News – Page 23 – Lithuanian Jewish Community

Book Drive for Tu b’Shvat

The administration and library of the Sholem Aleichem ORT Gymnasium in Vilnius is holding their annual book drive to celebrate Tu b’Shvat. In a letter to parents and the community, school administrators wrote:

Dear reader,

Tu b’Shvat is drawing near, the New Year of trees. The Gymnasium is continuing our tradition and is asking the community to mark this holiday by donating books to the school library. In this way we pay respect to the trees which have been made into books, passing on from generation to generation to us the knowledge, wisdom, beauty and dreams of the whole world. Let us be as trees: firmly connected by our roots to the past and continuing to draw strength from that past, always growing slowly but resolutely, ceaselessly growing towards heaven.

We are a Jewish school, Jews are the People of the Book, and we must strive to have a rich library! Therefore we call upon students, parents and teachers to take part in this campaign and to donate books to the library.

The campaign is scheduled to run from January 16 to February 2.

What we need and further information:

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International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust in Panevėžys

The Panevėžys Jewish Community invites you to remember the victims of the Holocaust at a special event to mark International Holocaust Day, January 27. The event in Panevėžys is being held the day before on January 26 starting with a public gathering at ~1:00 P.M. in front of the Sad Jewish Mother monument on Memory Square in the northern Lithuanian city.

Program:

1:00 P.M. opening ceremony and wreath-laying ceremony at Sad Jewish Mother monument, presentations including from Panevėžys city mayor Rytis Račkausas, Panevėžys regional administration mayor Antanas Pocius, students and honored guests.

2:00 P.M. back at Panevėžys Jewish Community headquarters, a conference with Panevėžys Jewish Community members and partners and screenings of Holocaust films.

Please signal your intent to attend by calling+370 61120882 or +370 61017608 or by emailing genakofman@yahoo.com.

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Tu b’Shvat Celebration

The Lithuanian Jewish Community and Bnei Maskilim invite you to come celebrate the greenest of Jewish holidays, Tu b’Shvat, on Wednesday, January 24, starting at 6:30 P.M. at the LJC in Vilnius, located at Pylimo street no. 4. The cost is 5 euros per person. Registration is required by sending an email to viljamas@lzb.lt or by calling (+370) 67250699. Everyone is welcome.

2024-01-23

Tu b’Shvat

This Thursday, January 25, is the Jewish holiday of Tu b’Shvat, the 15th day of the month of Shvat, the New Year for trees also known as Israeli Arbor Day. It is traditional to eat of the shvat ha’minim (seven species endemic to the Land of Israel): wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates. Hag sameakh!

2024-01-23

Full House for Elyashev Evening of Remembrance in Kaunas

An evening to remember the Jewish writer and first Yiddish literary critic Israel Isidor Elyashev packed the house at the Art and Museum Department of the Vincas Kudirka Public Library in Kaunas last Monday, January 15.

The Kaunas Jewish Community organized the event and Kaunas Jewish Community chairman Gercas Žakas spoke about the man and his legacy, along with others.

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LJC Rejects Jonava Cultural Center’s Anti-Semitic Activities

The Regional History Museum of the Jonava Cultural Center in Jonava, Lithuania, posted an invitation on January 18 for the public to attend an arts workshop in the run-up to the Lithuanian holiday Užgavėnės, or Shrovetide:

“We invite you to a creative workshop for adults this January 22 at 2:00 P.M. called “Making Užgavėnės Masks!” We’ll use papier-mâché on wooden frames! … The function of having fun is the basis of this holiday, it’s essence and core! This is a day when social conventions are ignored, rules are broken and ethical and moral principles are transgressed! You can do anything, but only during this time!”

Unfortunately traditional masks made and worn on Užgavėnės include grotesque stereotypes of Jews and Roma.

2024-01-22

Sabbath Times

The Sabbath begins at 4:12 P.M. on Friday, January 19, and concludes at 5:33 P.M. on Saturday in the Vilnius region.

