Condolences
LJC member and long-time client of our Social Center David Magid has passed away. He was born in 1927. Our deepest condolences to his family and friends.
Happy Birthday to Anita Fridberg
Long-time Community volunteer and former Kaunas ghetto inmate Anita Fridberg celebrated a milestone birthday September 10. We wish her a very happy birthday, health, success and endless happiness. Mazl tov. Bis 120!
Condolences
Jokūbas Bastunskis passed away September 4. He was born in 1948 and was a long-standing member and an active volunteer in the Social Programs Department. Our deepest condolences to his wife Svetlana and their children.
Plein Air Art Workshop Week Planned for Fall
The Lithuanian Jewish Community is sponsoring another open-air painting and art workshop scheduled for September 2 to 5 in Trakai under the tutelage of Raimondas Savickas. For more information call +37067881514 or write zanas@sc.lzb.lt
Happy Birthday to Idelis Gurvičius
A very happy birthday to LJC member of long standing and active Seniors Club member Idelis Gurvičius who celebrated his 90th on August 23. Mazl tov. Bis 120!
Rosh Hashanah Camp
The Ilan and Knafaim Clubs of the Lithuanian Jewish Community in concert with the Sholem Aleichem ORT Gymnasium invite 12-16-year-olds to a special Rosh Hashanah holiday camp in Palanga at the Prie Parko hotel from September 3 to 7. The cost is 85 euros. Space is limited. Register by internet at https://forms.gle/WGFe64ZY7oEq5W6Z6 and for further information contact Viljamas by telephone at+37067250699 or Žana at+37067881514.
Sabbath for LJC Seniors
The Abi Men Zet Zikh Seniors’ Club of the Lithuanian Jewish Community recently held a Sabbath ceremony for our seniors and celebrated the recent birthday of club member A. Bloch at the same time. Happy 85th birthday, Mr. Bloch. Mazl tov. Bis 120!
Lithuanian Jewish Community Kids Enjoy Summer Camp
Two LJC children’s summer camps took place in July, full of activities and fun. Not only did the kids have a chance to shake off state restrictions for fighting the virus by getting a little wild, they also learned a lot. The LJC camps among other things taught Jewish history and tradition. The kids learned to make challa, visited the Ninth Fort Holocaust site in Kaunas and engaged in other learning activities.
Gathering of Seniors at Cvi Park
Our seniors in the Lithuanian Jewish Community Social Center program gathered one July afternoon recently at the park across the street from the LJC building in Vilnius, Petras Cvirka Square. They chatted, shared news and sampled an assortment of treats from the Bagel Shop Café, also located across Pylimo street on the first floor of the LJC, with a separate entrance
Jewish Summer Camp Update
Additional registrations are being accepted for young people aged 13 to 17 to attend the Amehaye Jewish summer camp with overnight stays from August 2 to August 6. The cost is 140 euros per person. For more information call +37060146656 or send an email to amehaye2021@lzb.lt
Faina Kukliansky Re-Elected Head of Lithuanian Jewish Community
ELTA, July 8, 2021
A general meeting of the members of the Lithuanian Jewish Community held Wednesday voted for a third time to elect Faina Kukliansky the chairwoman of the organization. Twenty-six members of the LJC’s executive board were elected at the same time.
The chairperson of the Community is elected for a four-year term by a majority of the regional Jewish communities and associate members constituting the LJC. Of the 32 organizations under the LJC umbrella, 31 representatives took part in Wednesday’s ballot. Kukliansky received 30 votes out of the possible 31, according to a press release from the LJC.
Kukliansky said her most important task as chairwoman is to inspire unity among the different Jewish communities in Lithuania. She said the LJC’s other priorities haven’t changed, but life is changing: the generation which experienced the horrors of World War II is growing old and dying, and so caring for them is becoming even more crucial.
“We are continuing to strengthen the activity of our social center, taking care of those requiring support, employing people with disabilities and engaging them in Community activities. Another important priority is preservation and putting to use the surviving Jewish cultural heritage: we have wonderful examples of restored synagogues being used as cultural activity centers,” Faina Kukliansky said.
Jewish Scouting Camp This Summer
The camp is for children and young adults aged 13 and above. In order to participate, applicants need permission from their parent, parents or legal guardian(s) and proof of payment by electronic transfer of funds. Please note that payments for the camp will not be refunded (although for unavoidable reasons beyond the power of the parents or applicant to stop, LJC will consider reasonable requests).
