Air France will resume flights to Israel from January 24, an airline spokesperson says, the latest foreign carrier to end its suspension during Israel’s war with Hamas.
Air France will operate three weekly flights from Paris to Tel Aviv using Airbus A350 aircraft.
Foreign carriers halted flights to Israel at the outset of the war that began on October 7. Lufthansa, Swiss Air and Austrian Airlines resumed flights to Israel this week.
Full story here.
The Fayerlakh Jewish song and dance ensemble led by Larisa Vyšniauskienė held a benefit concert to raise funds for the Israeli victims of Hamas and decided to send 1729 euros they raised to the survivors of the Cohen family, Sandra and her two sons Liam and Dylan. A further 298 euros was donated into a special bank account set up for the surviving family members.
Association of Lithuanian Jews in Israel director Arie Ben-Ari Grodzensky reported fifty members of that organization had raised a further 5650 euros for the Cohens and said he hoped the money would at least help the family in some way to overcome the consequences of the attack by Hamas on October 7.
Thank you to all who donated and those who haven’t heard the story yet can read about it at the link below and make a donation if they so desire:
http://www.lzb.lt/en/2023/12/07/lets-make-a-hanukkah-miracle-happen/
The Sabbath begins at 3:50 P.M. on Friday, January 5, and concludes at 5:13 P.M. on Saturday in the Vilnius region.
To: Government of the Republic of Lithuania
Gedimino pr. 11, LT-01103, Vilnius
e-mail.: LRVkanceliarija@lrv.lt
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania
J.Tumo-Vaižganto g. 2, LT-01108, Vilnius
e-mail.: urm@urm.lt
IN REGARD TO LITHUANIA’S ASSISTANCE, SUPPORT AND COOPERATION ON ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR MATTER
2024-01-02
Vilnius
The Lithuanian Jewish (Litvak) Community (LJC) is keen to bring to Lithuania’s attention three critical issues that require urgent attention and cooperation on significant matters related to the Israel-Hamas war. The Lithuanian Jewish (Litvak) Community believes that Lithuania, a democratic state, should announce a unified stance on the Israel-Hamas war and stand on the right side of history.
Firstly, it is important to bring to your attention that South Africa has accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinian people. This is a serious and baseless allegation that requires condemnation. LJC kindly requests your support in opposing this accusation and is urging the government to condemn such unfounded claims. Israel is planning to send a representative to the International Court of Justice at The Hague to challenge this motion, and we believe that collective international condemnation is crucial in this matter.
Secondly, as the world approaches the 100th day since the horrific terror attack by Hamas happened against Israel on October 7, 2024, the European Jewish Congress (EJC) is initiating a day of protest to raise awareness for the 129 hostages held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza in inhumane conditions. Several countries are considering symbolic actions such as illuminating government buildings in yellow with the hashtag #bringthemhomenow. LJC urges the Lithuanian government to participate in this global effort and ensure that our state’s actions are visible and heard.
Lastly, LJC is deeply concerned about the behavior of the International Red Cross, which appears to neglect the Jewish hostages. While they voice concerns about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, they remain silent on the hostages’ conditions that are still being held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza. LJC requests Lithuania’s support in protesting against this discrepancy and urging the International Red Cross to engage actively in ensuring the well-being of the hostages.
The Lithuanian Jewish (Litvak) Community understands the importance of these matters and appreciates the Lithuanian Government’s attention to them. We are certain that the right support for Israel, which is fighting barbaric terror organizations in Gaza, would significantly contribute to addressing these urgent concerns.
Respectfully,
Faina Kukliansky
Chair of the Lithuanian Jewish (Litvak) Community
We regret to report yet another death January 4, that of Svetlana Pugačiova. She was born in 1945 and was a member of the Community in long standing and a client of the Saul Kagan Welfare Center. Our deepest condolences to her husband Valerijus, son Stanislavas and daughter Eliza.
Markas Lifšicas passed away January 24. He was born in 1975 and was a long-standing member of the Lithuanian Jewish Community and more recently a client of the Saul Kagan Welfare Center. Chairwoman Faina Kukliansky and the entire Lithuanian Jewish Community extend our condolences to his father Jakovas and sister Liza.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.–Harvard College president Claudine Gay resigned Tuesday amid plagiarism accusations and criticism over testimony at a congressional hearing where she was unable to say unequivocally that calls on campus for the genocide of Jews would violate the school’s conduct policy.
Gay is the second Ivy League president to resign in the past month following congressional testimony. Liz Magill, president of the University of Pennsylvania, resigned December 9.
Gay, Harvard’s first black president, announced her departure just months into her tenure in a letter to the Harvard community, thus becoming the shortest presidency in the history of Harvard College.
Following the congressional hearing, Gay’s academic career came under intense scrutiny by critics who unearthed numerous and extensive instances of plagiarism in her 1997 doctoral dissertation. The Harvard Corporation, Harvard’s governing board, initially rallied behind Gay, saying a review of her scholarly work turned up “a few instances of inadequate citation” but no evidence of research misconduct. Critics posted long passages of verbatim copy/pastes of unattributed works from other authors from Gay’s academic papers and alleged dissertation.
