2023-03-132023-03-13

News from Kaunas

Last Monday Vytautas Toleikis presented his book “Žydai lietuvių literatūroje. Nuo priešo iki sąjungininko” [Jews in Lithuanian Literature: From Enemy to Ally”] at the Kudirka Public Library in Kaunas. The event was organized by the Kaunas Jewish Community and the art and music section of the library.

Examining portrayals of Jews in texts by different authors in the period from the early 19th century to ca. 1918, Toleikis said he found more positive than negative images. He reported there was a noticeable transformation among some others and public figures from anti-Semitism to a more tolerant view during the period investigated.

The presentation concluded with Purim pastries and Jewish songs performed by Joris Rubinovas.

2023-03-102023-03-10

Purim for Seniors at the Community

One of the distinguishing features of the Lithuanian Jewish Community is how we care about our oldest and wisest members, both in daily life and during the holidays. So we celebrated Purim together with our venerable senior citizens in the Jascha Heifetz Hall at the Community building in Vilnius, decorated for the occasion. A pleasant evening was had by all with dinner and a concert performance by members of the Fayerlakh Jewish song and dance ensemble, now celebrating their 50th birthday.

2023-03-082023-03-08

Insider’s Look at the EDJC Organizers and Coordinators Meeting for 2023

PARIS, FRANCE–The EDJC Organizers and Coordinators Meeting 2023 took place from February 22 to 23 with the majority of its sessions and workshops occurring at the Memorial de la Shoah and a final session and closing ceremony concluding the meeting at UNESCO headquarters in Paris. The bi-annual meeting for organizers and coordinators of European Days of Jewish Culture activities occurs in an extraordinary context and under the umbrella of an exceptional program the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values program of the European Union.

Organizers and coordinators of the European Days of Jewish Culture had the opportunity to spend two full days together in the city of Paris with the aim of training and reflecting upon how to work with the 2023 edition’s theme of memory. The theme of memory is particularly relevant to the EDJC, as it allows us to explore and remember the rich history of Jewish culture and heritage. The festival provides participants with an opportunity to learn about Jewish culture and history, as well as to reflect on the rôle of memory in shaping our understanding of the past and the present.

During the meeting, attendees witnessed the uncovering of the poster of this year’s edition designed by Nikola Radic Lucati, Founder of the Center for Holocaust Research and Education in Belgrade, Serbia. Participants had the opportunity to participate in training sessions and workshops on the theme of memory, as well as to attend coordination meetings and networking events.

Full story here.

2023-03-072023-03-07

Purim Wouldn’t Be the Same without Hamentashen

Purim starts tonight at sundown when the 14th day of the month of Adar begins on the Jewish calendar. One of the constituent features of Purim is the traditional pastry known as hamentashen. Although everyone has their own special recipe, Lithuanian Jewish Community chairwoman Faina Kukliansky makes her family’s version with poppy-seed filling, the traditional Litvak treat. The recipe dates beck to the period between the two world wars.

“This recipe was probably used earlier and recalls the time when the aroma of the pastry filled the Vilnius Old Town and many other cities and towns where Jews lived in Lithuania. Although you can purchase this version now, it’s always more fun to make it yourself,” she commented.

Happy Purim! Hag Purim sameakh!

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Faina Kukliansky’s hamantashen recipe:

2023-03-06

State Protection Proposed for Great Synagogue Ruins

The ruins of the Great Synagogue and attached ritual Jewish bath in Vilnius has been proposed as a site for protection by the state.

The State Cultural Heritage Commission approved that recommendation but the actual listing of the site is up to the Lithuanian minister of culture. The site has architectural, archaeological, historical, commemorative and sacred features.

The State Cultural Heritage Commission said in a press release: “The archaeological, architectural, historical, commemorative and sacred significance of this complex in the Vilnius Old Town is undisputed.”

Full story in Lithuanian here.

2023-03-06

Overnight Scouting Camp for Lithuanian Independence Day

March 11 is one of Lithuania’s two independence days, marking the day in 1990 when the Lithuanian Supreme Soviet declared Lithuania’s independence from the Soviet Union. In line with pre-WWII Jewish scouting traditions, the Lithuanian Jewish Community invites young people and their friends and classmates to an overnight Jewish scouting camp to celebrate Lithuanian independence. The camp will include entertaining games, a scouting program, a flag-raising ceremony and a Sabbath ceremony as well as the chance to meet new friends.

Parents should deliver their children to the Sholem Aleichem ORT school in Vilnius from 3:00 to 3:30 P.M. on March 10 and the camp ends at 7:00 P.M. on March 11. Children and young people need to bring along written consent from their parents, a sleeping bag, dishes and utensils for food, toothbrushes and other personal hygiene items. The cost is 25 euros per person and includes breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.

Registration is open till 11:00 P.M. on April 7. Written consent needs to be delivered by parents to the scout leader at the collection point at Sholem Aleichem school.

To register, fill out the form here:
https://forms.gle/XYhx29EpZwLZiFrN7

For more information, write skautai@lzb.lt.