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Litvak Identity Museum Opening

Yesterday evening the Litvak Culture and Identity Museum opened next door to the Lithuanian Jewish Community in Vilnius.

LJC chairwoman Faina Kukliansky spoke at the opening ceremony, saying the long-awaited exhibits would finally be made public and should be very interesting. She said the history of the Litvaks didn’t begin and end with the Holocaust, that we have a rich history which hasn’t gone away and that the new museum will offer the public a view of that history.

“We are neighbors, the Lithuanian Jewish Community is based right here, on the other side of the wall, in the same building, the former Tarbut gymnasium. We are alive and are celebrating our Jewish identity, and everyone who learns something here at the museum, we invite them to stop by the Community as well, to try our bagels, listen to music and participate in our events. Food, culture and other Community activities of which we are proud–these are all part of the Litvak identity,” Kukliansky said.

Israeli ambassador to Lithuania Hadas Wittenberg-Silverstein also spoke at the opening.

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NGO Monitor Webinar: Examining Human Rights Stances on Israel

We are please to invite you to join a webinar co-hosted by NGO Monitor and the Combat Anti-Semitism Movement featuring a distinguished panel of experts. They will discuss the bias, silence and distortions of the international human rights community regarding the atrocities committed by Hamas. During this online briefing, we will explore the misconceptions surrounding Israel’s defensive actions, while addressing the gross human rights violations perpetrated by Hamas and their impact on innocent lives. The discussion moderated by NGO Monitor’s Olga Deutsch will include insights and
fresh perspectives from:

* Emily Schrader, journalist/writer/CEO of Social Lite Creative
* Pnina Sharvit Baruch, senior researcher on law and national security
* Danielle Haas, former senior editor at Human Rights Watch
* Dr. Saralyn Mark, women’s health and gender equity specialist and author

Mark your calendar, set a reminder, and get ready for an eye-opening discussion!

January 23, 2024, at 9:00 A.M. CT / 10:00 A.M. ET / 4:00 P.M. CT / 5:00 P.M. IST

Click here to register: https://events.combatantisemitism.org/humanrights

In addition to registering above, we encourage you to invite others who may be interested in joining.

Full text here.

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2024-01-18

Vilna Gaon Museum Opens New Litvak Culture and Identity Museum

Photo by I. Gelūnas

The Vilna Gaon Jewish History Museum reopens its branch in the former Tarbut Gymnasium at Pylimo street no. 4a Thursday, January 18, following reconstruction and the installation of a new Litvak Culture and Identity exhibit.

The space used to house the museum’s History Department and Gallery of Righteous Gentiles, and has been undergoing renovation for several years. The third floor will now house a permanent exhibit on the life and work of Rafael Chwoles, the Litvak artist. Other exhibits feature Litvaks who found fame and achievement around the world in various fields of endeavor. The space includes four storeys accessible by stairs.

The Vilna Gaon Jewish History Museum includes consists of several sub-museums and spaces including the Tolerance Center, the Holocaust Museum, an information space at the Ponar Memorial Complex outside Vilnius and soon an exhibit inside the former Jewish ghetto library in the Vilnius Old Town.

Full story in Lithuanian here.

2024-01-182024-01-18

Congratulations to Young Composer

Photo: Simonas Gimelšteinas at premiere on left.

Congratulations to young composer and Lithuanian Jewish Community member Simonas Gimelšteinas who did the musical score for the Lithuanian documentary film “Irklais per Atlantą” [Rowing across the Atlantic] which premiered last week.

Simonas Gimelšteinas also created the sound track for the award-winning Lithuanian short film “Blausos” [Through the Gloom] back in 2022.

2024-01-18

Iran Attacks Syria, Iraq and Pakistan

Iran launched missile and drone strikes on targets in three countries–Iraq, Syria and Pakistan–over a period of 24 hours. The attacks signify a boldness on the part of Tehran to take out what it perceives as threats even on its allies’ soil, sparking worries of more conflict in the region. Speaking to CNBC at Davos Tuesday night, Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said the strikes were “in line with combating terrorism and legitimate self-defense.”

