News – Page 43 – Lithuanian Jewish Community

Remembering Irena Veisaitė

The Old Vilnius Town Hall and the Lithuanian Literature and Folklore Institute invite you to an evening to remember the life and work of Irena Veisaitė. The event marks Irena’s 95th birthday and will also serve to launch the book “Our Irena: Memories Irena Veisaitė” edited and compiled by Reda Pabarčienė. The book will be available for purchase at the presentation. The venue is the Old Vilnius Town Hall, 6:00 P.M., January 9, 2023. It is free and open to the public. The event will be conducted in Lithuanian.

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Simonas Strelcovas Appointed Director of Vilna Gaon Museum

Simonas Strelcovas was appointed by the Lithuanian Culture Ministry to the post of director of the Vilna Gaon Jewish History Museum in Vilnius. He has a doctorate in history and is a credentialed teacher. Earlier he directed the Humanitarian Research Center at Šiauliai University and the Defense and Warfare Educational Center. He served as chairman of the board of directors of the scientific institute at Šiauliai University. More recently he was head of projects at the Lithuanian National Regional Development Agency. In 2019 he went to Meijo University in Japan as visiting researched and headed a project there on the collective memory of traumatic experiences.

“One of my main tasks as director of the Vilna Gaon Jewish History Museum is to clarify with the staff the museum’s priority activities, setting a strategic goal for ourselves to make the museum one of the leaders in the region,” he told Lithuanian Radio and Television.

According to press reports, Strelcovas began his duties in the post Tuesday.

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Israel Named Fourth Superpower

The former American magazine-U.S. News and World Reports, now purely an internet publication, has promoted Israel as the fourth most-powerful military force on earth after Russia, China and the United States, the group of three states once regularly called the three superpowers. The former magazine publishes a list annually of what it calls the best countries, based on an algorithm developed in concert with academics.

“The study and model used to score and rank countries were developed by BAV Group–a unit of global marketing communications company WPP–and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, specifically professor David Reibstein, in consultation with U.S. News & World Report,” the internet publication states.

In the category of “military strength” Israel placed fourth on the magazine’s list this year, with Russia ranked first, followed by the U.S. and then China in third place. Confusingly, the magazine placed Israel in tenth place under the category of “most powerful countries” where it placed the U.S. first, followed by China and Russia.

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Rolling Stone Magazine Includes Ofra Haza on List of 200 Greatest

The American music industry magazine Rolling Stone published their list of the top 200 performed for the past hundred years January 1, based on the opinions of editorial staff and others. This year along with Aretha Franklin and Billy Holiday they included the late Israeli singer Ofra Haza.

Full story in Russian here.

2023-01-03

World Jewish Congress Mourns Death of Benedict XVI

World Jewish Congress president Ronald S. Lauder mourned the passing of Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday night.

“It is with great sadness that I learned today that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has passed away,” he said. “He was a towering figure of the Roman Catholic Church, both as pope and before that as the cardinal who gave the Catholic-Jewish relationship solid theological underpinning and enhanced understanding. No pope before him visited as many synagogues, and he made a point of meeting with local Jewish community representatives whenever he visited foreign nations.”

Lauder recalled having met the former pope at the Vatican three times and said that each time, he was “deeply moved by his affection and friendship for the Jewish people, his commitment to remembrance of the Shoah, and his unambiguous condemnation of Holocaust denial in any form.”

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Sabbath Times

The Sabbath begins at 3:43 P.M. on Friday, December 30, and concludes at 5:06 P.M. on Saturday in the Vilnius region.

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Condolences

The Lithuanian Jewish Community is sad to report the death of Eliyahu Stoupel. He was a cardiologist who did important work on the effects cosmic rays, solar activity and geomagnetism have on human health and mortality rates. Born in Kaunas in 1929, he later moved to Israel and recently worked for the Beilinson Hospital and Medical Research Center in Petah Tikva just east of Tel Aviv. He always maintained ties with the land of his birth, came to teach university students and carried out joint studies and projects with other Lithuanian cardiologists. We extend our deepest condolences to his many friends, family members and colleagues around the world.

2022-12-28

Sabbath Times

The Sabbath begins at 3:36 P.M. on Friday, December 23, and concludes at 5:01 P.M. on Saturday in the Vilnius region.

2022-12-22

United States of America Hail Jewish Compensation by Lithuanian Parliament

Photo: Robert Gilchrist, by D. Umbrasas courtesy LRT.lt

The U.S. embassy in Vilnius said Tuesday the United States hail the Lithuanian parliament’s decision to compensate Jewish private property seized by the Nazis and Soviets to the tune of 37 million euros.

American ambassador to Lithuania Robert Gilchrist said: “The passing of this legislation is an important step in recognizing the tragedy of the Holocaust in Lithuania. It is not, however, only about addressing claims for the past. It is about preserving the memory of the Holocaust for future generations and working together against intolerance and hatred.”

U.S. special envoy for Holocaust issues Ellen Germain commented: “After the Holocaust, there was little time to create successful restitution programs before the Communist regimes nationalized private property. By passing this bill, Lithuania has taken another important step in fulfilling restitution commitments. For survivors and their families, this is a direct acknowledgement of the great wrong that was done to them.”