2023-03-06

Preparations for Marking Yom haShoah in Alytus

A delegation from the Lithuanian Jewish Community and the Association of Lithuanian Jews in Israel headed by director Arie Ben-Ari Grodzensky visited Alytus, Lithuania, yesterday and met with mayor Nerijus Cesiulis and staff to discuss commemorating Yom haShoah, Israel’s Holocaust remembrance day on the 25th of Adar, in the town southwest of Vilnius. The delegation visited the synagogue recently restored there and the mass murder site in Vidzgiris forest to pay their respects to the victims of the Holocaust there. The plan is to mark Yom haShoah in Alytus on April 17.

2023-03-032023-03-03

Righteous Gentiles Exhibit

Architect Tauras Budzys and art historian Barbora Karnienė have constructed an exhibit to mark March 15, the day designated to commemorate Lithuanian rescuers of Jews from the Holocaust. The exhibit is called “Righteous among the Nations: Not Afraid to Die, They Became Immortal.” The exhibit will be on display until April 10 in the home and museum of Marija and Jurgis Šlapelis located at Pilies street no. 40 in Vilnius.

2023-03-02

Discussion Club Topic: The Three Abrahamic Religions

The next meeting of the discussion club #ŽydiškiPašnekesiai will be held at 5:00 P.M. on March 8 at the Bagel Shop Café at Pylimo street no. 4 in Vilnius. The topic will be “The Three Major Religions’ Attitude towards One Another, towards Responsibility, Love, Morality, Punishment and Politics.”

Moderator Arkadijus Vinokuras says there is a lack of interfaith dialogue in Lithuania. The benefits of interfaith discussion on society is obvious because of existing superstitions people hold regarding other religions and a general lack of knowledge.

Discussion panel participants are to include Simas Levinas, Lithuanian Mufti Aleksandras Beganskas, author and Catholic priest Mozė Mitkevičius and Arkadijus Vinokuras.

2023-03-012023-03-01

Jewish Scouts Expand Their Horizons

Over the weekend LJC scouts went to Panevėžys to celebrate with fellow scouts the birthday of Robert Baden-Powell.

On January 24, 1908, the Boy Scouts movement began in England with the publication of the first installment of Robert Baden-Powell’s “Scouting for Boys.”

Besides celebrating their founder’s birthday, the Jewish scouts from around Lithuania met up with other scouting groups, did handicrafts, built snow forts and snowmen and learned more about the natural environment in Panevėžys.

2023-02-282023-02-28

Lithuanian Jewish Community Conducting Project to Digitize and Preserve Lithuanian Jewish History

The open-source RODA (Repository of Authentic Digital Objects*) platform has been chosen to digitize and conserve our European Jewish legacy.

The international J-Ark European Jewish Community Archive project was started in early 2021 and will continue till early 2023, creating and testing a long-term storage platform for digital content. This digital Jewish archive will include selected video, audio, visual, photographic and other materials connected with the history of the Lithuanian Jewish Community since the restoration of Lithuanian independence.

2023-02-242023-02-24

Launch of Lithuanian Translation of Lea Goldberg’s Children’s Book

The Lithuanian translation of Lithuanian Jewish writer Lea Goldberg’s children’s book “Room for Rent” will be launched at the Vilnius Book Fair Sunday with a special panel discussion including the translator, Antanas Jonynas, designer Sigutė Chlebinskaitė who designed the format for the Yitzhak Rudashevski Vilnius Ghetto Diary published in Lithuanian several years ago by the Lithuanian Jewish Community and writer Daiva Čepauskaitė. Israel’s ambassador to Lithuania Hadas Silverstein is also expected to attend.

Goldberg wasn’t born in Lithuania but spent much of her childhood in Kaunas. She returned to Kaunas after World War I and attended university there. She went on to win the Israeli National Prize for her varied literary work in Hebrew.

The book launch and panel discussion will start at 12 noon on Sunday, February 26, in hall 5-3 at the Lithuanian Expo Center in Vilnius, the venue for the annual Vilnius Book Fair.

2023-02-242023-02-24

Recently Published Books about Jewish Lithuania in Lithuanian

“Vilna. Žydiškojo Vilniaus istorija” [Vilna: The History of Jewish Vilnius] by Israel Cohen, 2nd edition, 2023, translated by Miglė Anušauskaitė, 384 pages.

The Vilnius publishing house Hubris has published a Lithuanian translation of British writer and early proponent of Zionism Israel Cohen’s book “Vilna: A History of Jewish Vilnius.” The author was born in London to a family of Jewish immigrants from Poland. He worked as a correspondent for the Times of London, the Manchester Guardian, Manchester Evening Chronicle and Jewish World. The book was first published in 1943 by the Jewish Publication Society as part of a series showcasing Jewish communities in various countries for English speakers.

More information in Lithuanian here. See below for an excerpt from the original English edition.

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“Slaptoji Kauno žydų geto policijos istorija” [Secret History of the Kaunas Ghetto Police] by anonymous Kaunas ghetto police officers, published 2021, translated by Aistis Žekevičius from the English edition edited by Samuel Schalkowsky, 504 pages.

A unique document written in Yiddish by Kaunas ghetto police between 1942 and 1943. It lay buried in Slobodka for years and was discovered in 1964 when construction was underway at the site, and turned over to the Soviet KGB. It was translated to English and published in the USA in 2014.

2023-02-222023-02-23