Gay’s public troubles began when she gave testimony in the House of Representatives about Harvard’s bullying, harassment and code-of-conduct rules. Asked whether calling for the genocide of Jews violated Harvard’s rules by representative Elise Stefanik, a Republic from New York state, Gay equivocated and claimed it was a free speech issue which depending on the context–if it became conduct instead of speech–could be a violation of the rules. The public was quick to respond with an internet meme of a book purportedly authored by Gay called “Mein Context,” a reference to Hitler’s “Mein Kampf.” Gay has not been a champion of free speech on campus in the past, approving bans of conservative speakers.
Full story here.
With deep sadness we report the death of Svetlana Plenkivskaja on January 1. She was born in 1943 and was a client of the Saul Kagan Welfare Center and a member of the Union of Former Concentration Camp and Ghetto Prisoners.. Our sincere condolences to her sister, son and many friends and relatives. Rest in peace, Svetlana.
Our Community faced many challenges over the last year, but we also increased our focus and sense of community. As we usher out the last year and ring in the new, we pray for the hostages who haven’t come home and our brothers and sisters still undergoing bombardment in Israel. With great love and fondness we remember all of those whom we have lost and thank them sincerely for being together with us. This is the greatest gift we can give one other. A happy and peaceful 2024.
The Sabbath begins at 3:41 P.M. on Friday, December 29, and concludes at 5:05 P.M. on Saturday in the Vilnius region.
With deep sadness we report the death on December 23 of long-time Community member and Saul Kagan Welfare Center client Liubov Indenok. She was born in 1930. We extend our condolences to her daughter Galina and other loved ones.
Frume Malka Kučinskienė died December 22. She was born in 1933. She was a long-time member of the Kaunas Jewish Community, a Holocaust survivor and a client of the Saul Kagan Welfare Center. We extend our deepest condolences to her family and friends but also to Lithuania for the loss of this friend who suffered so much but never lost her inner light.
Community member and Social Center client Zoja Archangarodskaja passed away December 22. She was born in 1930. Our deepest condolences go to her husband Ilja and friends and family members.
Israeli ambassador to Australia Amir Maimon has accused Australian Labor Party prime minister Anthony Albanese of contradictory messages over the war with Hamas, declared the Jewish homeland’s fight against terrorism has been held to a different standard from Australia’s own operations in Afghanistan and lamented that his citizens did not feel secure in this country, in a piece published in the Australian newspaper over Christmas and at the National Press Club of Australia.
In an interview called “The Agony of an Ally: Anthony Albanese’s Gaza Contraditions” by Alexi Demetriadi published in the Australian on December 25, Maimon says:
“The Prime Minister understands that Hamas cannot be part of future governance in Gaza… yet supports a ceasefire. These are contradictory positions.”
Full video here.
The Sabbath begins at 3:36 P.M. on Friday, December 22, and concludes at 5:00 P.M. on Saturday in the Vilnius region.
The Shofar Gallery of the Jewish Culture Information Center in Vilnius is hosting an exhibit of works by art and book restorer and artist Modestas Saukaitis inspired by Abraham Sutzkever’s poetry. Saukaitis’s works on exhibit are verre églomisé, an ancient technique which uses white gold painted on glass to produce an extraordinary effect.
The exhibit runs till December 23 and is open to the public during the gallery’s working hours, from noon to 6:00 P.M. on weekdays and from noon till 4:00 P.M. on Saturday. The gallery is located at Mėsinių street no. 3A in the Vilnius Old Town.
For more information, see here.
“In lighting the final, the eighth Hanukkah candle, we wish all hope and faith, that light overcome the darkness, but we wish for victory to be reached as early and rapidly as possible there were it is most needed,” Kaunas Jewish Community chairman Gercas Žakas said at a ceremony marking the final day of Hanukkah in Kaunas.
The Sabbath begins at 3:34 P.M. on Friday, December 15, and concludes at 4:57 P.M. on Saturday in the Vilnius region.
The Lithuanian Writers Union announced they were awarding their bi-annual prize to writer and thinker Tomas Venclova for his latest book of poetry entitled “Už Onos ir Bernardinų” [Behind/Beyond the Church of St. Anne and the Church of the Bernardines (aka Franciscans)]. The book was published by the Apostrofa publishing house and contains 31 poems Venclova wrote over the past seven years.
The Lithuanian Writers Union awards their prize to one author every two years in recognition of high literary value. They will present the prize to Venclova on January 6 at Union headquarters in Vilnius.
The Amehaye children’s day camp invites children of members to the closing ceremony for the winter day camps, a performance of Charles Perrault’s version of the “Puss ‘n Boots” fairy-tale.
Actors from Mroj-Hall theater will perform the tale. It takes place at 12 noon on Sunday, December 17. Registration is required and please register by December 16 by sending an email to viljamas@lzb.lt.