Payment information:
Recipient: Lithuanian Jewish Community
Corporation code: 190722117
Bank: SEB Bank
Account: LT097044060000907953
For: Scouting Camp 2021, child’s name and surname and which specific fee is being paid
For more information contact Viljamas at viljamas@lzb.lt or by telephone at+370 67250699
Registration form: https://forms.gle/66KHQmVpUXJJV9WbA
Amehaye Summer Camp Coming Soon
The Lithuanian Jewish Community is pleased to announce the our annual Amehaye summer camp for 2021:
June 28-July 2 Children aged 7-10 (day camp), register here;
July 5-July 9 Ages 10 to 13 (including overnight), register here;
August 2-August 6 Ages 14 to 17 (overnight), register here;
July 18-July 23 Jewish scouts (overnight).
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For more information send an email to amehaye2021@lzb.lt or call +370 601 46656.
Happy Birthday to Sulamit Lev
Union of Former Concentration Camp Prisoners member Sulamita Lev celebrates her birthday June 7. She has been an employee of and volunteer at the Lithuanian Jewish Community and the LJC Social Center for many years.
We wish her a happy birthday, much happiness and good health, strength of spirit and joy. We wish you many meaningful years to come and that you would always remain as you are, young at heart.
Mazl tov!
The newspaper Šiaulių Kraštas published the incredible story of Sulamit’s life and rescue from the Šiauliai ghetto two years ago. The text is available in Lithuanian here.
Camp Counselor Training
The Lithuanian Jewish Community is offering training at our 2021 Madrich School for young people with Jewish roots who want to take part and become qualified camp counselors and supervisors for LJC camping and children’s events.
The curriculum includes:
* Knowledge of Judaism
* Educational activities
* Training on setting up camps
* Training for working with children
* Conflict resolution
* Many new topics
The training is intended for young people aged 15 and up.
Registration required by May 17, 2021. For more information, call +370 6788 1514. To register, click here.
Small Children, Small Troubles
Kleiner kinder — klein zorgn, groise kinder — groise zorgn.
This Jewish saying means small children pose worries and bigger children bigger problems.
Natalja Cheifec invites you to her third lecture on the subject, “Raising Children in the Traditional Jewish Family,” in Lithuanian.
The lecture will teach you about innate features children have and how to encourage them, and why Jewish children end up learning their entire lives. The issue of whether children should pay attention to the opinions of others and which way to choose–to act like everyone else, or to go one’s own way–will be addressed.
Together with Natalja you will learn how to turn an enemy into a friend, how to teach children to behave morally and the effects loneliness and a bad environment have on children.
The lecture is free and will be held on the Lithuanian Jewish Community’s Zoom page from 5:30 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. on April 22.
The lesson will be repeated in Russian a week from now, on April 29.
To register, go to http://bit.ly/3arwHRn
#NataljosPaskaitos
Children’s Event on Sunday
Dear children,
We invite you to come meet medical expert Arina Kaganovič who will tell you all about the monster called Corona. We’ll meet at 1:00 P.M. on Sunday, February 28 on the internet. Register and receive URL by sending an email to sofja@lzb.lt
Purim at the Ilan Club
The Lithuanian Jewish Community and the Ilan Club invite parents and children to spend Sunday morning with culinary chef Andžejus Žukovskis. We’ll bake hamentashen, the traditional Purim treat, together. It all begins at 12 noon on Sunday, February 21, via Zoom. To register send an email to sofja@lzb.lt and together with the Zoom code we’ll send you a list of ingredients needed. For more information you may also call Sofja at +370 601 46656.
Minsk and Vilnius Jewish Communities Celebrate Sabbath Together via Internet
Belarussian progressive Jewish Community Beit Simha’s Rabbi Grigoriy Abromovich created an international project to link up cities in Lithuania, Belarus and Israel and Lithuanian Jewish Community social programs director Žana Skudovičienė was an important part of the project on the evening of Friday, February 6, when more than 40 families celebrated Sabbath together via internet.
“We know and love the Jerusalem of Lithuania Jewish Community and we love visiting there [Vilnius]. New technology allows us to be closer together despite distance in time and space,” Rabbi Abromovich said.
Lithuanian Jewish Community chairwoman Faina Kukliansky said we all miss communication and support because of the difficult period of the viral pandemic, and the Sabbath has the unique ability to bring us all together.
Michailis Segalis, LJC executive director, said: “During Passover we say to one another: next year in Jerusalem. Today I’d like to rephrase that wish and say to all our virtual Sabbath participants: next year in Minsk, Vilnius and, perhaps, we will all celebrate Sabbath in Jerusalem.”
A big thank you to all who made the virtual Sabbath possible and participated. Thank you for your kind words and smiles.