The Lithuanian parliament Tuesday adopted a new redaction of the existing Law on Goodwill Compensation which additionally allocates 37 million euros for compensating Jewish private property. The existing law and previous compensation payments were for communal and religious property seized by the Nazis and the Soviets. The new legislation comes into effect in January.

Lithuanian prime minister Ingrida Šimonytė proposed the new compensation package saying Lithuania has made compensation for Jewish religious community property, but hasn’t made compensation for nationalized private property.

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Lithuanian Parliament Allocates 37 Million Euros for Private Property Looted from Jews

The Lithuanian parliament Tuesday voted in favor of compensation to the amount of 37 million euros for private property looted from Jews by the Nazis and the Soviets.

Seventy-two MPs voted in favor, six against and two abstained in the ballot of a new redaction of the Law on Goodwill Compensation which will come into effect in January.

“There are two kinds of property, and for one a solution was found, while the search for a solution to the second was sought, perhaps not entirely sincerely, perhaps sincerely… I believe the Government has succeeded in agreeing to and proposing such a solution, and today we consider this legislation,” she said.

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Condolences

With deep sadness we report the death of Michail Grafman. He died December 18 at the age of 77. For many years he served as a member of the executive board of the Panevėžys Jewish Community. He was a good man, always took care of his family and was always reserved and responsible in his work for the community. We extend our deepest condolences to his children Jurijus, Julija and Simonas, and to his grandchildren and great-grandchildren as well as his many other friends and family members. His final burial will be at 2:00 P.M. on December 22 at the cemetery on Ramygalos street in Panevėžys.

2022-12-21

Hanukkah Greetings from Joe Biden and Wife

Joe Biden: Well, folks, Happy Hanukkah, everyone. On behalf of Jill, Doug and Kamala, thank you. And Rabbi Bronia, thank you for hanging out with me la- –a couple weeks ago. And Michèle and Abigale. To all of you here, including so many friends, thank you being–for being part of this moment.

Just over two months ago, Jill and I her- –hosted the first-ever High Holiday reception at the White House.

It was deeply meaningful. It was something that we’ve alwa- –we’ll remember. And I felt–it felt what–what the Jewish proverb teaches: “What comes from the heart goes to the heart.” And it went to our heart, for real. It’s never happened before in the White House.

Full press release here.

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Lithuanian Radio and Television Reports on Hanukkah in Lithuania

Lithuanian state radio and television reported the beginning of Hanukkah at the Choral Synagogue in Vilnius Sunday. On Monday, the first Hanukkah light was lit, according to LRT, by speaker of parliament Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen.

“As we light the Hanukkah candles every year, the Jewish community sends out a message of light and friendship to all of the Lithuanian ethnic communities and to the Jewish communities around the world. We want to remind people that we can only overcome the greatest challenges by being and working together, by communicating and trying to understand one another, to light the light of knowledge, understanding and tolerance. We can all be part of the light,” Lithuanian Jewish Community chairwoman Faina Kukliansky said.

It’s customary for people to come together, have fun and share traditional Hanukkah treats such as doughnuts and latkes over all eight days of the Hanukkah holiday. Children receive traditional gifts. Faina Kukliansky recalls Litvaks traditionally ate their Hanukkah latkes with cranberry sauce.

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Sabbath Times

The Sabbath begins at 3:34 P.M. on Friday, December 16, and concludes at 4:58 P.M. on Saturday in the Vilnius region.

2022-12-15

Pope Francis Calls for Return to Judaeo-Catholic Dialogue

Addressing members of the Jewish-Christian Friendship Association of France on December 12, Pope Francis called for a return to dialogue between Catholics and Jews in what he called hostile times with a rise in anti-Semitism and violence against Christians.

ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS TO MEMBERS OF AMITIÉ JUDÉO-CHRÉTIENNE DE FRANCE

Consistory Hall
Monday, December 12, 2022

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Dear friends,

I welcome you, members of Amitié Judeo-Chrétienne de France, celebrating the 75th anniversary of its founding.

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US Calls on Lithuania to Recognize Holocaust Crimes Committed by National Heroes

The Lithuanian telegraph agency ELTA reports US State Department special envoy for Holocaust issues Ellen Germain said Lithuanian authorities must recognize the involvement of so-called Lithuanian heroes in Holocaust crimes.

She said some Lithuanians who fought the Soviet regime are lionized and commemorated even though they were Nazi collaborators and committed war crimes and genocide. She called on Lithuanian politicians and society to admit the facts. As an example she pointed to Jonas Noreika, a Lithuanian Activist Front commander directly responsible for the ghettoization and mass murder of Jews in the Šiauliai (Shavl) district. She also pointed to Juozas Krikštaponis, part of a punitive unit who murdered Jews in Belarus. Noreika was awarded the Lithuanian Cross of Vytis posthumously and has a commemorative plaque hanging on the Lithuanian Academy of Science. There is a monument to Krikštaponis at the city park in Ukmergė (Vilkomir).

Germain said the United States is asking Lithuania to recognize the involvement of a number of alleged national heroes in Holocaust crimes.

2022-12-14