Pakistan recalled their ambassador to Tehran Wednesday and said the Iranian ambassador to Pakistan who is currently in Tehran won’t be allowed back.

Iran claimed they targeted a terrorist group in Balochistan in southern Pakistan who were responsible for shooting Iranian police officers near the border. Pakistan said two children were killed in the missile strike and many others were wounded.

In Iraq, Iran claimed it targeted a “CIA listening post” in the Kurdish regional capital Erbil. Iraq called it an unprovoked act of naked aggression.

Full story here.

2024-01-17

One Million Bells in Lithuania

On Sunday bells rang out around the world and in Lithuania to remember the hostages who were kidnapped by Hamas on October 7 in Israel.

The date marked 100 days since that attack and 100 days of horror, darkness and unknowing for the hostages still being held.

We thank Evangelical Lutheran bishop Mindaugas Sabutis for his support in joining the campaign and ringing church bells to bring them home.

#BringThemHomeNow

2024-01-152024-02-08

Canadian, UK Leaders Reject Premise of ICJ Genocide Case against Israel

British PM Sunak called South Africa’s case “completely unjustified and wrong” and Canadian PM Trudeau indicated he doesn’t back it after the US branded it meritless

Canada does not accept the premise of South Africa’s case at the International Court of Justice in the Hague which accuses Israel of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau said Friday.

Israel rejected as false the accusations that its state organs have genocidal intent against the Palestinians in Gaza during the current conflict with Hamas, which was sparked by the terror group’s devastating shock attack three months ago. Trudeau stressed Canada was a strong backer of the UN’s top court, where the hearings are being held, but added: “Our wholehearted support of the ICJ and its processes does not mean that we support the premise of the case brought forward by South Africa.” Canadian foreign minister Melanie Joly reiterated Trudeau’s comments.

British prime minister Rishi Sunak also believed South Africa’s case was “completely unjustified and wrong,” according to a spokesperson quoted by BBC news Friday.

2024-01-15

Sabbath Times

The Sabbath begins at 4:00 P.M. on Friday, January 12, and concludes at 5:22 P.M. on Saturday in the Vilnius region.

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Plaque Commemorating Lazaris Gutmanas to be Unveiled in Palanga

The Palanga Jewish Community is marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day a day early on January 26 by unveiling a plaque commemorating professor Lazaris Gutmanas (1875-1957) on his family home. Gutmanas was a professor at Kaunas University’s Nerve and Mental Disease Faculty and one of a number of remarkable members of the Jewish academic intelligentsia. Everyone is invited to attend the unveiling ceremony.

Time: 11:00 A.M., January 26
Place: S. Daukanto street no. 25, Palanga

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Klaipėda Jewish Community to Hold Meeting in Support of Israel

The Klaipėda Jewish Community invites members and the public to turn out this Sunday as part of the global initiative “One Million Bells” to mark 100 days since Hamas’s attack on Israeli civilians on October 7, 2023, and to remember the hostages still being held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip and appeal for their release.

The meeting starts at 4:00 P.M. on Sunday, January 14, at Turgaus aikštės no. 24 in Klaipėda.

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South Africa Presents Opening Arguments against Israel at the Hague

A Republic of South Africa High Court barrister has presented opening arguments at the United Nationas International Court of Justice in the Hague against what it claims is Israeli genocide being committed against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

South African High Court attorney Adila Hassim who has also served as a judge in the past told the hearing in the Hague Thursday Israel was in violation of at least four articles of the 1948 Convention for the Prevention of the Commission of the Crime of Genocide. She said it wasn’t incumbent upon the ICJ to pass an immediate verdict on the accusation and that preventative measures including an immediate cease-fire were needed.

Hassim was one member of a South African legation of eight, all of whom also gave presentations. Israel also sent at least one judge to the hearing. Israel is signatory to the Genocide Convention which grew out of the Nuremberg trials to address the new international crime of genocide as the world attempted to come to terms with the Holocaust.

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